Tips for Cleaning Your Car (And Keeping it Clean)

As the Domestic CEO, I talk a lot about how to clean your home. There are always new tips and tricks to getting the job done efficiently, and with the best results possible.

The same goes for cleaning your car. Summer often takes a big toll on our vehicles–especially the interior. From long driving vacations, to shorter weekend road trips, to hauling the kids to and from sports practice or the movies, your car can get messy and filthy in no time at all.

I’ll admit it– I am pretty good at ignoring a dirty car. But sometimes you’ve just got to tackle that chore. Running the car through a car wash or giving it a quick bubble bath at home takes care of the exterior dirt, butcleaning the interior mess is another story.

Here are 9 tips that will help make this job easier than you think–and 4 more tips for keeping your car in clean condition:.

Clear Out the Trash

It’s quite amazing how quickly wrappers, napkins, papers and UFO’s (unidentified forgotten objects) accumulate in a vehicle. The first order of business when cleaning the car is to take out the trash. You will probably find pens, money, maybe even that lost cell phone, or your kid’s retainer! Vehicles seem to “consume” items in every corner and crack. Take the time to clean out everything.

Vacuum Thoroughly

Using a shop vac or an attachment on your household vacuum, clean every nook and cranny of your car. You’ll want to thoroughly vacuum all the carpeted floor areas. If you’ve got floor mats, remove them and clean them outside of the vehicle, for an extra-thorough cleaning.  Use a soft brush attachment to clean the dashboard, doors, and any other hard surface areas. These places can get pretty dusty.

Shampoo the Carpets and Upholstery

This may seem like overkill, but remember how many times a sticky drink or messy sandwich has been dropped on the carpet? Nasty odors and germs are lurking in those carpets, so at least once a year, give them a good scrubbing. You can use your own carpet cleaning machine, rent one, or combine a can of carpet cleaner, a scrub brush, and some elbow grease.

Don’t forget to clean those floor mats, too. If you have upholstered seats in the car, shampoo those as well. For an especially stubborn stain, I’ve got some helpful carpet cleaning solutions on my podcast, How to Treat Common Carpet Stains.

Clean and Condition Leather

Purchase a cleaner specifically made for leather. Spray it on, let it sit for a little bit, and then wipe off. You will be amazed at how much dirt is removed!

Once all the leather areas are cleaned and thoroughly dry, follow up with a conditioner – again, one made specifically for leather. This will keep the leather supple and protected. Leather cleaner and conditioner can be found in the car care department of large discount stores, at an auto supply store, or online.

Detail the Little Things

When you have your car detailed by a professional, it means they are cleaning every little crack and crevice. To get at all the little places–like crevices around door lock controls–wrap a cloth around an old, worn screwdriver (without sharp edges), and spray Krud Kutter or another all-purpose cleaner on the cloth. Move it gently along the trim lines to pick up the gunk, and keep refreshing the surface of the cloth. Go around all the buttons and controls, and then follow up with a protectant like Armor All.

Dust the Air Vents

Your vacuum attachment may not get all the dust off these small louvers, so grab a long-bristled artist’s paintbrush, spray with furniture polish, and clean deep inside the vents. Wipe the dirt off the brush with a rag before moving on to the next vent. Don’t forget the backseat air vents!

Remove Old Bumper Stickers or Decals

If you’ve got old, faded stickers or decals on your car windows, why not take the time to remove them? Use a plastic putty knife to scrape the sticker off the window. If a sticky residue is left, use a little Goo Gone on a clean rag to gently scrub that residue away.

Clean the Windows

Using window cleaner and a soft, lint-free cloth, clean the interior and exterior of all the windows. For windows that roll down, be sure to lower each window a bit so you can clean off the dust and dirt that accumulates at the top.

Kill Bad Odors

If you’ve done all this cleaning and your car still has a funky smell, try spritzing all carpeted and upholstered areas with a homemade air freshener using essential oils. For exact instructions on how to mix your own freshening spray, listen to my podcast, How to Make Your Home (and Everything in It) Smell Good.

So, now your car is clean. How do you keep it that way?

Purchase a Trash Container for Your Car

Having a designated place for garbage–and using it–is the first step to keeping a car clean. Get in the habit of emptying this trash receptacle at least once a week.

Be Ready for a Spill

Keep disinfecting wipes and napkins in your car for that inevitable spill. Napkins can blot up a spill, but the wipes can get rid of the stickiness until you have time to do a thorough cleaning. You can also do a quick surface cleaning with a wipe when you are sitting in the passenger seat!

Get Organized

Keep the kids’ stuff organized with a backseat organizer. This handy organizer hangs on the back of the driver or passenger seat, and has compartments for toys, books, games, iPads, water bottles, and more. Encourage everyone to load things back in the organizer when leaving the car.

Keep the Messy Stuff Out

There are certain things that just don’t belong in a car: crayons, lollipops, cotton candy, and other sticky stuff are just waiting to wreak havoc on the interior of a clean car. Save the gooey foods and crayon coloring for other places.

I hope these helpful tips take you on the road to a cleaner car!

Until next time, I’m the Domestic CEO, helping you love your home.

Photos of cleaning car windows, car vacuum, and family in car courtesy of Shutterstock.

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