Car Cleaning Sprays and Cleaners: What to Buy

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Buy a car interior cleaner first, since it handles the surfaces you touch every day. Add glass and wheel cleaners next, and leave bug and upholstery products until you actually have bugs or stains.

That order follows how often each job comes up, not product testing. Every surface in a car wants something a little different, so use this table to match them.

Surface	Buy	Avoid
Dash, doors, console	Car interior cleaner	Greasy, high-shine dressings
Windows	Ammonia-free glass cleaner	Ammonia cleaners on tinted glass
Wheels	pH-neutral wheel cleaner	Acid cleaners on finishes you can’t identify
Front bumper, mirrors	Bug remover	Scouring pads
Cloth seats, carpet	Fabric upholstery cleaner	Soaking the seat
Leather	Leather cleaner	Cleaners not labeled for leather

Before you spray anything

Never mix bleach with ammonia, acids or other cleaners. The Washington State Department of Health warns that bleach and ammonia together produce toxic chloramine gases, and some glass cleaners contain ammonia. Don’t layer products on the same spot either.

Keep the doors open so the cabin stays ventilated. Wear gloves when the label says to, and follow the label for dwell time and dilution. Inside the car, spray onto a towel instead of straight at screens and buttons.

Interior cleaner

This is your everyday product for the dash, door panels, console and vinyl. The interior cleaning guide shows where it fits in a full clean.

Look for a spray labeled safe for plastic and vinyl that dries with a low sheen. Meguiar’s, Chemical Guys and Griot’s Garage all sell interior cleaners. Skip greasy dressings, which can add glare on the dash and leave a slick feel on the wheel. Be careful with products from under the sink too, and read this list of household products to keep off your car.

Shop: car interior cleaners or Meguiar’s Quik Interior Detailer

Glass cleaner

Glass cleaner cuts the film that causes streaks and night glare, especially on the inside of the windshield.

Look for one that’s ammonia-free and labeled safe for tint. Stoner Invisible Glass is a well-known example. Stoner, which sells ammonia-free cleaner, says ammonia slowly breaks down most window tint. Skip ammonia sprays on tinted windows, and check the label on any household glass cleaner before you use it. The window cleaning guide covers the streak-free technique.

Shop: ammonia-free auto glass cleaners or Stoner Invisible Glass

Wheel cleaner

Wheel cleaner breaks down the brake dust and road film that car soap leaves behind.

Look for a pH-neutral, acid-free spray labeled safe for your wheel finish. Skip acid-based cleaners, which can attack clear coats and painted finishes, especially on wheels that are already corroded. Whatever you choose, work on cool wheels and never leave it on longer than the label says. The wheel and tire guide has the steps.

Shop: pH-neutral wheel cleaners or acid-free wheel cleaners

Bug remover

A bug remover softens dried bugs so you can wipe them away instead of scrubbing. It’s a summer and road trip product, so there’s no rush.

Look for a spray labeled safe on paint and clear coat. Turtle Wax and Meguiar’s both sell one, often as a combined bug and tar remover. Skip scouring pads and rough kitchen sponges, which can scratch. Rinse it off as the label directs, and wash the area afterward.

Shop: bug and tar removers

Upholstery cleaner

Fabric cleaners lift stains from cloth seats and carpet. Look for a foaming or low-moisture formula made for car fabric, such as those from Turtle Wax or Meguiar’s. Leather needs its own product, and Lexol is a well-known name.

Skip soaking anything. Seats can hold airbag and seatbelt sensors, and Mazda’s manual says not to spill liquids on or under the front seats. Kia’s says a wet passenger seat must be completely dry before you drive. Use a little product, blot, and check your owner’s manual. The cloth seat guide walks through it.

Shop: car upholstery cleaners or Lexol leather cleaner

For set-in stains that won’t budge, a local detailer has stronger equipment than any spray bottle.