Keeping your car’s interior clean is essential for both its appearance and your driving comfort. A clean interior not only enhances your car’s aesthetics but also contributes to a healthier and more pleasant driving environment. While various products are available on the market, interior detailers, often referred to as Car Interior Cleaners, have become increasingly popular. These are designed to gently clean and maintain all interior surfaces, from dashboards to seats, without causing damage. This guide will delve into the world of car interior cleaners, helping you choose the best products for your needs.
A selection of car interior cleaner products ready for testing and review.
Interior detailers are generally milder than dedicated interior cleaners, making them perfect for regular maintenance. They excel at removing dust, fingerprints, light scuffs, and everyday grime from various surfaces, including plastic, vinyl, leather, screens, and even glass. Many also offer additional benefits like UV protection, anti-static properties to reduce dust buildup, and even a subtle dressing effect to enhance the interior’s appearance without leaving a greasy residue. For many car owners, these multi-functional products eliminate the need for separate interior dressings.
This review focuses on a range of popular car interior cleaners, assessing their cleaning ability, protective qualities, finish, scent, and overall value. Each product was tested and scored based on these criteria to provide a comprehensive guide for choosing the best car interior cleaner for your vehicle.
Understanding the Scoring System:
It’s important to note that the “Cleaning Ability” score for interior detailers will generally be lower than scores for dedicated, heavy-duty interior cleaners. This is because interior detailers are formulated for maintenance cleaning rather than deep cleaning heavily soiled surfaces. However, this lower cleaning ability score doesn’t necessarily reflect the overall effectiveness or value of the product within its intended purpose.
Product Reviews:
Auto Finesse Spritz
Auto Finesse Spritz, a UK-based brand, unfortunately falls short in this category. It’s an unremarkable product with little to distinguish it. The artificial fruity bubble gum scent is peculiar and can become off-putting after a short time. While Auto Finesse has a strong presence in the UK, its availability in other markets like Australia and the US seems to be diminishing, suggesting it may not resonate well outside its home market. Often compared to Chemical Guys in terms of marketing and product range, Spritz doesn’t live up to expectations.
Cleaning Ability: 0/10
Protection: UV and Anti-static inhibitors
Finish: Matte to Satin
Scent: Fruit Punch
DFB Score: 1/10
Auto Finesse Spritz car interior cleaner bottle, showing product label and spray nozzle.
Armour Detail Supply Pilot
Armour Detail Supply Pilot stands out as a top performer and a personal favorite. It strikes a great balance, offering more cleaning power than many other interior detailers while still providing essential protective qualities like anti-static and UV inhibitors. The “Spiced Pear” scent is particularly appealing, and the product feels excellent to work with, leaving a natural, OEM finish. Pilot effectively cleans surfaces, leaving them looking refreshed and factory-fresh. It’s not just a favorite interior product but ranks among the best detailing products overall.
Cleaning Ability: 7/10
Protection: UV, Anti-static and Microbial inhibitors
Finish: Matte/OEM
Scent: “Spiced Pear”
DFB Score: 10/10
Armour Detail Supply Pilot car interior cleaner being sprayed onto a microfiber towel.
Carpro InnerQD
Carpro InnerQD is another highly recommended product that quickly gained favor. Its quick flash-off time makes it ideal for interiors with glossy trim, preventing streaks and ensuring a clean finish. InnerQD is designed to maintain the original look of surfaces without adding unwanted shine, a crucial feature for modern car interiors. It performs exceptionally well on screens and is also suitable for quick leather wipe-downs. While it shares similarities with Meguiar’s Quick Interior Detailer, InnerQD distinguishes itself with a superior lemon scent and anti-static properties, justifying its slightly higher price point. The lemon scent, while pleasant, is quite strong and long-lasting.
Cleaning Ability: 6/10
Protection: UV and Anti-static inhibitors
Finish: Matte/OEM
Scent: Lemon
DFB Score: 9/10
Carpro InnerQD car interior cleaner bottle, highlighting the product branding and spray mechanism.
DIY Detail Interior Clean & Protect
DIY Detail Interior Clean & Protect offers a slightly stronger cleaning action than many in this category, along with a subtle satin sheen, providing a mild dressing effect. It’s versatile enough for use on all interior surfaces, including Alcantara. A key differentiator is its refreshing apple scent, which provides a welcome alternative to the prevalent lemon-scented cleaners on the market. While a competent product, it doesn’t quite reach the top tier in this test, lacking a certain standout quality.
Cleaning Ability: 7/10
Protection: UV Inhibitor
Finish: Matte to Satin
Scent: Apple
DFB Score: 7/10
DIY Detail Interior Clean & Protect car interior cleaner being applied to a car dashboard.
Ethos Interior Detailer
Ethos Interior Detailer is designed for those who prefer a more noticeable visual difference after cleaning. It offers a more pronounced dressing effect, enhancing the interior’s appearance without becoming greasy or overly shiny. The coconut scent is a major highlight, lingering pleasantly in the car cabin for an extended period. This product works best with a spray-and-wipe application but can be slightly smeary on glossy surfaces. Despite this minor drawback, it remains a very enjoyable and effective interior cleaner.
