Auto Detailing Guide: Decide
Interior Car Detailing: What a Full Clean Covers and What Costs Extra
Most people book a detail because of the inside of the car. Crumbs in the seat rails, a film on the windshield you notice every time the sun is low, a smell that has been there since a gallon of milk tipped over in July. The good news is that most interiors come back a long way. The honest news is that some problems need an add-on, and a few need a different trade altogether.
This page sets out what the interior half of a detail covers at The Auto Show, when extraction, leather care, odor treatment or pet hair removal is worth adding, and where a detail stops.
The short answer
A full interior clean covers a vacuum of the cabin and a hand clean of the dash, console, door panels, trim, interior surfaces and the inside of the glass. At The Auto Show it is part of every detail package and is priced for a lightly soiled interior. Stains in fabric need carpet and upholstery extraction, leather needs cleaning and conditioning, a smell that outlasts cleaning needs an odor treatment, and heavy pet hair is an extra charge.
Key points
- All three detail packages include the same full interior clean, priced for a lightly soiled vehicle.
- Extraction, leather care, ozone odor treatment and pet hair removal are add-ons, priced on top of the package.
- Headliners get spot cleaning only, because soaking one can loosen the adhesive and make the fabric sag.
- Ozone treats odor in an empty vehicle that is aired out afterwards; it is not a cure for mold or germs.
- Tears, burns and cracked leather need an upholstery shop. A detail cleans; it does not repair.
Next step: Request a booking. Choose Essentials Detail, or a higher package if the paint needs it, and list the interior add-ons you want in the message box.
Included
What a full interior clean covers
Every detail package at The Auto Show, from Essentials up, includes the same interior work. The higher packages add paint work outside; they do not clean the inside any harder. So if the interior is your reason for booking and the paint is fine, Essentials Detail is usually the package to start from.
The interior clean is designed as a general refresh for a lightly soiled vehicle: the kind of build-up that comes from daily driving, school runs and the odd drive-through meal. It reaches the places a quick vacuum at a car wash does not, because the hard surfaces are cleaned by hand, not just dusted.
- Full interior vacuum and cleaning.
- Interior surfaces cleaned and detailed.
- Door panels, dash, console and trim cleaned.
- Interior glass cleaned.
If the cargo area or a third row of seats needs attention too, say so when you book so it is planned into the job and the price.
Lightly soiled
When an interior is past "lightly soiled"
The package prices assume a lightly soiled interior. Excessive pet hair, upholstery stains, sticky spills and heavily soiled interiors need extra chemicals, tools and labor, and they cost more. That is not a surcharge for the sake of it: a seat that has had a bottle of soda soak into it needs the fabric flushed and the liquid pulled back out, which a vacuum and a wipe cannot do.
A useful test is to ask whether the dirt is sitting on the surface or has gone into it. Dust, crumbs, footprints on the mats and fingerprints on the screens sit on top, and the standard clean deals with them. Stains you can see in the fabric, a carpet that feels stiff where something dried, hair woven into the weave and smells that come back on a hot day have gone into the material, and they are what the add-ons are for.
Upstate red clay is a local example. Fresh clay dust vacuums up. Clay that has been walked into light carpet and left through a wet week sets in and stains, and it may need extraction to lift.
Why red clay stains and how to keep it out of the cabin: red clay, dust and gravel roads.
Add-ons
When the interior needs more than a clean
These are the interior add-ons on the shop's price list. Each is added to a package, and most are priced "starting at" because the work depends on the vehicle and how bad the problem is.
- Carpet & Upholstery ExtractionStains, spills, set-in dirt
- Extraction works cleaning solution into carpet or cloth seats and pulls it back out with suction, taking the dirt and residue with it instead of spreading it around. It is the add-on for coffee, soda and food spills, muddy carpet, and fabric that smells sour. Some stains lighten rather than disappear, especially old ones and anything that has dyed the fibers.
- Leather Cleaning & ConditioningGrimy or dry leather
- Leather seats pick up body oils, sunscreen and dirt that leave the grain shiny and dark, especially on the driver's seat bolster. Cleaning lifts that grime out of the grain and conditioning follows. It will not repair leather that has already cracked or worn through. Leather care vs leather coatings
- Ozone Odor TreatmentSmells that outlast cleaning
- An odor treatment for a smell that is still there after the cabin has been cleaned. The vehicle is closed up with nobody inside while it runs, then aired out afterwards. More on what it will and will not do below.
- Pet Hair RemovalAdditional charge
- Hair that has woven into carpet and cloth seats does not come out with a normal vacuum. It is worked out of the fabric section by section, and the charge depends on how much hair there is and where. Tell us about pets when you book.
- Leather Cleaning & Conditioning
- Starting at $49
- Ozone Odor Treatment
- Starting at $75
- Carpet & Upholstery Extraction
- Starting at $100
- Pet Hair Removal
- Additional charge
Pricing assumes a lightly soiled interior. Excessive pet hair, upholstery stains, sticky spills, and heavily soiled interiors require additional chemicals, tools, and labor and will incur additional charges.
The rest of the add-ons, and when each one is worth it, are in detail add-ons explained.
Odor
Odor treatment, and what ozone does not do
The first step with any smell is to remove its source. Spilled milk in the carpet, a forgotten gym bag under a seat or a damp floor mat will keep producing odor whatever is done to the air. That is why cleaning and, where needed, extraction come before an odor treatment, and why a leak that lets water into the cabin has to be fixed by a mechanic or body shop before any treatment will last.
