Giving your car’s interior a little face lift is an easy way to not only increase the value of your car, but to boost your mood. Getting into a car that looks like a warzone isn’t going to exactly lift your spirits, after all.

Of course, sprucing up your vehicle’s interior is also infinitely cheaper than buying a new car, making it not only the simplest, but most affordable way to fix the inside of your ride.

Here’s how you can do it.

Cover Up

Unless you want to front the cash to buy new seats, the best way to help hopelessly stained and ripped upholstery is to simply cover it up. In addition to considerations of colour and texture, the main consideration should be fit. Invest in a quality product to ensure you’ve got the best fabric to fit your seats.

Door Decor

Door panels can take a beating, but fixing them up is as easy as a trip to the fabric store. Buy a colour and material to match your vehicle’s existing panel colour – or go rogue and pick whatever durable material you want. Just be aware that selling a used car is a sensitive business, so if you’re planning to put your car on the market, you’ll want to stick as close to the manufacturer’s colour and texture as possible.

Next, pop the panel out, scrape off left-over foam and old fabric, and then use a spray adhesive to coat the panel and back of the fabric. Use putty knife or credit card to smooth the surface of the fabric, pulling it tight to fit the shape of the panel and being sure to wrap it around the edges. Wait for it to dry, cut off excess material pop it back in and presto! Instant improvement.

Floor It

The floor of your car is undoubtedly one of the most abused areas. Clean it up by using a stiff, dry brush to loosen dirt. Then apply carpet cleaner (or 1 cup baking soda in 2L of water) and then work at it with that same brush. Absorb any excessive moisture with an old towel, and then shop vac that sucker.

V & P TLC

Here’s an easy one: grab some interior car polish, like Armor All, and use some elbow grease to buff your baby to a resplendent shine. Or, if you like to DIY, you can use this recipe for a homemade vinyl and plastic cleaner. Be sure to use a soft cloth to do this dirty work.

And there you have it! These tips will have the inside of your car looking almost instantly better. All you’ll need to complete the transformation is some new car smell air freshener, and you’re on your way. Happy travels!