Mobile Detail: Interior Deep Clean Course

Welcome To The Mobile Detail: Interior Deep Clean Course

This step-by-step training course has been put together specifically for professional mobile detailers and valeters looking to offer a comprehensive interior deep cleaning service to their customers. Follow along as we take you through all aspects of the process in fine detail, advise on the best detailing products to use and give you the lowdown on one of the biggest challenges for any detailing business – what to charge your clients.

The Mobile Detail: Interior Deep Clean Course focuses on not only giving you the skills and knowledge to complete the job within a timely - and hence profitable – manner, but teaches you how to maximise the value of your services while maintaining the quality of your work over multiple vehicles, treating each one as if it’s your first.

Incorporating extra services such as deep cleaning is an important part of any detailing business. This gives you the opportunity to up-sell specialist assistance to your customers over and above base services such as routine maintenance valeting. This course is designed to give you a unique rundown of not just the process, along with the products and equipment to invest in, but covers all the key considerations when marketing your business, assessing your competitors, and creating an impeccable service that works for both you and your clients.

Aside from learning how to identify your position in the market and advertising your professional service, we’ll answer the common business questions asked by trainees including: How do I maximise my branding? What’s the difference in costing an interior valet and a deep clean? And, how can I perform this service all-year-round?

In addition to the practical part of the course, is a complete step-by-step guide giving helpful tips and advice on every stage from start to finish. This incorporates professional tricks on specific parts and procedures not to miss, such as cleaning trapped odours in seatbelts, adjusting steering wheels for the best access, and using the heater to defog the windows before using a solvent-based glass cleaner.

This course offers the professional solutions to broad range of critical subjects - such as how to avoid damage when using a professional steam cleaner, what sensitive surfaces will need extra care and attention when cleaning, how to cut down on product wastage, the most efficient way of working in tight areas, and what to do with children’s car seats. We’ll also give you valuable advice on exactly what products and accessories you’ll need along the way.

Whether you’re an experienced mobile detailer or relatively new to the business, The Mobile Detail: Interior Deep Clean Course acts as the definitive guide to success, both imparting and enhancing the practical skills, knowledge and professional service you can be proud to offer your customers.

The Mobile Detail: Interior Deep Clean Course Includes:

Pricing and Marketing – See how to market your services to a wide range of customers and discover the crucial points you need consider when pricing your Interior Deep Clean.

The Process – Learn every stage of the interior deep cleaning process from start to finish, including a full run down of professional tips and tricks on making the job easier, more profitable and the areas to make sure you never miss.

Let's Get Started...

Developed with mobile detailing professionals in mind, this comprehensive programme is for those looking to offer their customers a full interior deep cleaning package, adding another important, and potentially lucrative, detailing process to their list of services.

So let's show you our trade secrets that enable you to work smarter on every job, offer crucial advice on pricing and marketing, and ultimately help you to maximise your earning potential.

Pricing and Marketing

Setting prices for your services is arguably one of the most challenging aspects for any business, especially when it comes to mobile detailing. Ultimately you need to identify your position within the reachable market, establish what you'd like to achieve and trade that off between your time and running costs. Do you want to offer a cheap and cheerful service with a relatively quick turnaround? Or a slightly more expensive service that offers more attention to the finer details? Don't forget to consider that you need to make a profit, too.

Getting your price point right can be the difference between a successful business and a complete failure, so it's extremely important to be effective in your pricing.

To help you, it's important start by assessing your competition. Ask yourself:

Who are your local competitors? What do your competitors charge? What services do they offer and how does that compare to your own? Is there anything that they offer which you don't? How competitive a price point would you like to offer? A similar price point to the competition, or a higher price point? If you're looking to offer a similar or higher price point, ask yourself why customers should choose you over your competitor? The best way is to identify a unique selling point to give potential customers a reason to pick your services.

A USP can be anything from the speed of your service to a quality guarantee - for example 100% satisfaction or your money back - you could also offer a discounted loyalty scheme, or include an optional extra offered by competitors as part of the package.

Other simple selling points can include small touches such as free air fresheners and tidy bags - every small detail you add helps to build a great customer experience, and keep them coming back.

Market research and choosing a suitable price point is key to any successful business. Establish your position in the market and always know your worth. Don't undervalue your time as ultimately your business needs to be profitable to be successful. And don't forget that, even in the eyes of your potential customers, the cheapest out there isn't necessarily the best. Always keep in mind exactly what you're selling. Remember that an interior deep clean is a far more in-depth process than an standard interior valet that's part of a routine maintenance valet, and should always be priced accordingly.

