No matter how careful we try to be, it is practically impossible to get out of a car these days without scraping the interior door panel with your foot. One or two small marks might not catch the eye, but when the entire family is climbing in and out of your car on a daily basis, the wear and tear soon begins to show. Getting rid of shoe marks is surprisingly easy, but the method that works best will depend on how bad the scuffing is.
Remove personal belongings from the pocket of the door interior. Block off any fabric parts of the door interior with masking tape and old newspaper to protect them from getting wet. Fill a bucket with warm water and add a small amount of mild detergent.
Immerse a sponge into the bucket and wring it until the water stops running freely. Apply the damp sponge to the affected area and wipe over it gently to remove all traces of dirt. Try not to push down to hard on the sponge as the grit in the dirt can be abrasive and too much pressure might lead to scratches.
Dry the interior of the car door thoroughly with a clean cloth and inspect the remaining marks. Take a fistful of moisturized baby wipes and gently rub away at the scuff marks. The texture of the moisturized baby wipes is ideal for removing marks from leather or vinyl upholstery and most scuffs should come away quite easily. Dry the residue from the baby wipes with a clean cloth and wipe again with a damp sponge to avoid stains.
Apply a small amount of interior detailing gel to a microfiber cloth, if you are trying to remove heavy scuff marks. These gels are mildly abrasive but will not cause any visible signs of scratching. Rub the gel gently into the scuff marks until the marks are lifted away. Use additional applications of gel as required until all of the scuff marks are removed.
Spread out any remaining interior detailing gel across the rest of the vinyl or leather, using a clean microfiber cloth, to leave a shiny, blemish-free appearance. If shoe scuffs are proving to be particularly stubborn, repeat the procedure with a fine grade-cutting compound, followed by an additional application of interior detailing gel.
Remove the masking tape and newspaper from the door interior.
