Driving a ‘just cleaned’ car is up there with the satisfaction levels of climbing into a bed with fresh clean sheets, or your first coffee in the morning. It’s undoubtedly a great feeling especially knowing it’s another job off the weekend tick list and now you’ve got a few weeks grace before you need to repeat the process. Below, we discuss our top 5 hacks on how to clean your car interior like a pro, you’ll thank us later!
Pet hair
Pet hair is a nightmare and we often don’t know where to start, but there are a few very simple and effective techniques you can try to get rid of the hair.
Rubber gloves – simply put on a pair of kitchen gloves and gently sweep your hands across the carpet or seat area where the pet hair has accumulated. You’ll notice the loose hair start to lift, it’s that easy. If you don’t have rubber gloves at home try a squeegee, it works in much the same way.
Fabric softener – works a treat as this product has ingredients specifically designed to loosen hair. Add about 3 or 4 tablespoons of softener to a spray bottle, top up with water and apply to carpets and upholstery. Next wipe areas with paper towel to remove stubborn hair, then vacuum the rest of the hair away. You’ll notice the vacuum removes the hair a lot more efficiently with the use of softener beforehand.
Car windows
A clean windscreen is important for your safety as marks on your windscreen can be distracting while on the road, here’s how to get your car windows crystal clear. Park your car out of direct sunlight to prevent the glass cleaner drying too quickly and leaving unwanted smudges. Using a quality auto glass cleaner, spray and wipe the glass with a microfibre cloth. A good microfibre cloth is key to achieving a clean windscreen as it has properties to scrub away fine dirt and absorb excess moisture at the same time.
Dash, centre console & doors
Use a damp cloth and a cleaner such as armour all / or a good household cleaner will do the trick to wipe down surfaces including the dash, doors, steering wheel etc to effectively remove dust and dirt. You can use a soft-bristled toothbrush or cotton tips to detail hard to clean areas such as around the door handles or inside the cup holders.
Upholstery
Freshen your upholstery by giving in a good vacuum, then spot clean stains with soda water. You’ll find the bubbles help to lift stains, for stubborn stains try adding a sprinkle of salt before applying the soda water. Next, use a sanitising and deodorising upholstery spray, let it dry and vacuum any residue.
Vacuum
Finish cleaning your car with a good vacuum throughout, remove car mats and vacuum under seats, seat pockets and give the car mats a good going over. Job done!
For more auto tips check out the Auto Leaders blog page.