Once you have worked out your prices, it's important to promote your business to attract as many customers as possible. Whether you gain clients through word-of-mouth, social media advertisements or the tried and tested method of flyer handouts, it goes without saying that you should take every new business lead you can get, regardless of where it comes from.

Word-of-mouth is undoubtedly the most powerful form of advertisement, but it doesn't just happen overnight. You may need to start with building the foundations of your mobile detailing business by offering a form of discount to friends, family and local businesses to create your initial customer base and get your name out there.

Be, and appear to be, a professional. Build yourself a website which clearly displays the services you offer and the prices for each. Be sure to draw attention to your unique selling points at every stage, giving every visitor a reason to book in with you.

Last, and perhaps the most important, it's vital to work to the best of your ability on every service you provide. If you do a great job and the customer recognises it, they'll have no hesitation in recommending you or using you again. And, don't forget to be consistent. Ultimately, you could provide a customer with five flawless valets, but it only takes one half-hearted detail to tarnish your reputation and give them reason to use one of your competitors.

Essential Detailing Products

Cleaners:

Total Interior Cleaner - Powerful Interior Cleaner capable of removing stains, spills and ground-in grime. Safe for use on all materials including carpets, upholstery, leather, plastics and rubber.

Crystal Glass Cleaner - Finely balanced, distilled solvent solution that's safe to use on all glass surfaces and designed to cut through grime, sticky contamination and greasy films.

Accessories:

Detailing Brush Trio - Set of 3, scratch-free Detailing Brushes useful for safely agitating a range of cleaning solutions in and around the vehicle.

Upholstery Brush - Essential for agitation of interior cleaning solutions and for deep-cleaning fabric convertible roofs.

Microfibre Work Cloth - 300GSM general-use microfibre cloth, suited to a huge variety of cleaning, polishing and finishing tasks.

Superior Waffle Cloth - Designed specifically for use with spray-on glass cleaners, the waffle weave material has been specially developed to pick up and trap particulates and sticky residues.

Differences To Consider

What factors do you need to consider when offering a deep cleaning service if you're a mobile detailer? While the actual step-by-step process remains almost exactly the same, regardless of if you're working out of a van or a unit, mobile detailers will always need to consider the weather conditions, and essentially plan for the worst.

It goes without saying that wet windy conditions and electrical tools such as vacuum cleaners and steam cleaners don't mix all too well, so it's essential that you protect you, your equipment and the vehicle itself from the elements.

We can say that, from years of experience in the mobile detailing business, a good starting point would be to consider a 3.5 x 4.5m pop up canopy. This size is perfect for any job, whether it's a full valet or an interior deep clean, and will be large enough to cover the majority of vehicles out there.

Here we also have a great opportunity for promoting your business - branded canopies may be slightly more expensive initially but will pay dividends down the line. You pop it up, work underneath it for 6+ hours, and that's a whole day of free advertising you just wouldn't get otherwise.

While we are on the topic of weather, it's also worth adjusting your working techniques according to the conditions. If, for example, you're working in the middle of winter and it's freezing cold, before attempting to clean your windows a top professional tip is to heat the inside up using the de-misters. Doing so will help any solvent-based window cleaner buff more easily to a crystal-clear finish.

Although natural light can arguably work for or against you, for the times that the sun is shining, you'll find that you can see considerably more outside in natural light than being inside a unit with artificial lighting, so use it to your advantage.

Go the extra mile, and leave no stone left un-turned. After all, you should treat every detail like it's your first. Customers will only return when they're happy with your work, so don't cut corners for an easy life - the success of your business, and the services it offers, is always in your hands.

Before We Start

Before beginning any interior detail, we always remove any personal belongings from the vehicle and set them to one side. Obviously, these will differ from vehicle to vehicle, but it's a good idea to place these either in a carrier bag or, for larger objects such as child car seats, in a suitable safe place.

In many cases the customer will remove bulky items themselves, but smaller belongings, those you'll find in cup holders and door pockets, should be kept safe. It pays to ask your client if they don't mind you moving them, and if they would like the inside of the glovebox - which may contain personal documents - cleaned. Don't assume, always ask. If the glovebox is locked, we would always go by the rule not to open it. It's a reasonable indication that it may contain items that the client would like to keep private. Even so, make your client aware that the glovebox is locked, and that you didn't open it for this reason, that way they'll never think you're cutting corners.

There is also the opportunity to maximise your business marketing here. Consider buying carrier bags branded with your company logo and contact details.

