Tips to keep your car clean include taking out any trash every time you leave the vehicle, vacuuming it regularly, protecting the seats, and using organisers.
If you’ve ever left your clean, tidy house only to hop in a car filled with rubbish, crumbs, and pet hair, these useful, simple tips are for you.
These 10 tips will make it easier to keep your car organised and clean so you can ride comfortably and protect your investment.
10 Tips to Keep Your Car Clean
- Take the Trash Out Every Time
- Protect Cupholders
- Use Organisers
- Protect the Seats
- Use Kick Mats
- Vacuum Regularly
- Remove Extra Items
- Replace the Air Filter
- Keep Wet Wipes Handy
- Shake Out the Floor Mats
1. Take the Trash Out Every Time
Our biggest tip on how to keep your car clean? Take the trash out any time you leave the vehicle.
Any time you leave your vehicle, make a point to empty out any rubbish, such as receipts, gum wrappers, or packaging. Even if it’s just one or two pieces of trash, regularly removing it is one of the easiest ways to keep your car clean.
We like to keep a few plastic bags handy in the car to store rubbish. Plastic bags also come in handy if you pick a kid up from sports practice and they have dirty clothes or shoes.
2. Protect Cupholders
The ingenious trick is one of the easiest ways to keep a car clean: silicone cupcake liners. It may sound odd, but placing silicone cupcake liners in cupholders protects them against sticky crumbs and grime.
Make sure cupholders are clean before placing the liners in. Here are three easy steps to cleaning cupholders:
- Step 1: Place a clean sock over your hand
- Step 2: Spray the sock with all-purpose cleaner
- Step 3: Give the cupholders a thorough scrub
Allow them to dry fully before placing the cupcake liners in the cupholder. Once a month, remove the liners, scrub them, and place them back in once dry.
Along with using liners in cupholders, always get rid of coffee cups or soft drinks immediately to prevent stickiness and spills.
3. Use Organisers
Car seat organisers are an easy way to keep a car clean and tidy. From travel games, toys, pet treats, leashes, and other accessories, car seat organisers keep everything in one convenient place rather than all over the seats or floor.
4. Protect Your Seats
High quality seat covers protect your seats against spills and damage while also enhancing comfort.
If you are a pet owner, you know how tough it can be to remove pet hair from seats. Seat covers guard seats against scratches, stains, and dreaded pet hair, making them particularly important if you have pets.
Learn More: 6 Benefits of Car Seat Covers for Your Vehicle
5. Add Kick Mats
Just as seat covers are one of the easiest ways to protect your car and keep it clean, kick mats are another excellent solution. Kick mats protect the backs of seats against muddy feet, pet hair, and damage.
6. Vacuum Regularly
We recommend vacuuming your car once a week, including commonly missed areas such as under the seats and the boot. We prefer vacuums with brush attachments or thin nozzle attachments to easily reach under seats, in side door panels, and other tough to reach areas.
7. Remove Extras Items
Is your car stuffed with random items you don’t actually need in it, such as extra kids’ shoes or toys?
It is important to keep emergency items in your car, such as a blanket, first aid kit, and flashlight. However, make a point to remove unnecessary items that have accumulated in your car to prevent it from feeling cluttered.
8. Replace the Air Filter
One of the most important steps in keeping your car clean is making sure to replace your air filter regularly. Fresh air filters prevent sand, debris, dirt, and dust from entering your car through the vents. Keeping a clean air filter will ensure that the air in your vehicle is fresh, smells better, and is healthier to breathe.
Many air filters are easy to replace or you can bring a replacement filter to your next oil change and most mechanics will handle it for free.
9. Keep Wet Wipes Handy
Spills are inevitable in a car, so we recommend wet wipes as a great addition to the glove box.
Along with wiping up unexpected spills, wet wipes can be used to clean sticky hands or wipe fingerprints off the windows.
10. Shake Out Floor Mats
Make a habit of regularly shaking out the floor mats. We find that shaking out floor mats once a week is a good frequency.
Shaking out floor mats will remove loose dust, dirt, and sand from your car and prevent the debris from getting lodged into the mats or causing stains.
How Often Should You Clean Your Car?
We recommend a simple car cleaning once a week. Regularly small cleanings prevent huge messes from building up and keep your car fresh and tidy.
We suggest a more thorough cleaning twice a year that includes:
- Removing all the floor mats to shake them out and vacuum them
- Vacuuming underneath floor mats
- Washing the exterior
- Cleaning and vacuuming the boot
- Cleaning the dashboard and vents
- Scrubbing cup holders, side door panels, etc.
- Thoroughly cleaning all windows and mirrors
- Wiping down the steering wheel or washing or replacing the steering wheel cover
Why You Need to Keep Your Car Clean and Maintained
Keeping your car clean will help you stay focused on driving and provide a more enjoyable ride for you and your passengers. Cleaning your car also protects your investment by helping to maintain your car’s value and keep it looking new.
Along with looking better, a clean car can also improve safety if the mirrors and windows are clean and clear for good visibility.
Browse our expansive range of affordable car accessories to keep your car clean and organised or contact our team for personalised help.