27+ Easy Car Cleaning Hacks… That Will Surprise You

Use these simple car cleaning hacks to for a more enjoyable and beneficial car cleaning experience
These tips and tricks are useful for steering wheel cleaning on the interior to washing and drying the exterior and more

Exterior Car Cleaning Tips 

Whether its for the interior or exterior of your car it is recommended to buy a car cleaning kit
This offers the best value for money compared to buying cleaning items individually

Car Washing Tips

1. Rinse First – Make use of a hose or pressure washer to remove excess dust and dirt from the surface prior to washing.
   This will prevent scratching to your paintwork that is caused by inadvertently rubbing and massaging sand and debris into the surface
2. Use a grit guard – An invaluable device that will trap dirt and debris below the waterline. If not available, then use 2 separate buckets
3. Care Shampoo – Use a specialist car shampoo on your paintwork.
   Dish soap and laundry detergents are a no-go. Stay away… It will cause damage to your paint job
4. Use 2 buckets – One with your cleaning solution, and the other with clean rinsing water.
   Doing this avoids dirt and sand from being reapplied to your car’s paintwork and prevents scratching.
5. Start at the top – Do this so that the dirty water runs down over the areas that still need to be cleaned.
   If you start on the sides, it might get dirtied again by dripping from the top
6. Don’t wash in sun – try to wash your car in the shade during the hot summer months, as washing in the sun causes the soap to dry in an instant.
   This produces streak marks on the paintwork.
7. Change Your Cloth – Use different cleaning cloths and materials for the various finishes.
   Do not use the same cloth that you use to clean the wheels to clean the body, windows, or trimming and vice versa.
8. Use a chamois – To dry your car quickly and streak-free use a chamois leather cleaning cloth to remove water from the surface.
   Unlike other types of cloth, there are no marks left behind on the surface.
   It’s also very cheap
9. Clay Bar – Make use of a clay bar to remove unseen dirt and dust and get the smoothest finish.
10. Drying Time – Dry the surface quickly to prevent water marks from accumulating on the surface.

Car Waxing Tips

1. Damp Cloth – Use a soft damp cloth or sponge to apply the wax/polish. This allows for a more even spreading light spreading while covering the whole surface
2. Apply in shade – As with the washing, the application is much better and smoother in the shade. 

Interior Cleaning Tips

1. Steering Wheel – Stay safe by disinfecting and cleaning your steering wheel using disinfecting wipes.
   Many don’t realize that it is the dirtiest part of your car and laden with germs and bacteria
2. Front Seats – Adjust the front seats as far forward as you can when cleaning the carpet. Move as far back as possible to clean the front.
   The amount of dirt and ‘lost’  items that you discover by doing this will surprise you.
3. Bicarbonate Soda – Sprinkle bicarb on the carpets after cleaning and leave it there. It will permanently remove many nasty odors within your car.
4. Cup  Holders – To clean the bottom of cup holders, put 1 teaspoon of bicarb in the holder.
   Pour some white vinegar and watch the magic happen – use a cloth or sponge to remove excess liquid
5. Cleaning Crevices – If you don’t have detailing tools, use a long, narrow object, and wrap a cloth around it.
   A foam paintbrush is also very handy to clean the air vent
   Use this to access areas like the air vents to clean and remove dirt and dust.
6. Cotton Buds – Q tips are also good for cleaning inside small crevices and you can also use a bit more force as they are more rigid.
7. Toothbrush – Very useful for removing deeply embedded dirt from crevices.
8. Wipes – Cleaning wipes are one of the easiest ways to clean and disinfect your car. Can be used for the steering wheel, dashboard, and any other area.
9. Car Trash Can – Keep a car trash bag or trash can in your car to collect all your trash while traveling.
   These can be placed at different locations in the car.
   Be sure to empty it regularly and not leave it to cause odors.
10. Magic Eraser – Useful for cleaning most surfaces and works wonders ins removing dirt and grime from a steering wheel
11. Dog Seat Cover – Invest in a cover for your seat if you enjoy riding with your pets.
    Use it after cleaning the car seats to prevent pet stains and hair on the seat
    A dog seat hammock is another intuitive way to protect your car seats

Window Cleaning Tips

1. Roll Down Windows – Partially roll down the widows down when cleaning, to the sticky line of dirt and gunk where the window meets the rubber.
2. Leave To Dry – Don’t roll down the windows until it is completely dry.
   Rolling down will cause streak marks as rubber inners are normally wet from washing.
3. Use Newspaper – If you don’t have a squeegee, use newspaper with your window cleaner. Spray the window, then wipe the surface down using newspaper. The results are incredible with zero streak marks
4. Windshield Cleaning Tool – Use this to clean that awkward space at the bottom of your front and rear windshields