Best Ways to Protect the Interior of Your Car in 2025 (Even with Kids & Pets)
With the sun finally making an appearance and the days getting longer, it’s that time of year when we start giving everything a bit of a spring clean, and our cars are no exception. With the kids off school, the dog eager for adventure, and UK weekend breaks back on the agenda, it’s the perfect time to give your car a proper spring refresh, because let’s be honest – no one wants to travel in a car still coated in winter grime. It’s time to dig out the hose or pressure washer and say goodbye to months of built-up mud, grit, and other seasonal muck that’s made itself at home on your motor.
But do you ever consider how to keep your car fresh and clean on the inside as well as the outside? (After all, that’s the bit we sit and spend more time in right)
Keeping your car clean not only stops unwanted smells from setting in, but also gets rid of the stains and mess that slowly build up over the years. This blog post will delve into the best tips and tricks to keep your car’s interior fresh and clean!
Best Car Interior Cleaning Tips & Advice
Use a nice scented car air freshener
An air freshener is a simple and effective way to eliminate unpleasant smells in your car, which can come from all sorts of places. Because smells have such a strong influence on us, having a gentle and subtle air freshener in your car will always make the car feel more inviting and clean.
Protect Your Car From Sun Damage
Keeping your vehicle shaded from the sun extends the life of the materials, this piece of advice applies to both leather and fabric car seats. Not only will the car stay cooler, but it also protects car upholstery from fading, tearing, drying out or cracking. Sunlight can shorten the lifespan of your car seats, so try parking in the shade or using a car windshield reflector whenever possible.
Use Car Seat Covers to Protect Your Upholstery
When you spill something on your car seats, it’s tempting to grab a paper towel or napkin. But did you know these cleaning methods can actually cause scratches, especially on leather car seats?
Protective car seat covers for dogs and families are a great solution. If you’ve got children or pets, using a seat protector like the Pet Rebellion Car Seat Carpet is a game changer. It helps prevent scratches, pet hair, mud, and mess from ruining your seats, plus, it’s machine washable – just shake it out and pop it in at 30°C and hey presto, job done!
The Pet Rebellion Car Seat Carpet is also quick to install and remove, with no straps or clips, it simply just fixes around the headrest. Our car seat protection is also fully machine washable which helps avoid odour build-up keeping your car smelling clean and looking fresh. The clever design includes seatbelt cut-outs and a non-slip backing, giving your kids and dogs a safe and comfy ride. Additionally, its absorbent pile feature traps dirt and moisture far better than any regular cover—keeping your car cleaner and fresher for longer!
Looking to add a bit of luxury to your car’s interior? The Pet Rebellion Comfy Faux Fur Car Cover offers all the same protection, while giving your dog a soft, fluffy space to snooze. It’s a top-notch fluffy car seat cover that comes in both a single seat cover or a backseat car cover, protecting the entirety of your backseats which can be convenient if you are travelling with both dogs and kids.
If you’re wondering how to protect your car from dog hair and muddy paws, this is a brilliant solution.
Food and Drinks That are Safe For Your Car’s Upholstery
Eating and drinking in the car can lead to serious mess, especially if you’ve got kids on board. Ideally, you’d avoid it altogether, but let’s be honest, that’s not always realistic when it comes to road trips or longer journeys where you need to keep them entertained.
It is, however, easier to be picky and just allows foods that are easy to clean up. Avoid sticky treats like sweets, ice lollies, or fizzy drinks, and instead allow snacks that are easier to clean. Use spill-proof drink containers to avoid disasters, and keep a rubbish bag in the car to clear up sticky wrappers or unwanted snacks before they get squashed and build up.
Rubber Car Mats for Interior Floor
Rubber or plastic floor mats are an excellent method to keep the carpet in your vehicle clean. These car floor mats help prevent mud, grime, and liquids from leaving persistent stains on your car’s flooring. Furthermore, if dirt and debris collect, these mats are easy to remove and clean.
Vacuuming Once a Week
Dust, dirt and debris can cause your car’s upholstery to wear out quicker, hoovering once a week is one of the best ways to keep it looking new. Vacuum the debris from seats, car floor, seat covers, and crevices with an industrial vacuum or a household vacuum with an extension hose.
Invest in a pack of Interior Car Cleaning Wipes
Wipes come in handy for every car owner, they’re fantastic for wiping away spills, washing filthy hands, and keeping your car’s interior plastics and hard surfaces spotless. While many individuals swear by plain old baby wipes, professional interior car cleaning wipes are also available.
Tidy Your Glove Compartment
Do you hesitate to open the glove box for fear of triggering a little avalanche of paperwork that has been stuffed inside? If this describes you, it’s time to clean it out completely. Examine what you truly require in there.
Taking on Those Teeny-Tiny Areas, Such as Cleaning the Air Vents
Air vents are notorious for collecting dust, which can be difficult to clean. To clean these difficult spaces get a little towel or rag and wrap it around something narrow, like the handle of a spoon. To clean in between gaps easier, you can use a cheap foam craft brush or a cosmetics brush.
Make Clean-Up a Habit
Here’s an easy technique to keep your car clutter-free: every time you get out of the car, take one thing with you. If you’re travelling with children, have them bring a piece of rubbish or a toy with them.
Another habit to create is to remove the floor mats and shake them once a week to get rid of any dirt. You could make this a weekend ritual when you come home from family outings or dog walks.
How to Keep Your Car Boot Clean (especially with pets)
It’s all too tempting to treat the boot like a spare bedroom, dumping everything and anything in there just in case you need it (when lets be honest, you never do!). Take a moment to sort through what you actually need to keep in there. Use bags or boxes to prevent items from rolling around, or grab a boot organiser to keep things tidy.
To keep your boot clean and protected, especially if your dog travels there, check out our Pet Rebellion Boot Mate. This car boot protector is the solution to keeping your car boot free from hair, muddy paws and helps control unwanted dirt and spills. As our car boot covers are machine washable you can help eliminate bacterial build-up and keep your car smelling fresh and odour free.
Looking for even more coverage? Try The Pet Rebellion Defender. The Defender is the solution to keeping your car boot free from muddy paws and your car bumper free from nasty scratches on its paintwork. This universal size car mat covers the inside of the boot and drapes over the bumper, it also helps reduce your dog’s chances of slipping with wet paws when entering or leaving your vehicle.
The creme de la crème for the back of the car is the Total Boot Protection from Pet Rebellion. This is the best solution for keeping your entire car boot free from muddy paws as well as keeping your car bumper free from nasty scratches. If you’re after car pet protection that really does it all, this is the one.
It’s easy to overlook the interior of your car, but it’s just as important as the outside when it comes to maintenance. It may appear that keeping it clean is a difficult task, but it can be made easier by following the above tips on how to keep your car interior clean.
If you found these ideas helpful for keeping your car looking and smelling good, especially when it comes to car seat protection covers, why not share this with your friends?