No matter the time of year, your car is liable to get really messy, really fast. It’s important to have some sort of car-cleaning routine to keep things fresh. If you don’t, you’ll be faced with the buildup of grime, dirt, garbage, and whatever else finds its way onto your floors.
We’re going to discuss a few car cleaning tips in this article, giving you some inspiration to make your vehicle a thing of pride. Hopefully, the ideas below can help you manage the state of your car so you can feel comfortable, and your passengers won’t wonder why in the world there’s a 3-month old burger under their seat.
Let’s get started:
1. Get a Car Garbage
Your first defense against clutter and stains is a garbage bag somewhere in your car. It doesn’t look great to have a free-floating trash bag in your back seat, though, so it might be a good idea to find a garbage can that is made for vehicles.
Even if you have to store your trash bag in your trunk while you’re driving, it’s good to have the option to discard waste. If you end up putting your trash in your trunk, just make a point to pick up whatever waste you gathered while you were on the road and toss it back there when you park.
2. Understand Your Interior
Different interiors require different chemicals to clean. The main distinction is cloth vs leather interiors. The sprays and wipes you use to get the grime off of your cloth seats is different from those used on leather.
In fact, some chemical sprays can damage your leather seats over time. At the very least, they won’t be as healthy as they would if you were to use the correct leather products.
3. Wipe Things Down Weekly
It’s a lot to ask to hop in your car and wipe it down thoroughly every day. A week is enough time to pass before anything noticeable happens in terms of grime buildup or dirt.
If you can manage to get into your car once a week and wipe down the main surfaces with some sort of cleaning agent, you’ll avoid the smells and smudges that come when you forget to clean for a month or so.
4. Vacuum Weekly
It’s wise to do your wiping and vacuuming at the same time so you don’t have to dedicate too much time to cleaning. Make the habit of sucking up all of the dirt on your floors and wiping the grime from your seats at the same time every week.
A lot of interior problems come when you don’t clean regularly. Setting up a schedule can keep things from escalating and your car will, at the very least, not have any bad smells or unsightly dirty corners.
5. Get Organized
Disorganization of the items in your car can make it feel like your car is already messy, so you might not want to keep things clean as a result. It’s important to have a place to put all of your things. When they’re scattered around your vehicle, things start to slip downhill.
Kleinmetall has a number of great organizational tools that you can use to whip things back into shape.
6. Get Regular Car Washes
Depending on where you live, the dirt and salt from the roads could be gradually destroying the undercarriage of your car. Buildup from the conditions can erode different features of your vehicle and shorten its lifespan.
Additionally, a regular wash will keep the exterior of your vehicle free from rust or decay as well.
7. Use a Brush to Get Fine Dust
A thorough clean requires that you give time to each area of your car. Grab a fine brush and a small-head vacuum and start sweeping out the dust from your vents and crevices.
You can use the vacuum to suck up the dust as you release it.
8. Use NonSmoke Spray
It’s also important to get the stink off of your car. Whether you’re a smoker or the previous owner was, it’s smart to spray some NonSmoke product on your interior.
These products work for general smells as well, not just smoke.
9. Slide Your Seats When You Vacuum
The space under the seats tends to be the dirtiest for most people. Don’t forget to slide or fold seats in all directions to freely access all of the dirt underneath them.
Larger vehicles might have back seats that fold forward, make sure to slide and fold those as well.
10. Start With a Detailing
You’ll have a lot more to lose if you start with a sparkling vehicle. A detail gives you a professional touch and leaves your car absolutely spotless.
Try starting off that way and implementing your routine once you have a car to keep clean.
11. Scrape Old Stickers
Bumper stickers and passes stamped on your windshield can be hard to get off. Use a plastic putty knife and some goo remover to get those off if you can.
That said, you might want to keep them on as memorabilia. Just know that it’s possible to remove them.
12. Screwdriver for Crevices
Use a screwdriver to detail the little creases and holes in various parts of your car. Those areas are the dirtiest, so it’s important to get something with a fine tip in there.
13. Handwash Exterior
The finest wash you’ll get is the one you do yourself. Find some proper car-washing soap, a washing mitt, and go to town.
Don’t forget to get deep into the wheel wells and rims.
14. Use Car Clay for Sparkle
You can find a clay kit that will help you give your car a glass-like finish. Your car might not have ever been as shiny as it will be after you put some time to get the darts off of the exterior.
15. Finish It Off with a Waxing
Waxing your car gives it a fine polish and coats the surface with protection. So, your vehicle will look better and stay free from grime and small damages.
If you have the time, waxing your vehicle can keep it in excellent shape for years to come.
Need More Car Cleaning Tips?
Hopefully, some of the car cleaning tips above will help you keep your ride sparkling and clean. There are a lot more options to use, though, and we’re here to help.
Explore our site for more ideas and insights into ways you can manage your vehicle.