7 Surefire Ways to Keep Your Car Clean and Looking New
We spend a lot of time in our cars. Whether it’s to commute to and from work or to visit friends and family during the weekend, you’ll always find yourself putting the key in the ignition. And, because we spend that much time in our cars, it’s no wonder then that they get dirty and stuffed with all kinds of trash. Forget one thing in the car, and you’ll probably forget another, then another, until you end up with a car straight out of a cartoon, with stuff bursting out once you open the door.
Luckily, there are steps you can take to prevent your car from suffering such a horrid fate. Here are some excellent tips that will keep your iron horse clean, healthy and fit for the track any day of the week. Let’s have a look.
Invoke the “Get Your Stuff” Rule
Pretty simple and straightforward – make sure you and your family pick up all your stuff when you leave your car. This means phones, wallets, backpacks, handbags, jackets, books and toys (if you’ve got small children), and, of course, trash. And enforce it! Don’t let yourself slack off and forget something, or you’ll end up on a slippery slope down to reviving the Pimp My Ride show. If you don’t want Xibit installing monitors on every surface on your car, you’ll need to develop a habit, both in you and your family, to keep the car all the tidier by picking up their items and trash from the car every time they exit.
Rinse and Vacuum the Floor Mats
Another major culprit to car uncleanliness are the floor mats. Floor mats also get really dirty really fast as you’re bringing in dirt and mud from the outside on the soles of your shoes.
Consider using rubber floor matting, as it will grip to the surface, and will keep the tools or boxes from moving during the ride. Also, the natural rubber is easier to clean, so you can simply rinse the mat with a high-pressure hose to get the dirt and grime out.
Clean Under and Between the Seats
You would be surprised how much stuff makes it down under and between the seats. All kinds of debris fall through the cracks and make it there all the time, and, left ignored, the places between the seats can become quite a landfill.
That is why cleaning under the seats is very important. Pull back the front seats and clean out all the trash that’s been sitting under there. Use a vacuum to clean all the crumbs and dust, and use a narrow vacuum head to suck up all the dust and debris between the back seats and the door, as well as under them. In addition, you can use an old toothbrush or a detail brush to clean the seams on the seats, as they are a prime location for dust and crumbs. Finally, if there are any stains, you can spray simple carpet cleaner and clean them with a toothbrush as well, though you’ll have to put some elbow grease in it.
Organise the Glove Compartment
The glove compartment of any car can become a real treasure trove of long-forgotten artefacts. Make sure you show it some love too, instead of just stuffing things in there out of sight and out of mind.
Organising your glove compartment can be done in just 10 minutes, and it’s all about de-cluttering. Pull out all the stuff from it, then throw away the trash, then organise non-trash items into the keep and toss piles.
Also, put some wet wipes in the glove compartment, as they can be very useful for immediately dealing with spills and dirt, or simply to give your dashboard a wipe when it gets dusty.
Finally, the glove compartment can be a great place to put your car papers in. Get a mini expanding file and mark each compartment according to the documents going in them. That way, you’ll have all the important documents in one place when you need them, and can get to them quickly in the case of emergency.
Wax the Car
We know, waxing the car can be a time-consuming and tiring process, but it’s essential. A simple car wax once every two months will do your car more good than hosing it down every couple of days.
The reason behind waxing the car is not simply to get it to shine, but it also adds a protective coat on top of the car’s paint job. When you’re driving, and especially if you’re driving on the freeway often, the dust in the air hits the car at high speeds, effectively sandblasting the surface. A nice coat of wax, however, will prevent this effect and keep your car’s paint looking fresh and shiny for a very long time. Of course, knowing how to properly wax the car is important, as the improper application can damage your paint job.
Clean the Headlights
Over the years, a car’s headlights can become foggy and turn yellow from constant use and exposure to elements. However, there is a very simple trick to cleaning them – toothpaste!
No joke, toothpaste works wonders on your headlights. Toothpaste is a mild abrasive, and it will help clean dirt off the headlights, as well as de-fog it. Headlights often turn yellow because harsh UV radiation from the sun causes oxidisation and small cracks, but the abrasive nature of the toothpaste can scrape off the oxidised layer on the plastic, but it’s also mild enough not to scratch it.
Wash the Car Regularly and Keep it Mechanically Sound
Finally, your iron pet requires regular care if you want to keep it in good condition throughout the years. Washing the car regularly, waxing it and cleaning out the interior will keep your car looking good even after you put some serious mileage on it. Also, don’t forget to change the oil regularly, check tire pressure and take your car to the mechanic for regular diagnostics and service, and your pet will be purring as happily as the day you bought in.
Conclusion
And that’s pretty much all we’ve got for you today. As we said, we spend a lot of time in our cars, and they become a kind of pseudo-living spaces for us, an extension of one’s home. With that being said, you certainly wouldn’t want your home to look like a dump, and, by that logic, you shouldn’t let your car look like one either.