can you use mr clean on car interior

[VanLuke]

No, using original Mr. Clean Multi-Surface Cleaner on your car interior is not recommended. While it's a powerful cleaner for tough household grease, its chemical formulation is too harsh for delicate automotive surfaces. The primary risk is to your car's vinyl, plastic, and leather components. These materials often have protective coatings and contain plasticizers to keep them soft and flexible. Harsh detergents and degreasers can strip these away, leaving surfaces dry, faded, cracked, and sticky over time.

Using it on fabric upholstery or carpets is also problematic. The soapy residue it leaves behind is extremely difficult to rinse out completely without professional extractors. This residue attracts more dirt, leading to rapid re-soiling, and can cause unpleasant odors as it traps moisture.

For safe and effective cleaning, always use products specifically designed for automotive interiors. These pH-balanced cleaners are formulated to lift dirt without damaging the materials or their protective coatings. A simple alternative is a dilution of isopropyl alcohol and water (10:1 ratio) for disinfecting hard plastics, or optimum no rinse (ONR) for general cleaning, as both are safe and leave no residue.

Surface Type	Risk of Using Mr. Clean	Recommended Alternative
Vinyl & Plastics	High risk of stripping coatings, causing fading/cracking	Automotive-specific interior detailer (e.g., Meguiar's Quik Interior)
Leather (coated)	Can dry out and crack the protective topcoat	pH-balanced leather cleaner and conditioner
Fabric Upholstery	Leaves soapy residue, attracts dirt, causes odors	Fabric/upholstery cleaner (e.g., Chemical Guys Fabric Clean)
Carpets	Difficult to rinse, promotes mold/mildew	Carpet-specific cleaner with a brush or extractor
Touchscreens	Can damage anti-glare and oleophobic coatings	Screen-safe cleaner or dilute isopropyl alcohol on microfiber

[AubreyMarie]

I tried it once on a stubborn stain on my dashboard. Big mistake. It took the stain out, sure, but it left a weird, streaky film that nothing else would remove. The spot looked duller than the rest of the plastic. I learned my lesson: your car's interior isn't your kitchen counter. Stick with the stuff made for cars; it's just not worth the risk of ruining your surfaces.

[DelAlejandro]

Think of it like this: automotive interior plastics and vinyl have softeners in them to prevent cracking. Harsh cleaners like Mr. Clean can break down those softeners. You might not see damage immediately, but over time, it makes the material brittle. It's a slow process that you won't notice until your dashboard starts cracking in the sun. Using a gentle, automotive-specific product protects that long-term durability.

[LeRowan]

From a cost perspective, it seems like a bargain. But it's a false economy. If you damage a section of your dashboard or seats, the repair or replacement cost will far outweigh what you saved on a bottle of cleaner. Investing in a dedicated automotive interior cleaner, which lasts for many uses, is the smarter financial move to protect your car's value.