Tips for Cleaning Your Car

Having a clean and well-kept car shows that you take pride in the vehicle that you drive, and to us, it’s just as important as having a well-maintained vehicle under the hood. While you can always take your car to a great car wash to have the job well-done, there are many tips for cleaning your car that you can employ at home. You spend a lot of time in your vehicle, so why not ensure that it is always looking its best? Expensive detailing can empty your wallet… luckily, cleaning and maintaining your car takes a lot less money if you do it yourself! Here are some great tricks, hacks, and tips for cleaning your car.

Get Bugs off Your Car

If you live in a humid state, it’s always bug season. Squashed bugs can give your car an unsightly appearance and they can even damage your car’s paint if they stay on the exterior for too long. If its love bug season, then get ready… the bugs are coming.

There’s an easy at-home fix for bugs! Grab a spray bottle and fill it with water and bring a few dryer sheets outside. Spray the bugs that are stuck to your car with a bit of water, then use the dryer sheets to gently scrub the bugs off of the exterior of the car. This may remove some of the wax off of your car, so make sure to re-apply!

De-Cloud Your Headlights

Cloudy and dirty headlights cause two problems: they don’t look good and they can make it harder for you to see the road and for other drivers to see you. An easy fix for cloudy headlights is toothpaste (because it is a gentle abrasive) and a microfiber cloth. Try and use a toothpaste with some sort of whitening agent or baking soda, then get to it! Apply the toothpaste to the cloudy headlights and wait a few minutes. Then, gently remove the build-up with a microfiber cloth. If you don’t have a microfiber cloth, a pair of pantyhose will work too! However, if your headlights have a specialty tint, you may need a professional to get the job done.

Clean Those Nooks and Crannies

The small spaces in and between your seats and small compartments on the dashboard make great places for crumbs to hide. Crumbs can be hard and stubborn to remove from small spaces, but they are no match for a flat head screwdriver wrapped in a microfiber cloth or an old toothbrush. These tools can be used to help remove hard-to-reach crumbs that you cannot usually reach with your fingers. Make sure to use the vacuum after you’ve dislodged the food bits!

Smelly Car?

If your car is smelly for one reason or another, make sure to tackle the root cause of the smell first before applying this simple tip. Grab a packet of baking soda and sprinkle a few scoops onto each seat of the car. After letting it sit for a while, vacuum up the debris for a cleaner smelling car. If you don’t feel like buying commercial air fresheners, try dropping a bit of essential oil on a clothespin, then attach it to your air vent.

Make Your Tires Sparkle

Muddy conditions can wreak havoc on the rims of your car; even debris, bugs, and every-day dirt can begin to build up over time and dampen that shine. A simple fix for this is two cups of warm water, 2 tablespoon of dish soap, and ½ cup of baking soda. Mix all of these together into a bucket, then gently scrub the hubcaps and tires until they are sparkling.

Clean Your Air Vents

If you are looking for an easy way to clean the inside of your air vents, head on over to the nearest dollar store or hobby store. A small foam paintbrush is cheap and will be just the kind of tool you need to get the job done. Have a vacuum cleaner at the ready to make sure you grab all of the dust particles while you are brushing the inside of the vents.

Cleaning the Dash

Baby wipes are gentle enough to be used on the interiors of most cars and work great for picking up dust and other small particles on the surface of the dashboard. They can also work wonders on the steering wheel and other surfaces.

Best Online Transmission Repair Shop

Not that you’ve taken care of the interior of your car, it’s time to make sure that you’ve got the rest of your ride handled. High Gear Transmission is one of the fastest growing and reliable standard shift transmission rebuilders in the United States. We’ve grown steadily since 1989 and have a proven track record for helping thousands of people get their transmissions repaired or rebuilt effectively.