Work top to bottom, dry to wet
Start with the headliner and dash, finish with the carpets. Do all your dusting and agitation before any vacuuming, and vacuum before any wet cleaning. Reversing that order roughly doubles the work.
Sand needs agitation, not suction
A vacuum alone will not lift sand out of carpet — it settles into the backing. Agitate the carpet with a stiff brush first to bring the grit to the surface, then vacuum in overlapping passes from two directions.
Sunscreen film is the real cause of dull plastics
That hazy film on the door handles, shifter, and steering wheel is usually sunscreen and hand oils, not sun damage. It needs a dedicated interior cleaner and a microfiber towel, not a dry wipe, and it comes back quickly in summer.
Odors come from moisture, not fabric
In this humidity, a musty smell almost always means trapped moisture — wet floor mats, a damp trunk liner, or a clogged AC drain. Air freshener masks it for a day. Drying the source fixes it.
- Pull mats out and dry them fully in the sun
- Check the spare tire well for standing water
- Run the AC on fresh air for ten minutes after a beach day