Everyday driving leaves greasy marks inside the car: from hands on the steering wheel, gear lever and handbrake, and from food and hand cream on the dashboard. Outside, around the fuel filler, dust mixes with fuel splashes. The build-up looks untidy, and the places you hold become unpleasantly sticky.
It takes about an hour at the weekend. Below is the order of work: what to wash with mild detergent, where WD-40 helps, and where silicone keeps plastic and rubber looking cared for.
What you will need
Important: Never apply silicone or WD-40 to the steering wheel, pedals, gear lever or handbrake: they become slippery and hands or feet can slip. Clean these parts with mild detergent only. Apply products to the cloth, not to the dashboard, so they do not reach the glass, screens or buttons.
Step 1
Prepare the interior
Remove loose items and the mats, then vacuum the seats, dashboard and gaps so dust does not smear across damp surfaces.
Work in the shade with the doors open: products will not dry too quickly and the cabin stays ventilated.
Step 2
Clean the steering wheel, gear lever and handbrake
These parts pick up the most grease from hands. Dip a microfibre cloth in warm water with mild detergent, wring it out well and go over the whole rim of the wheel, the gear lever and the handbrake grip several times.
Then dry with a clean cloth. The surface should be clean and grippy, with no lubricant of any kind.
Step 3
Refresh dashboard and door plastics
Put a little WD-40 Specialist Silicone on a soft cloth and wipe the dashboard, centre console and door panels. Silicone lifts light greasy marks, gives plastic and rubber a deeper colour and repels dust.
Leave it for a few minutes, then buff thoroughly with a clean dry cloth so no excess remains and there is no glare on the glass.
Step 4
Clean the fuel filler flap and cap
The filler flap is often forgotten at the car wash, yet dust, winter salt and fuel splashes collect there. Put WD-40 Multi-Use Product on a cloth and wipe the fuel cap, the inside of the flap and the rim of the filler neck until the dirt is gone.
Give the flap hinge and catch a short spray through the straw of WD-40 Smart Straw: it displaces moisture, so the flap will not freeze or seize in winter.
Step 5
Bring back the shine on chrome trim
Wipe chrome inserts, door handles and sill plates inside the car with a cloth lightly moistened with WD-40 Multi-Use Product. It removes greasy fingerprints, restores the shine and protects the metal from corrosion.
Always buff dry so nothing transfers to hands or clothes.
Step 6
Protect the rubber seals
Wipe the door and boot seals with a cloth and WD-40 Specialist Silicone. The rubber stays supple, does not crack in frost, and the doors do not freeze shut after a wash or wet snow.
Wipe off the excess so it does not get on passengers' clothes.
Tip: Keep a separate microfibre cloth in the glovebox just for the steering wheel: a weekly wipe with a damp cloth is far easier than removing months of built-up grease.
What next
Clean the interior once a month and treat the seals and filler flap in autumn before the frosts. Combine it with an exterior wash, and keep WD-40 Multi-Use Product in the boot to protect metal parts from road salt.
These uses come from the experience of WD-40 users in many countries. Always follow the instructions and warnings on the product label.
More guides in «How to use».