Spring cleaning season is officially here! Like your home, it’s good to seriously clean your vehicles too. It not only feels good to drive around in a clean car, but it also helps prolong the life of everything above and around what’s under the hood. It’s historically one of the most procrastinated tasks on people’s to-do list as the work is tedious and can be daunting. Detailing is far too costly, so we have discovered DIY hacks to reach those tight nooks and crannies, ensuring a complete car transformation without the big price tag.
Dashboard & Olive Oil
Remember when you first bought your car, and your dashboard had a shiny and sleek finish you couldn’t stop touching? Restore this new car presence by using your favorite cooking product; olive oil! Avoid buying expensive conditioning wipes by rubbing olive oil on your dashboard and wipe afterward with a clean cloth.
Headlights & Toothpaste
A classic trick in the book that never gets old is to clean your headlights with toothpaste by scrubbing them with a rag or toothbrush. Wipe in a circular motion to remove dirt and rinse after. Plain whitening toothpaste tends to work best to cut through the dirt and leave your headlights looking crystal clear! If you feel your headlights are not bright enough, a thorough cleaning may be just the solution.
Carpet & Vinegar/Baking Soda
April showers bring May flowers… and lots of mud. Mix white vinegar and baking soda for a magic paste that will eliminate those pesky stains! If you have carpeted mats, remove them, scrub with your homemade solution or laundry stain remover. Throw them in the wash, and you’ll have carpets that are good as new! If they won’t fit in the wash, scrub them down and let them air dry. You’ll love the end result.
Car Exterior & Clay
The outside of your car is subject to copious amounts of dirt, bugs, and grime, especially while traveling on the freeway at 60 mph over an extended period. Using a rag with soap and water will clean the dirt off, but that tends to leave embedded residue. To buff the exterior body of your car like a professional, rub a bar of clay all over the body and continue grabbing new pieces when the clay turns grey. Clay is available for purchase at an art section of a store or a toy store. Enjoy a shiny finish after this trick!
Windshield Wipers & Rubbing Alcohol
Are you tired of looking through streaky windows that make it look foggy outside? After cleaning your windshield wipers of dirt and bugs, coat them with rubbing alcohol. This will ensure they don’t leave streaks next time you turn on your wipers. After all, your wipers are useless if they leave your windshield dirtier than before you even turned them on!
AC Vents & Brush
Air vents are arguably the number one dust trap in your car, but ironically one of the hardest areas to clean! A few household products that can easily reach inside the vents are a foam brush found at any craft/hardware store or a small bristled painters brush. To effectively keep the dust from falling on the ground, you can lightly coat the brush in a cleanser or vacuum as you dust. Wipe the brush off when it’s covered with dust and continue.
We hope these are some fresh ideas for you to help you get the most out of the cabin and exterior of your valued vehicle. When you are ready to spruce up what’s under the hood too, give Foreign Affairs Auto a call or schedule an appointment online. We are here for you!
