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Springtime brings beautiful blooms—and unfortunately, the pollen that comes with them. While most of us are aware that pollen fills the outdoor air, your car's interior can become a surprising allergen trap as well.
"Be mindful of yourself and what you bring into your car,” said Michael Pennington of Meguiar's. “Think of where you were walking, are you tracking in sand, dirt or even the lotion and sunscreen you have on."
Drivers tend to focus on cleaning our car's exterior since it's visibly exposed to the elements. Maintaining the interior is equally important—both for your vehicle's condition and for the health of everyone riding in it.
Simply keeping windows up while driving and closed when parked may help, but it's not sufficient to maintain a truly clean, allergen-free environment inside your vehicle.
Indeed, a major source of contaminants in your car is you. Your clothing, shoes, and hair all carry allergy inducing pollen from outside into your vehicle.
Keeping your vehicle's interior clean helps prevent allergens from entering and adhering to cabin surfaces.
Here are some useful tips to maintain a clean car cabin throughout your 2025 summer travels:
1. Vacuum your car’s interior to avoid little stains and spills that could turn into bigger problems if left alone.
Pennington recommends vacuuming monthly or more frequently if you are traveling. Stow a portable wet/dry vacuum in your car. The right attachments help you reach hard-to-get places, and the brush end of attachments collects extra particulates.
2. Keep a microfiber towel on hand, to be used exclusively for your car’s interior. Microfiber towels work well for collecting and trapping pollen and dust without damaging the vehicle’s finish.
Pennington says to keep these towels designated for the car’s interior, so you don’t bring in outside irritants. He suggests a cotton towel for leather or vinyl surfaces and a microfiber towel for the dashboard, window and other interior areas. Use them dry or dampened with water for more stubborn stains.
3. Use detailing brushes for those hard-to-reach places. Sometimes the areas inside our car that are the hardest to get to are more likely to be the pollutant offenders because, well, they’re hard to get to clean.
And for those spots, detailing brushes can be your best friend to help clean air vents, door handles and between seat cushions. Brushes come in various sizes and shapes, typically in a car interior brush kit.
4. Install antimicrobial and waterproof seat covers. These are seat covers designed to protect against allergens such as dust mites and pet dander, plus any liquid spills that may occur. They can be easily removed and washed, helping to keep your car's interior clean and allergy-free.
5. Use upholstery cleaner and protectant for seats and other interior surfaces if seat covers aren’t your thing.
Moisture from wet clothes can seep into the seat cushions and create a petri dish for mold growth. Upholstery cleaners are formulated to remove dirt and stains from your car's seats and carpets. Look for cleaners intended for your vehicle’s specific upholstery materials.
6. Replace your vehicle’s cabin air filter, which helps capture microscopic allergens including pollen and dust.
Ask your service advisor to check out the condition of the filter and when it was last replaced. Drivers prone to allergies can benefit from more frequent replacement.
7. Address any odors, not just by masking the smell, but by removing them with an air freshener intended for vehicles.
Consider an air-purifying spray to neutralize odors and dust mite allergens. Remember to vacuum and clean surfaces first.
Do you have persistent odors? That may require help from professional vehicle detailers, who use ozone equipment to neutralize smells.
8. Activate recirculation mode on your climate control system to prevent pollen from entering the cabin. Switch to fresh air mode prior to arriving at your destination; this allows fresh air to flow through the filter drying out any moisture. It also helps prevent mold spores from accumulating on the cabin air filter.
9. Invest in all-weather floor mats. Not only are they easy to clean, but they also prevent allergens from getting trapped in your car's interior. They can easily be removed and hosed off, helping to keep your car's interior clean and allergy-free.
10. Get a portable wet/dry vacuum for your car that can be used when you are traveling away from home. With the right attachments, you can reach those awkward places. Use the brush end to collect extra particulates.
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