A clean car is one of those things that just feels great. It looks good, you are not ashamed to give people a lift and you can often remember why you fell in love with it in the first place when you see it looking its best. Keeping it clean can also help when the time comes to sell it on, as prospective buyers will see it in its best light and know that it has been properly looked after.
However, keeping your car clean isn’t always as easy as you might think, and we can often let it fall by the wayside as we think of other things that we could be doing on a Sunday afternoon. That is why we have put together our top tips to keep your car clean. They work and they can help to make sure that the task doesn’t seem quite so daunting.
- Take your rubbish away
We are all guilty of leaving tissues, takeaway containers and coffee cups lying around in the car, and this can lead to it looking anything but clean. Try to get into the habit of taking any rubbish away with you every time you get out of the car or invest in some little bins that can sit in your door pockets to help keep the car looking clean and prevent any unpleasant smells from building up.
- Have some wipes handy
Whether you have kids, pets or you are simply a little accident prone, there are bound to be a few spills and messes from time to time. They key to getting rid of stains and sticky marks is to deal with them quickly, so having some wipes in the glove box allows you to swoop in and sort the problem out straight away.
- Good quality car mats
You probably don’t pay much attention to your car mats, but they play a big part in keeping your car clean. Your shoes will bring in huge amounts of dirt and mess, whether you go trekking through the forest or go no further than the office.
These car mats help to trap that dirt and protect your carpets, so you need to make sure that they are the best quality that you can afford. Look at the way you use your vehicle and choose some that offer the durability that you need – hikers or those working somewhere muddy might benefit from rubber car mats over carpet ones.
They can not only prevent wear and tear to the carpet of your car, but they can also stop mould, mildew and bad odours from forming. Once they are in place, they can help to protect the interior of your car, but make sure you take them out and give them a good clean on a regular basis.
- Clean your cup holders
You might not think that your cup holders need a lot of a care, but you would be wrong. Not only are they a great spot for dust and debris to collect, but they can also be subject to a lot of moisture from the spills, dribbles and condensation of your cups.
This can create quite the mess, but we often don’t see it until we are looking around for a coin to go in a parking meter. Try putting sock covered in cleaning solution over a cup and rubbing it around the inside of the cup holder. You can also make use the nozzle attachment on your vacuum cleaner to make sure you get everything out.
- Invest in seat covers
The seats in your car can start to look tired over time through friction, spills and weight, and it can make your car look much older than it is. Investing in some seat covers can be a great way to protect your seats and keep them looking good for longer.
Gone are the days of beaded seat covers – now you can choose from a range of hard wearing materials, colours and even personalised embroidery to fit in with your personal style. One of the best things about these seat covers is that they can easily be removed and washed, making it much easier to keep your seats clean.
- Tackle tiny spaces
It can be all to easy to deal with the big stuff and ignore tiny spaces like air vents, but this is where dust can really start to build up. Just wrap a damp cloth around the handle of a spoon and run it along all of those awkward spots to get every last bit looking squeak clean. Alternatively, you could use an old make-up brush as these are very soft and would cause any scratches, just make sure you’ve cleaned the foundation off them first.
- Don’t forget your boot
What is in your boot at the moment? Is it your shopping, a buggy, golf clubs or even your suitcases? We tend to put our biggest and dirtiest stuff in the boot of our car and then overlook it when it comes to cleaning.
The boot is a large space, and it does a lot of hard work for us, so cleaning it is not always a fun task. Investing in a custom car boot liner can be hugely beneficial, as this not only covers the bottom of your boot, but also the sides. It prevents scratches and marks as well as dirt so you don’t need to worry about damaging the boot when you get things in and out, and you can remove it to make cleaning it much easier.
- Vacuum regularly
When it comes to keeping your car clean, your vacuum is your best friend. It can clean up most messes and gets into all sorts of nooks and crannies, so make sure you vacuum regularly to keep your car looking good with minimal effort.
Keeping your car clean can be easy if you stay on top of it and use the right accessories so follow our tips and your pride and joy will be sparking in no time.
