The interior of your car goes through a lot. From mud stains to pets and everything in between, it collects a lot of dirt over time. Unfortunately, a dirty car carpet can begin to smell bad if left unchecked for too long, especially on a hot summer’s day. Luckily, deep cleaning isn’t such a difficult task. Here’s how you can clean your car’s carpet back to factory new!

1. Remove everything from your car
First thing’s first: put all seatbacks down, floor mats away, and remove anything else you don’t want to get wet. Make sure there’s no plastic, fabric or anything else that will stain your carpet. Get the interior ready for a deep clean!

2. Start with vacuuming
After you’ve removed everything from your car, it’s time to vacuum. Buy a vacuum strong enough to pick up dirt and pet hair easily, and one that can get into the small crevices of your car. You should be vacuuming for at least 30 minutes, depending on how dirty it is. If your car is very dirty, make sure you’re vacuuming in sections so you don’t overload the vacuum.

3. Spot Clean
At the first sign of a stain, you’re going to have to spot clean it. In order to do this, you first need to get a stiff brush and some upholstery cleaner. Make sure you’ve got all your towels ready, and then spray the cleaner onto them. Using the brush, gently wipe all over your carpet where it’s stained. Don’t scrub with the brush too hard or you may damage the carpet!

4. General Scrub
After spot cleaning, you can move on to a general clean of the carpet. Take a slightly bigger brush and use it to spread the cleaner around the car. Once you’ve done the majority of the carpet, you can hose it down with water. If you’ve got a wet-dry vacuum on hand, now’s the time to take it out! Go over the wet surfaces with it as it’ll take out any nasty odors that may be lingering in the carpet.

5. Let it air dry
Once you’re done cleaning, make sure to let the carpet air-dry overnight. Don’t put your car mats back on just yet – wait until all the moisture has evaporated!

One of the best ways to ensure your car carpet doesn’t get too dirty is through prevention. Most cars come with floor mats, but store-bought ones can have better coverage. In conclusion, it’s not that difficult to clean your car’s carpet! Doing it every few months will ensure that it’s looking fresh for a long time.