Mike Schultz, the head of new products at Turtle Wax, once said, “Think of the surface of your car as you would of your face.” And now that you think about it, isn’t it a bit necessary to maintain hygiene in your car? It’s difficult because it’s not just you who uses your car. But, isn’t it like your moving house, especially if you’re someone who travels to-and-fro a lot?
Keeping it clean should be mandatory. And these 19 tips can help you do so:
1. Clean the surface of your car regularly. Use stiff scrub brushes to do the needful.
2. Avoid eating in the car. If you really have to, carry food in large containers; or better still, stop the car, eat, and then carry on with the trip.
3. Clean the mess accumulating in the car as soon as possible. Don’t wait for the evening or the next day to clean.
You don’t want an unbearable odour swirling in your car.
4. Make sure you bring back everything you take to your car at the end of the day.
5. Keep a trash can in your car. It can be a simple plastic bag or a proper container. Your call!
6. Use car fresheners to kill bad odour.
7. Keep an extra set of cleaning cloths, napkins and tissues in your car.
Keep them apart from the ones you regularly use.
8. There are handy car vacuum cleaners too that can be used every now and then for an easy clean.
9. Use baby-wipes to clean the windshields of your car. Or a soft, lint-free cloth.
10. To get rid of the blotches that appear on a dirty windshield after rain, pour cola over the glass.
Stretch a hand towel along the bottom end of the windshield to protect the hood paint. The cola will fizz away the grime. Also, thoroughly wash the shield after as it could attract insects.
11. Shine the headlights of your car by using everyday window-cleansing liquids.
12. Keep an eye on the cup holders of your car. They’ve held too many drinks for you and deserve to be rid of the sticky grime.
13. Use non-acid-based tyre cleaners as they won’t oxidize the bare-alloy wheels. Use a degreaser and avoid detergents.
14. Purchase a cleaner especially made for leather-seated cars.
15. Deep clean the air vents using a long-bristled artist’s paintbrush.
You can also spray furniture polish to further enhance the effect.
16. Wax your car after a wash. It makes cleaning it easier the next time.
If waxing is too much, hair conditioner containing lanolin is also a good option to go with.