Available for minimal cost, every-time you remove a client's belongings, place them in your branded bag and set it to one side before tackling the interior. This will not only keep everything together and tidy but offers a small professional touch that may set you apart from the competition. It is also an advertisement that may remain in the vehicle until the next time you clean it. This means that it has the potential to lead additional or new business with anyone who happens to enter the vehicle.

We check all areas of the car including the boot, footwells, door cards, inside the arm rest and any cubby holes, as these are common areas where personal belongings may be hidden away. Once we are happy that all belongings are removed, we can make a start on the interior deep clean.

The Boot / Luggage Compartment

We always suggest starting at the rear of the car and working your way forwards. You don't have to of course, but in our experience it makes the process more straightforward. We start in the boot as generally this is the largest, dirtiest area to clean, and also because it allows us to tackle the whole interior deep clean in three distinct sections. This means that, once we have fully deep cleaned inside the boot, we can close the lid and move on to the rear of the cabin knowing that we don't have to return. Similarly, once the rear cabin is finished, we can focus on the front. Working on one section at a time simply helps you ensure that each is finished to the best standard before you move on, making you far less likely to miss anything.

So, we begin the interior deep clean with a thorough vacuum of the boot area - working from the back to the front - to remove any loose grime and pet hair. In this particular case, the client asked us not to take out the pet cage or boot liner, so we have left those in place for the demonstration. You will find that requests like this are common, so you always have to adapt to the circumstances. Every vehicle may require a slightly different approach.

Vacuuming the loose grit and grime away first lets our cleaning agent get to work where it's most needed - on the ground-in dirt and hardier stains. This not only saves you product, because none is wasted on dirt that can be removed easily without it, but stops any loose particles from being ground in when you agitate your cleaner.

The cleaning agent we use for all interior surfaces is Total Interior Cleaner, this product uses advanced surfactants to break down and draw out contamination, surrounding dirt and greasy particles in the solution, allowing them to be safely wiped away. Unlike many harsh all-purpose cleaners, it's powerful enough to tackle the worst interior stains and spills but mild enough to make it suitable for regular use on carpets, cloth, leather, plastic and rubber.

We apply Total directly to the boot liner and all the surrounding areas, a few spritzes is sufficient here, there's no need to fully soak the fabrics. Using an Upholstery Brush for the fabric/carpet areas, and a Detailing Brush for any plastics, we can then lightly agitate each area to help draw out any ingrained grime.

As with most aqueous cleaning agents suitable for use on cars, agitation isn't so much about physically scrubbing the surface to mechanically clean away grime, it's more about moving the solution around to help it work on the grime. Agitating our Total here has the dual effect of ensuring it makes contact with every recess, and moving away any spent solution (part of the Total solution that's already encapsulating the maximum amount of grime) and replacing it with fresh solution to break down any remaining contamination in that area.

Agitation is one of the mechanisms we use to make cleaning agents more effective, essentially cutting down on the amount of product needed to complete specific tasks.

Once we've agitated our Total into all surfaces, we can move on to using our steam cleaner to help sanitise and further deep clean the area. Steam is a powerful tool for detailers. Obviously, the heat has plenty of its own advantages on the hygiene side, but the pressure is also great for spreading your cleaning agents into areas they might not reach otherwise, and for blowing out any contamination that you may not be able to contact with your brushes. Think of your steamer as your pressure washer for interiors.

Another light mist of Total should be applied over the whole area and then we can work the steam into the carpets and plastics, working a small area at a time. Note that you don't have to stick the nozzle right in there, you're not looking to saturate the area, instead keep it around 6-inches away from the surface and work it back and forth just so the steam makes contact.

The hot steam will help draw out even more grime encapsulated by the Total solution, you'll see this slightly foam up and it can then be wiped away with a fresh microfibre Work Cloth.

You'll also notice that, as the matte plastic parts dry out, they'll not only be fresh and clean but any general wear and tear will be more obvious. While this is unavoidable, these pieces of trim can be revived using a suitable dressing later.

The next stage is one last vacuum to remove any loose particles that the steam cleaner may have drawn out. You'll find that some grime from deep within carpets and upholstery will have been lifted to the top, so these can be quickly removed.

This may complete the boot area itself, but don't forget the hatch or boot lid and any parcel shelves or pillar trims, all the surfaces here can be cleaned in the same way using Total and your steam cleaner.

