How To Clean Car Pedals and Footrest? Quick and Easy Way
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Even though cleaning the footrest, car clutch, brake, and gas pedals seem very easy, it can cause you many problems while detailing. The gas pedal’s grooves and crevices are like dust and dirt magnets. Read through this article and find out how to clean car pedals and footrests in a quick and efficient way.
Every day we enter the car with so much dirt on our shoes, and it’s completely normal for the footrest and car pedals to be the dirtiest part of the vehicle.
If neglected for a while, it can become your nightmare. All that dust and dirt will dry and stick to the car pedals so it’ll be almost impossible to clean. That’s especially true if you have standard automotive pedals. Luckily, if you have sports car pedals, they’re usually made of aluminum, which is much easier to clean than rubber ones.
Check the image below:
Look at all this dirt and grease inside the pedal crevices. It’s tough to remove them once they stay there for a long time.
What Materials Do You Need?
To properly clean the gas pedals, you will need the following:
- Few microfiber towels
- Detailing brush
- All-Purpose Cleaner – APC
- Optional: Steam Cleaner
I mentioned that a steam cleaner is optional. It’s because sometimes you can’t clean gas pedals with APC, brush, and towels. Hence, the steam cleaner will clean them in no time.
Step 1: Put The Microfiber Towel Under The Pedals and Footrest
Before you even begin with the cleaning process, you should put a clean microfiber towel under the pedals and the footrest.
The reason why you should do it is that all the dirt from the pedals will fall onto the car carpet, and you have to prevent it.
By placing a microfiber towel on the car carpet, you’ll prevent it from becoming dirty again.
Step 2: Spray All-Purpose Cleaner
Dilute the all-purpose cleaner and spray it on the pedals and the footrest. I usually dilute it at 1:20, which is enough strong mixture to clean the pedals.
Make sure to thoroughly spray the APC on them and let it sit for a minute or two. That way, you’ll allow the solution to start working.
Step 3: Agitate Pedals and Footrest With The Brush
Now it’s time to agitate the pedals and footrest with the brush. If you don’t have a detailing brush, you can also use a toothbrush from your toilet. It’ll do the job.
It’s important to thoroughly brush every piece of pedals and footrest and clean all those grooves and crevices on them.
While agitating them with a brush, spray a bit more APC and agitate again. Remember, this is the most important step to make them clean.
Step 4: Wipe Off The Pedals and Footrest With a Clean Microfiber Towel
After brushing the pedals and footrest thoroughly, it’s time to wipe off all that dirt from them. Use a microfiber towel and thoroughly clean them.
Again, you can spray some more APC once more, before the final wipe-off.
After that, you’re finished with the job.
The pedals and the footrest should now be 100% clean.
Step 5 (Optional): Use a Steam Cleaner If APC Doesn’t Work
If you have a steam cleaner, it’ll make this job even quicker and easier. If you want to buy it, I recommend buying this Bissel Handheld Pressurized Steam Cleaner (check price now).
Sometimes, the pedals and the footrest are so dirty that you won’t be able to clean them 100% just with APC, brush, and microfiber towels.
The steam cleaner will break down all the dirt particles. After you steam clean them, wipe off the dirt with a clean microfiber towel, and you’re done.
FAQ
Yes, you could use a household detergent to clean the pedals and the footrest, but I always recommend using APC for the best results.
It would be best if you never used a protectant on car pedals. They could get slippery, which could lead you to danger while driving the car.
There isn’t a dedicated automotive pedal cleaner. Any all-purpose or interior cleaner will do the job, so you don’t have to purchase anything else.