The Ozone Odor Treatment is for what is left after that. The US Environmental Protection Agency explains why it is done the way it is. Ozone can damage the lungs when inhaled, so high concentrations are only used in a space with nobody in it, with conditions controlled so that no person or pet is exposed. The vehicle is closed up empty while the treatment runs and aired out afterwards.
The EPA is also clear about the limits. At levels within public health standards, ozone is not effective at removing many odor-causing chemicals, and it does not effectively remove viruses, bacteria, mold or other biological pollutants. So treat it as an odor treatment and nothing more. If you are dealing with mold from water in the cabin, the water problem and the wet materials are the job, not the smell.
Ask when you book how long the vehicle stays closed during treatment and how long it is aired out, so you can plan pickup.
Headliner
Why headliners get spot cleaning only
The fabric on the ceiling of most cars is glued to a molded board. Soak it, scrub it or steam it and the adhesive can let go, and once the fabric starts to sag it does not go back up. That is why headliners at The Auto Show are spot cleaned only: a careful clean of the marked area, not a deep clean of the whole panel.
If your headliner is already sagging, cleaning will not help. That is a trim or upholstery repair, where the fabric is removed, the board is cleaned and new fabric is glued on.
Limits
What an interior detail cannot fix
A detail cleans what is there. It does not replace material, so some interior problems are the wrong job for a detailer, and paying for a bigger package or more add-ons will not change that. Here is where to go instead.
- Torn or split seats, burn holes and cracked or worn-through leather: an auto upholstery shop can repair or recover the panel.
- A sagging headliner: a trim or upholstery shop replaces the fabric.
- Broken trim, clips and cup holders: the dealer's parts counter or a trim shop.
- A dashboard that is cracked or faded by years of sun: cleaning improves how it looks, but the damage stays.
- Old stains that have dyed the fabric, such as ink, dye or bleach marks: extraction may lighten them, but some will not come out fully.
Ready to book the clean itself? Every inclusion and price is on the detail packages page.
Before drop-off
Getting the interior ready
A few minutes before drop-off makes the clean go further. Take out personal belongings, chargers and anything in the door pockets and seat-back pockets, so time goes into cleaning instead of sorting. Take out child car seats too, and clean them following the instructions that came with the seat.
When you request the booking, use the message box to tell us what bothers you most: the pet hair on the back seat, a stain on the passenger side, a smell. That way the right add-ons are planned, and the price is confirmed with you before work starts. There is no waiting area, so arrange a ride for drop-off and pickup.
The full checklist is in how to prepare for your drop-off.
| The problem | What fixes it | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Dust, crumbs, film on the glass | The interior clean in every detail package | Detail shop |
| Coffee, soda or food spilled in fabric | Carpet & Upholstery Extraction | Detail shop |
| Dog hair woven into carpet and seats | Pet Hair Removal | Detail shop |
| Shiny, grimy or dry leather | Leather Cleaning & Conditioning | Detail shop |
| A smell that stays after cleaning | Ozone Odor Treatment, after the source is removed | Detail shop |
| Water getting into the cabin | Find and fix the leak first | Mechanic or body shop |
| Torn, burned or cracked seats | Repair or recover the panel | Upholstery shop |
| Sagging headliner | New headliner fabric | Trim or upholstery shop |
Book the interior clean
Choose a package on the booking form and list the interior add-ons in the message box. We call or text to confirm the time and the price for your vehicle before any work starts.
Heavily soiled, lots of pet hair or a stubborn smell? Request an estimate and describe the interior, or call or text us.
Common questions
Is an interior-only detail cheaper?
The shop's published packages each include both the interior and the exterior, and the interior clean is the same in all three. If the paint does not need decontamination or polishing, Essentials Detail is the package that fits, with interior add-ons on top. Call or text if you want to talk through a different combination.
Can you get dog hair out of cloth seats?
That is what the Pet Hair Removal add-on is for. Hair woven into carpet and cloth takes extra time and tools to work out, and how long depends on the amount of hair, the fabric and where it is. Tell us about pets when you book, so the time is planned and the charge is confirmed before work starts.
Will an interior detail get rid of a smell?
Often, because most smells come from something in the cabin: a spill in the carpet, food under a seat, a damp mat. Cleaning and extraction remove the source. If a smell remains, the Ozone Odor Treatment is the next step. It treats odor only, and it will not help while water is still getting in.
Should I take my child's car seat out before drop-off?
Yes. Take child car seats out before you drop off the vehicle, so the seats and carpet underneath can be cleaned. Clean the car seat itself following the instructions that came with it. If you need the vehicle back for a school run, say so when you book so pickup can be planned.
What if a stain does not come out?
Some will not come out fully. Old stains and anything that has dyed the fibers, like ink or a bleach mark, may lighten without disappearing. Point out the stains that matter most when you drop off, and ask what to expect before the work starts.
Sources
- Ozone Generators that are Sold as Air Cleaners, US Environmental Protection Agency (https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/ozone-generators-are-sold-air-cleaners), last updated 19 February 2026, accessed November 2026
- Auto Detailing in Anderson, SC: Detail Packages, The Auto Show (https://www.andersonautoshow.com/detailing), package inclusions, add-ons, pricing note and headliner policy, accessed November 2026
Detail prices on this page come from the shop’s published price list and are starting prices. The Auto Show confirms the price for your vehicle before any work starts.