The last stage for hatchbacks, estates and SUVs is to finish the interior glass using Crystal Glass Cleaner. You'll find that the rear screen can be particularly dirty and often suffers from sticky residues caused by tobacco smoke, residues from dogs contacting the rear window, fingerprints and marks due to condensation on the inside. All these types of contamination, along with any other general grime, can be quickly removed using Crystal Glass Cleaner. Designed to lift dirt and dissolve sticky residues, once again Crystal safely holds the grime in the solution allowing it to be wiped away without abrading the surface. One or two spritzes of this powerful cleaner is enough to clean the whole rear screen.

With the deep clean complete on the boot area, we can shut the tailgate and move on to the rear of the cabin.

The Rear

Starting with the rear seats of the vehicle, we begin by vacuuming away any loose dirt or debris. We deliberately begin with the seats before moving onto the carpets, because any debris that may fall down as we clean will be picked up later. This way we're not doubling up our cleaning time by redoing areas after they've already been cleaned. If there's any rear mats, we'll also pull these out and clean them last, in the same way as we clean our carpets.

Once the loose grime has been removed, we can use our Total to remove the ingrained grime. Start by applying liberally to the leather seats and agitating with a detailing brush. Once we have a foamy consistency the Total will have lifted - and be encapsulating - any ingrained grime, so we can immediately wipe that away using a fresh microfibre Work Cloth. While working on the seat area, don't forget to pull the seatbelts out all the way and spritz with your Total. These are notorious for holding on to odours. 

Top Tip: Although we could use a dedicated leather cleaner (such as Hide Leather Cleanser) for this vehicle, we can also use Total. As a mobile detailer, it can be more cost-effective, and quicker when on the job, to use one product that's suitable for any scenario. That said, we'd always recommend having Hide, which is a glycerine-based product, in your kitbag for use on high end vehicles and for regular maintenance. For periodic deep cleaning though, Total is powerful enough to shift the worst grime, but will not harm the leather.

Your steam cleaner can also be used on seats if necessary, usually this won't be the case as your cleaner will draw out any stains. In this instance the hot steam is used to gently open the pores of the leather, helping the cleaner to get deeper contact. It isn't always a process used for a general deep clean, but it can be particularly useful for spot cleaning the hardiest stains, such as fabric dyes on light leather, along with sticky spills.

Once the seat area is complete, clean the carpets and side trims in the same way before moving onto the rear door cards.

Door cards tend to see a lot of human contact, and this means that body oils, food residues and all sorts of other contamination can be present. They also tend to suffer from spills and other sticky residues in the pockets, particularly in family cars where children are present. Using Total in these areas will remove contamination with little more than a spray, agitate and wipe. The most important point here is to be thorough with your brushwork, a dirty door card is always immediately obvious.

The door cards are also a good place to utilise your steamer, to ensure that your cleaning agent is spread into every small recess, and that any loose dust and debris is blown out, ready to be wiped away. When using a steamer on plastics you'll also be opening the pores but be careful not to burn the plastic itself - keep that nozzle around 6-inches from the surface.

It's easy to miss a centre console or the backs of the front seats, so be systematic in your approach. Again, these areas can be deep cleaned with Total, and don't forget to agitate the solution into any intricate parts like air vents and cup holders.

When you're certain that the whole area is complete, the last task, as always, is to finish the glass using Crystal Glass Cleaner. Once again, rear windows can get particularly contaminated with children's fingerprints, staining from pets and smoke residues. A quick spritz of Crystal on your microfibre cloth and a wipe is all you need to cut through these.

The Front

Moving onto the front of the vehicle, we start by vacuuming the seats and then the mats. Generally speaking, the mats will always be the dirtiest part of the interior, so we purposely clean the worst of the debris off of these inside the car before we remove them from the vehicle. The idea here is that we're not throwing any loose dirt onto the customer's driveway. It pays to be considerate towards your clients.

With the mats removed, we can vacuum the carpet underneath, before cleaning the seats, seatbelts and carpets with Total, in the same way as we completed the rear of the cabin.

Following the seats and carpets, we clean the door cards in the same way as the rear using Total, a soft Detailing Brush and our steam cleaner. Again, you need to be thorough, door cards in the front are generally even grubber than the rear. Always keep in mind that the front is where your customer will sit, so always check your work, and then check again.

Understandably, centre consoles are one of the most noticeable areas for your client, not to mention one that sees plenty of skin contact, so it's always good advice to go the extra mile. Dust and debris build up are the main concerns here, along with fingerprints, spills or stains in cup holders and cubby holes. First, brush out any dust from vents and around switches using a Detailing Brush. Once again, your steam cleaner can be used to ensure that your cleaning agent is spread to every nook and hard-to-reach area. Don't forget to pull out any cup holder liners or cubby trays and clean them separately, these tend to pick up plenty of dirt and sticky residues.