Cleaning Ability: 6/10
Protection: UV inhibitor, odor prevention
Finish: Satin Sheen
Scent: Coconut
DFB Score: 8/10
Ethos Interior Detailer car interior cleaner bottle against a car interior background.
Gyeon Interior Detailer
Gyeon Interior Detailer, while possessing the signature pleasant Carpro/Gyeon scent, is less impressive in performance. It feels as though it contains a high concentration of IPA (isopropyl alcohol), leading to a dry appearance on treated surfaces. While this can be beneficial for streak-free cleaning on glossy trims, it feels harsh on other interior materials. Its cleaning ability is minimal, primarily limited to light dusting.
Cleaning Ability: 1/10 (Little to none)
Protection: None
Finish: Matte/OEM
Scent: Fresh
DFB Score: 2/10
Gyeon Interior Detailer car interior cleaner bottle with a gray background.
Koch Chemie ASC
Koch Chemie ASC carries the distinctive Koch Chemie scent but demonstrates the weakest cleaning performance among the products tested. It’s adequate for removing fingerprints and light dust from glossy surfaces and screens due to its residue-free nature. However, its overall cleaning ability is so minimal that a simple damp cloth could achieve similar results, making it a less compelling option compared to other available products.
Cleaning Ability: 1/10
Protection: None
Finish: Matte/OEM
Scent: Pleasant, fresh
DFB Score: 2/10
Koch Chemie ASC car interior cleaner being sprayed onto a dashboard vent.
Meguiar’s Quick Interior Detailer
Meguiar’s Quick Interior Detailer presents a tale of two versions. The retail version in smaller trigger bottles is commendable, while the gallon-sized detailer range version suffers from an unpleasant stale vinegar scent. The gallon size’s odor is so off-putting that it can negatively impact the freshly cleaned car’s smell. However, the retail version is praised for its ability to slightly enhance the interior while maintaining a matte, dry, non-greasy finish. It also offers mild UV protection. Therefore, the retail version is recommended, while the gallon size should be avoided due to its scent issue.
Cleaning Ability: 7/10
Protection: UV inhibitors
Finish: Matte/OEM
Scent: Lemon
DFB Score: 7/10 (RTU), 0/10 (gallon, the stench is that bad)
Meguiar’s Quick Interior Detailer retail bottle with a car interior in the background.
Nextzett Cockpit Premium
Nextzett Cockpit Premium, similar to ADS Pilot, functions as a hybrid cleaner and detailer. It provides enhanced cleaning capabilities along with UV protection. While some may find the lemon scent generic, it’s not offensive. A significant advantage is its residue-free finish. In markets like Australia, it’s also competitively priced, often being more affordable than Carpro InnerQD, making it a strong value proposition.
Cleaning Ability: 9/10
Protection: UV inhibitors
Finish: Matte/OEM
Scent: Lemon
DFB Score: 7/10
Nextzett Cockpit Premium car interior cleaner bottle with a blue cap.
P&S Swift
P&S Swift is another product that made a positive first impression. Designed as an interior finisher, it also offers impressive cleaning capabilities when used with a brush to create a lather. Like Ethos Interior Detailer, Swift leaves a more noticeable dressing effect but still dries to a non-greasy finish. It can, however, cause streaks on glossy surfaces. The unique “orange-sickle” scent is a refreshing departure from typical lemon fragrances. Swift excels on rubber floor and cargo mats, providing just the right amount of enhancement without making them slippery. It’s considered one of P&S’s standout products.
Cleaning Ability: 8/10
Protection: UV inhibitors
Finish: Satin Sheen
Scent: “Orange-sickle”
DFB Score: 10/10
P&S Swift car interior cleaner being sprayed onto a car floor mat.
WoWo’s Interior Finisher
WoWo’s Interior Finisher was purchased primarily due to a clearance sale. As its name implies, it’s more of an interior finisher or mild dressing and less suited for significant cleaning tasks compared to other products in this review. It’s best used on plastic, vinyl, and leather, avoiding screens and glossy surfaces. It provides a satin finish and includes anti-static and UV inhibitors. Consistent with WoWo’s product range, it’s a decent product but not exceptional.
Cleaning Ability: 5/10
Protection: UV and Anti-static inhibitors
Finish: Satin Sheen
Scent: Mint
DFB Score: 3/10
WoWo’s Interior Finisher car interior cleaner bottle with a green label.
Conclusion
Choosing the right car interior cleaner depends on your specific needs and preferences. For those seeking a balance of cleaning power, protection, and a pleasant user experience, Armour Detail Supply Pilot and P&S Swift emerge as top recommendations. Carpro InnerQD and Nextzett Cockpit Premium are also excellent choices, offering slightly different strengths. Products like Ethos Interior Detailer and DIY Detail Interior Clean & Protect are solid mid-range options, while Meguiar’s Quick Interior Detailer (retail version) remains a reliable choice. Brands like Auto Finesse Spritz, Gyeon Interior Detailer, Koch Chemie ASC, and WoWo’s Interior Finisher, while not without their merits, generally underperform compared to the leading products in this category. Ultimately, experimenting with a few different car interior cleaners is the best way to find the perfect product to keep your car’s interior looking its best.
