Spring Cleaning isn’t just for your home! It’s about that time to spruce up your Tesla too. Check out our video series below and read more to find out how to clean your Tesla easily and affordably.
Let’s start with the topic of microfibers. To properly clean, fold it into fourths and wipe with one side of it at at time. Keep flipping it over and using different sides. This way, you don’t drag dirt and debris back onto your car, causing scratches. Watch this video for more on finding your perfect microfiber. Pro tip: For tight spaces, wrap your microfiber around a thin squeegee, spray it with solution, and run it through crevices and edges.
NOTE: Don’t worry if you have vinyl or PPF wraps, as our cleaning products won’t damage or discolor them. Just be careful to not scrub hard on them, especially around the edges where they could peel back.
Scroll to the bottom of the page to view the TESBROS products used in the article and videos.
1. Take Everything Out
From your floor mats to everything in your center console, it all goes out. It helps to have a box nearby to put everything in. At the same time, take out the removable rubber inserts that go in center consoles and door panels so you can clean those outside of your car and put them back in at the end.
2. Vacuum
A shop vacuum will work best to get into tight spaces and roll around your Tesla easily. I use this Rigid set with the extra car cleaning kit attachments, but there are many like it that will do. Get as much crud and crumbs out as you can. Don’t forget to get inside your center console and in the crevices of your seats. If there’s some still there in your carpets, don’t worry! We’ll come back to that.
3. Door Panels
Open up your doors all the way, and clean one at a time. First, spray interior cleaner on the surfaces, being careful around the speakers. Use your boars hair brush to foam up the cleaner and agitate the dirt all around the panel. Wipe down with an interior microfiber cloth. It’s safe to use the boar brush and interior cleaner in/on the door switches, as well as the Alcantara (felt-like area above the arm rest). Wipe the switches down by wrapping a squeegee in a microfiber to get in the tight spaces.
4. Dashboard
Let’s start with the top, flat surface below the windshield. Spray interior solution directly on the panel and use your boar brush to agitate the entire area. This will bring up any dirt and grime. Then, wipe clean with a microfiber. I like to cut it in half and clean the driver side and then the passenger side.
Next, focus on the wooden area with the air vent. Spray on your microfiber first, then run it along the panel. Since it’s wooden, you don’t really want to saturate that area. Use your pink squeegee wrapped in a microfiber to get in the tight spaces.
5. Steering Column
First, move your steering wheel all the way out. Spray interior cleaner on top of the steering column, use your boar brush, and wipe clean. Work your way around the column and to the stalks.
6. Steering Wheel
You can move your steering wheel back and raise it up if it’s easier to reach. For this area, I like to spray directly on the microfiber so I avoid overspray back onto the dash or touchscreen. You can also spray directly on your boar brush before scrubbing it down. I use a microfiber-wrapped squeegee for a lot of this area since it has many crevices. For the scrolls, you can even turn them and use your squeegee to get in the tiny indents there.
7. Center Console
After making sure you took everything out, including any extra parts like a center console organizer or cupholder insert, spray your interior cleaner on the top of the center console area, and use your boar brush to agitate all areas. Wipe down. For the cupholder area, you may have to go over it a couple times as it does catch a lot of dirt.
8. Armrest
Same as the center console: Spray interior cleaner, scrub with boar brush, and wipe clean. You should clearly see the difference between an oily, shiny armrest to a more matte look once clean.
9. Seats
These are pretty much done the same way as the two previous ones – just takes a bit more time. Spray with interior cleaner, scrub with boar brush, and wipe clean. When going over it with your boar brush, focus on the crevices and seams, as there will be a lot more agitation needed in those areas.
In the video, we clean black seats, but this works for white seats too. If it’s super dirty or stained, you can use a drill brush in place of the boar brush.
10. Touchscreen
Cleaning your screen is the same whether you have a screen protector on it or not. You just need to be careful around the edges as not to accidentally lift it up. This shouldn’t happen though, because you don’t want to be too harsh when cleaning your screen.
First, put the display in screen cleaning mode. Then, spray glass cleaner on the microfiber, NOT the glass, and wipe it clean.
11. Rearview Mirror
You clean this the same way as your touchscreen, by spraying glass cleaner on your microfiber and wiping clean.
12. Windshield
Most people forget to clean the inside of their windshield, but this can actually get quite dirty. I like to divide it in half, like with the dash, while cleaning. Sitting in the driver seat, spray the windshield on the passenger side, and turn your palm over with the microfiber to clean. (It’s hard to explain, but the video shows it well.) To clean the driver windshield, sit in the passenger seat and reach across the same way. This seems to work best for me to reach all the areas without being in too much of an awkward angle.
13. Fabric/Headliner
You can easily have stains on the upholstery or headliner just from dirty, oily hands touching it. The sun visor tends to be the most common area. For these areas, remember not to douse them in cleaner. I like to spray interior cleaner on a boar brush and use that to agitate the areas. Then, grab your microfiber and really scrub the area and spread the cleaner out. It should dry pretty quickly. Repeat if needed.
14. Door Sills
Your sills are a very weird area to clean, because it’s almost exterior and almost interior. You can pressure wash them if they are awful, but with the door open, it’ll be a bit difficult. I like to use waterless wash for these areas. Just spray directly on it, and wipe with your microfiber. These areas can be quite dirty, so don’t forget to fold your microfiber and use different sides as you go. You can also use your boar brush to get the dirt out from around the crevices and wipe again. You’ll see in the video, they are definitely overdue for a clean.
15. Carpet/Floor Mats
If you have crumbs and little dirt particles that are being stubborn, grab your vacuum again and a stainless steel or metal brush. You can buy something like this, or find them in different detailing sets. Use a brush in one hand to agitate and the vacuum nozzle in the other to suck it all up. It can be tedious, but it’s worth it. For larger areas like your trunk, something like this brush might be more convenient.
