If you’re like me, you spend quite a bit of time in your car running errands, and the more time you spend in the car, the harder it can be to keep it clean! Luckily, cleaning the inside of your car doesn’t have to be labor-intensive, time-consuming, or cost an arm and a leg.
And I’ve got a great DIY to share with you today to prove it! This DIY “Armor All” spray is ideal for cleaning the non-porous surfaces inside your car, and will eliminate gunk and leave your car gleaming.
As many of my blog post ideas are, this one was inspired by necessity. My car interior was in desperate need of cleaning, but I didn’t have any automotive cleaners on hand. So I did what I do best and searched the internet for answers, and that’s how I came up with this DIY “Armor All” car interior cleaning spray.
Here’s how you can make it at home!
DIY “Armor All” Car Interior Cleaning Spray
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups warm distilled water
- 1/2 cup baby oil*
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 5 drops Dawn dish soap
- 3-5 drops Simple Clean Essential Oil Blend
*Note: You can use coconut oil instead of baby oil, but it will shorten the shelf-life of the spray. I prefer to use baby oil here for that reason!
Directions:
Add the water, oil, vinegar, dish soap, and essential oils to a 16-ounce glass spray bottle and shake gently to mix. To use it, spray it onto a microfiber cleaning cloth and use it to wipe your center console, dashboard, and other surfaces.
Cleaning The Interior Of Your Car In 2 Easy Steps
Step 1 – Vacuum First
It’s always smart to start the cleaning process by addressing loose dirt and dust. Be thorough on your seats and floor mats, and don’t forget to vacuum up any accumulated dust or crumbs from your dashboard or console.
Step 2 – Spray And Wipe
After vacuuming up loose dirt and dust, use your DIY cleaning spray and a clean microfiber cloth to wipe interior surfaces clean. It’s great for plastic, faux leather, vinyl, and rubber, and you can use it to wipe smears and fingerprints off and built-in screens too. (Just be sure to spray the cloth, not the screen!)
Once you’re done, your car will smell as clean as it looks, thanks to the addition of Simple Clean in the spray! You may even want to consider using a car diffuser to keep that fresh and clean scent going. (Visit the link below for more on that!)
Related: Make Every Drive Better With This Simple Car Accessory
BONUS: Armor All Vs. DIY Cost Comparison
Out of curiosity, I did a quick price breakdown to find out how much you can save by making this DIY car cleaning spray. At the time of writing, you could get a 16-ounce botlle of Armor All cleaning spray for $6 on Amazon.
I did some math based on my material costs, and the amount of distilled water in the recipe cost $0.68 and the baby oil cost $1.07. The cost of the amounts of vinegar, dish soap, and a few drops of Simple Clean are almost negligible, so I’m confident this recipe costs somewhere between $2.00-2.50 — less than half the cost of the real-deal Armor All!
One more quick tip: if you want, you can use this DIY car cleaning spray to make your own car cleaning wipes! Just follow the same method outlined in this post.
How do you clean your car’s interior?