Baby it’s cold outside, and cleaning the car is more unappealing than ever. Luckily, Steph from Expert Home Tips is here to share her top car cleaning hacks to get the job done quicker.
1. How to effortlessly pick up pet hair
Do you often have passengers of the furry variety? If so, no doubt hair-covered seats are a big issue for you when it comes to car cleaning.
The quickest and easiest way to remove all that fluff? A rubber glove. Pull one on and wipe over seats. The rubbery texture will lift all that pet debris in no time at all.
2. Shine your dashboard with this secret ingredient
Want your car to look fresh out the showroom? Of course you do!
Our secret tip for getting a seriously shiny dashboard is hiding in your kitchen cupboard – olive oil. Add a small amount to a soft, dry cleaning cloth and rub in small circular motions over your dashboard to add a gorgeous gleam.
3. How to freshen your car seats
Speaking of furry friends, your pawed pals may leave more than just fur in your car. If the interior is starting to smell a bit, ‘dog owner’, we have a fast-track way to freshen everything up.
Sprinkle baking soda onto car seats, leave to sit for two minutes, then vacuum. Your car upholstery will immediately look and smell much fresher.
Dogs? What dogs!
4. Why you should line your drinks holders
Car drinks holders are a hot spot for dirt and grime. Not only that, but their cylindrical shape makes removing it all extremely tricky.
Our trick? Preventing the build-up. We line our drinks holders with silicone cupcake holders to catch crumbs, spills and other bits and bobs.
This car cleaning hack makes life so much easier.
5. Make car cleaning easier with a Magic Eraser
Magic Erasers really are magical, especially when it comes to cleaning your car.
Got a tough stain on the dashboard? Or perhaps a mysterious stain on the seat? Rub a magic eraser over the area, and let it work its magic.
You’ll be amazed at what one of these little things can do.
6. How to defog headlights the easy way
Foggy headlights aren’t much use, especially this time of year. If no amount of scrubbing seems to be getting them clean, we have just the thing – toothpaste.
Yes, we really said toothpaste! Rub it onto your headlights using a cloth, leave for five minutes then rinse. Dry with a clean cloth and stand back to see crystal clear headlights.
7. Clean your car tyres, the natural way
It’s no surprise that car cleaning products are full of chemicals – and we mean FULL of them – but do they have to be?
All that tough dirt and grime might seem intimidating, but there are natural products that can tackle them no problem – thick grease is no match for likes of baking soda and white vinegar.
To try this out at home:
• Mix 3 parts baking soda to one-part water or 3parts baking soda to ½ part white vinegar to form a wet paste. • Apply the mixture to the wheels using a sponge. • Scrub with a brush to remove tough dirt and grime. (You may want to use an old toothbrush to reach small crevices.) • Rinse the wheels and reapply the solution where necessary.
8. Prevent slimy windscreen wipes
There’s nothing more frustrating than spending time cleaning your car windows only to have them dirtied up again immediately after.
Remembering to give your windscreen wipers a good clean as well as the glass itself will help prevent this. Wash thoroughly then wipe with surgical spirit to prevent a build-up of slimy grime.
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