Before finishing up some of the more obvious areas, like the dashboard and steering wheel, we move down to one of the dirtiest but most commonly forgotten areas - the pedals. It is likely that these will be extremely grimy, so an ample helping of Total will be required, along with your steam cleaner and detailing brush. Before you start, a good professional tip is to lay a microfibre cloth under the pedals to catch any debris - you don't want to have to re-clean the carpet.

It's fairly common for the steering wheel to be overlooked, particularly if they appear to be clean, but it's surprising how dirty a steering wheel can be without actually looking dirty. Besides, if there's one area that sees the most contact by your client, it's this.

Makeup stains and body oils are the most common contaminants here and the quickest way to clean them away is spraying Total around the entire circumference, working it in with your Detailing Brush and then giving it a good steam to open the pores. This will help to remove any trapped dust in any switches and buttons. One last spritz of your Total should see the hardiest contamination drawn out, this can then be wiped away with a clean microfibre work cloth.

Don't forget to move your steering wheel (height adjustment) up and down to clean inside of the steering column - the little touches go a long way.

Now, we're onto some of the most noticeable areas - the dashboard, gauges and vents. First, be sure to dust out vents, buttons, heater controls and any other awkward recesses using a dry detailing brush, then apply your Total and agitate into the surface. Again, you'll want to be extremely thorough to ensure that every surface has been contacted before wiping away the solution.

Top Tip: To avoid overspray when cleaning your dashboard, spray your Total directly onto your cloth or detailing brush rather than directly onto the surface.

Before finishing up with the windows there is one last cleaning step, and that's completing the floor mats. As a mobile detailer it's worth investing in a small foldable table to allow you to clean the mats away from the vehicle. Failing that use your van, but always keep your client's mats off of the floor.

The first step, is to give the underside of the mats a spritz of Total and a wipe to remove any light grime on the bottom, before turning them over and spritzing the carpet side with more Total. You don't need to completely saturate the carpet, as this will just waste your product, just four or five spritzes over the whole mat should be plenty. Agitate the Total into the surface using an Upholstery Brush, and wipe away any residue with a clean microfibre cloth. 

At this point, we would always recommend moving onto wet vacuuming the carpet portions after applying a little more Total. As we said, mats will see some of the heaviest contamination, so the deeper you can clean the pile, the better. If you're not using a wet vac you can use a steam cleaner here instead, but only run the steam lightly over the surface, don't saturate the mats - you can't put sopping wet mats back into the vehicle as this will cause unwanted odours.

Regardless of whether you've wet vacuumed or steam cleaned the mats, always give them one last (dry) vacuum before you put them back into the vehicle, this will remove any gritty particles that may have been dislodged from within the pile. As a finishing touch you can also "stripe' the carpet using your Upholstery Brush, or simply brush all the pile one way for a consistent finish.

The final stage is to clean the inside of the windscreen and side windows. Spraying Crystal Glass Cleaner directly onto a Superior Waffle, rather than directly onto the glass, is the best way to avoid overspray on the rest of your interior. Having sparkling, smear-free glass is so important to the impact of the job we would recommend going back and checking the rear windows, and giving those another clean, too. Finally, a good professional tip is to clean the outside of the windows. Assuming that the vehicle is relatively clean on the outside before you start your interior deep clean, this can make a huge difference to the final finish. Besides, it's almost inevitable that the exterior glass will have picked up a few fingerprints or grime in the interim, and you'll certainly want your client to see the work you've put into their cabin, before they even open the door.

Top Tip: If you're detailing on a cold day, it is always worth heating up the windows with the vehicle blowers before cleaning them. A slightly warm window will help glass cleaners flash off and make the glass far easier to buff to perfection.

The Results

And there we have it - the finished article. But, before you hand back the keys, there is one last touch that always proves popular with clients. In our experience, a simple air freshener left behind will always go a long way. You can use one of ours of course, but why not think about having your own custom air fresheners featuring your company logo and contact details? Remember that promotion is vital for any successful detailing business, and it's not only your customer who will see it - their passengers will notice it, too.

Next Steps...

Congratulations on completing the Mobile Detail: Interior Deep Clean course!

Before you go, don't forget to have a peek at some extra resources that you can take advantage of right now to continue your learning. We have a whole selection of online resorces in the Guides section of our blog.

We welcome your feedback and hope you've enjoyed the course. Don't forget to shout about your new skills and knowledge, and share your progress on Social Media, too!

If you have any questions after you go, please don't hesitate to send an email to support@autofinesse.com