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Last Updated on December 10, 2020 by Alaina
Nobody enjoys driving around in a dirty, smelly car. But paying to have your car detailed professionally is expensive. However, cleaning your car yourself doesn’t have to be hard, time-consuming or expensive. These simple car cleaning hacks can help you get your car sparkling clean — and keep it that way.
Car Cleaning Hacks
These amazing car cleaning hacks will have your car looking and smelling showroom new!
Clean the Air vents with a Foam Brush
Air vents collect all sorts of dust and dirt, and it’s not healthy to be breathing that in. Luckily, cleaning out your air vents and keeping your car smelling fresh can be quite easy. All you need is one of those inexpensive, small foam brushes used for craft painting. You can find them at craft stores, Walmart and even your local dollar store.
Deep Clean the Upholstery and Keep It Looking Clean
To do a deeper clean of your seats’ upholstery, make a paste out of vinegar and baking soda. scrub it into your upholstery and then rinse it out. It will take away dirt you didn’t even know was in there! It will also help with any weird smells, too!
Tackle Hard to Reach Spots with Q-Tips
One of the hardest places to clean in your vehicle are those thin nooks and crannies. Grime loves to build up in these spots over time. Q-tips are the perfect tool for those cleaning tight cracks and hard-to-reach crevices. For stuck on grime, simply wet the end and wipe the areas out.
And if you find a few areas you still can’t reach, break out a can of compressed air. It’ll make short work of those impossible places to reach!
Magically Erase Stubborn Grime
Magic Eraserers work wonders on all sorts of items, including your car. To tackle stubborn dirt, dust, and grime in your car, use one of the small sponges. They work very well on plastic and vinyl surfaces, as well as on leather seats (just remember to work gently on leather).
Clean Textured Surfaces with a Toothbrush
Most cars have textured surfaces where dirt gets ground in. Use a toothbrush to quickly and easily remove dirt from those textured surfaces. Just a few swipes and that dirt and grime is gone!
Brighten Headlights with Toothpaste
Speaking of teeth tools, did you know that toothpaste easily cleans grimy headlights? Simply spread some on the lamps, give it a few minutes and wash it off. Your lights will look cleaner and shine brighter.
Remove Bumper Bugs with Dryer Sheets
Bugs are gross, but even more so when they are smashed all over your bumper. Luckily some wet dryer sheets will quickly remove those pesky buggers without you having to apply too much pressure.
Use An Old Sock, Travel Cup, and Windex to Clean Out Cup Holders
Looking for an easy way to get that gooey spilled soda and other grime out of your cup holder? All you need is a cup, a sock and some glass cleaner like Windex. Put the sock on the cup, and then spray the sock with a bunch of Windex. Now put the cup sock-side down in the cup holder, twist it around several times, and lift. Repat as needed. Tada: a sparkling clean cup holder.
Deep Clean and Deodorize the Upholstery
Dirty, smelly upholstery? Do a deeper clean of your seats’ upholstery by making a paste out of vinegar and baking soda. Scrub the paste into your upholstery and then rinse it out. Not only will it remove dirt you didn’t know was there, it’ll also help with any smells.
Remove Stubborn Stains
Stubborn stains? Everyone knows that club soda is the master of removing stains, but did you know it’ll work on car upholstery, too? If you’re working with a new stain, pat the stain dry first. Then, dampen a small cloth or towel with club soda and continue to pat the stain until it comes out. For an old stain, use the club soda more liberally.
Remedy Wipers that Smear Water
While you should replace your windshield wipers on a regular basis, if you need to buy a bit of time, rubbing alcohol will help with wipers that smear water. Simply wipe down your wipers with generous amounts of rubbing alcohol and let dry.
Simple Hacks to Keep Your Car Clean
Now that your car is show-room clean, use the following handy hacks to keep it that way!
Silicon Cupcake Liners
Avoid the gooey gunk that winds up in the bottom of your car’s cup holders by placing silicone cupcake liners at the bottom of each one. If the liners get sticky or dirty, you can just throw them in the sink or dishwasher, and put clean ones in the car.
Keep Wipes On Hand
Keep a small pack of auto cleaner wipes in your glove box to tackle andy messes. They only cost a few dollars. Plus they also work great as a window cleaner!
DIY Car Trash Can
Although you can find all sorts of trash cans for the car online, why not save money by making your own? Simply line a large plastic cereal container with a grocery bag and use it as an in-car trash can. Fold up and stash a few extra bags in the very bottom of the container so you have replacements ready to go.
Keep It Fresh with a DIY Air Freshener
Why waste money on car fresheners that smell awful and look even worse when you can easily make your own? Learn how to keep your car smelling fresh plus instructions for making 3 different DIY air fresheners for cars.
Another easy DIY car air freshener is to take a wooden clothespin, spray your favorite essential oil on it, and then clip the clothespin to your air vent.
In Summary
There is nothing better than driving a vehicle that smells clean and looks clean! And remember, part of having a car that looks great is one that runs great. Don’t forget to take your car in to a trusted mechanic like those at Lustine Toyota on a regular basis to keep it running its best.