11 Easy Car Cleaning Hacks For A Spotless Interior & Exterior (naturally)
If you are looking for car cleaning hacks I’m going to share a few tips that hopefully will make this unpleasant job a little more bearable.
To be honest I don’t enjoy cleaning my car, but is something that must be done, so that’s why I look around for tips that can make my life easier.
NOTE: Although these are natural remedies make sure you try them in a small area first to avoid unexpected surprises.
11 Hacks to Clean Your Car With Natural Ingredients
If you have been trying to remove the stench or a stubborn stain off your car with no success, then you’re in luck. This article will show you some of the easiest cleaning hacks that will ensure you get the dirt off your car in no time and save some cash.
1. Tires
To get your tires looking clean and new, you will need to make a paste from baking soda and water. Pour the paste on the tires and allow it to sit for some time. Rinse clean with water. Trust me, your rims will be shining.
Another way to keep them like new is to spray furniture polish and wipe them with a cloth.
2. Leather Seats & Upholstery Stains
These are usually vulnerable to all kinds of stains from dust to crayon markings.
For upholstery:
# Crayons – For a sticky mess, you’ll need some wax or thick paper. Place the wax or paper over the mess and run an iron over it in order to melt it. You can then use a towel to soak the mess and use a cleaning solution afterward.
# Pet hair – If your upholstery is filled with pet hair, spray it with water until it is damp then use a squeegee to get rid of the hair.
# An easy cleaning solution for your upholstery is a mixture of white vinegar and baking soda. The two will form a paste that you can use to scrub the upholstery with a toothbrush. Remember to allow it to dry before vacuuming it.
For leather:
# Oil stains – Sprinkle cornstarch or talc powder over the stain. Leave to act for 10 minutes or more and wipe with a clean damp cloth. Obviously, the results are better when applied soon after the stain occurs.
# Another way is to rub the stain with a cloth and a few drops of olive oil.
# Ink stains – Spray hair spray over the stain and leave it to rest for a few minutes. Wipe with a dry cloth.
3. Windows & Mirrors
# When you boil potatoes keep the water. Strain and mix it with one spoon of vinegar. Clean the windows and mirrors to get a shiny effect.
# Try also with white vinegar dissolved in water. Wipe with newspaper or microfibre cloth.
4. Clean Dashboard Naturally
# Vents – Most of the time we ignore the vents in our dashboard or simply wipe the dust off them without a second glance. Cleaner vents mean a cleaner airstream in the car.
A make-up brush will do the trick. It might be old or new but it will be able to get into hard-to-reach places. If it’s already used, wash off the makeup first before using it to clean the vents.
A can of compressed air will also come in handy in getting rid of dust and grime. Blasting the vents with air with leaving them dust free and clean as a whisker.
# Shine – To give it shine use a cloth and olive oil to clean the dashboard. Remove excess oil with a paper towel or a microfiber cloth.
5. Carpets
Stains on floor mats are also easily removable. To make DIY carpet stain remover make a paste with white vinegar and baking soda.
Mix well and rub it on the stain with a brush. Once it has dried use the vacuum to clean up the residue.
Or just spray them with stain remover then toss them in the laundry with detergent. There’s no need to have them detailed when you can do it yourself.
6. Bodywork Stains
Stains on the body can be frustratingly stubborn. To remove salt and grime on the body, mix 1 cup of baking soda with a gallon of soapy hot water.
The mixture will remove any salt build-up. To remove other stains, you can use hair shampoo which will also leave a shiny look in your car.
7. Headlights
A cloudy headlight can be a real bummer. You may be tempted to buy a new one but the better option is cleaning it.
How?
All you need is whitening toothpaste and a toothbrush. It’s as simple as scrubbing the headlight, rinsing it, and drying it off to remove the cloudiness. Next time your headlight goes cloudy, grab a toothbrush and some toothpaste.
8. Under the hood
# Battery Corrosion – Battery corrosion can leave an unsightly look under the hood. Cleaning the battery can be dangerous so refrain from cleaning it yourself if you don’t know what you are doing. If you decide to do it remember to be careful.
You will need baking soda and vinegar. First, disconnect the negative cable from the battery and then remove the positive cable.
Clean up any dirt with a cloth. Mix the baking soda and vinegar then place the mixture around the terminal post.
It will fizzle up a bit and form a foam as the greasy residue gets dissolved. Use a wire brush to remove any residue on the terminals.
# Engine – You might also want to de-grease your engine. A good DIY degreaser is a mixture of water, baking soda, and lemon essential oil.
Spray the mixture on your engine as you work on an area at a time. After cleaning the whole engine, leave the hood open to allow it to dry.
10. Remove Stickers
These are effective car cleaning hacks that work really well to remove old stickers that refuse to go.
# Use the hairdryer to remove the sticker. To eliminate the adhesive use a cloth soaked in white vinegar.
# Use ammonia to remove stickers, resin, or gum from the car exterior.
# Rub a cloth or cotton with olive oil over the stickers.
11. DIY Car Air Freshener
Does your car have a certain odor that makes you feel uncomfortable when you are out with your friends?
Don’t worry, the solution is at hand. You can use an odor eater and an air freshener afterward to freshen up your car.
The best part of it is you don’t have to buy any of these.
For the odor eater, mix your favorite essential oil with baking soda in a mason jar then poke some holes in its lid. Place the jar in a cup holder so that it absorbs the odors from the air.
Now that you’ve gotten the odors out, it’s time to bring in some fresh scents. You need a wooden clothespin.
Place a few drops of essential oil on the pin and clip it to the air vents. Voilà… you have your own homemade car air freshener.
You can decorate the peg with a cute design like in the image below from Darice’s blog. Kids will love it!
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Car Cleaning Hacks
These are simple but really effective ways to give your car that sparkling new look. Your car will not only look better but will have an inviting fragrance. Next time, save that cash on the car wash and use these cool hacks.
What are your favorite car cleaning hacks?