Cleaning your car can be a tedious job but it sure feels good once you’re done. Getting into a car that is nice, clean, and smells good is a fantastic feeling. Especially if you must spend a lot of time commuting to work or even when going on a family trip. Most people keep their car tidy however, there are a few spots that most of us neglect. Splash and Go Express is here to help you remember the spots you might overlook when cleaning your car. Below is a list of areas that are usually forgotten.
1. Headliner
When is the last time you looked up at the interior roof of your car and thought, hmmm, I should probably clean that. If you are like most people, the answer is probably years or maybe even never. When you’re cleaning your car, the headliner should be cleaned at least once or twice a year to keep it in good condition. This area soaks in odors from everyday items that we have in our vehicles such as food, odors from our pets, or even cigarette smoke. The smoke odors can cause stains as well as stains that can occur from touching the headliner with your hands. This area should be cleaned with a solution that is gentle and for stains spot clean by blotting the stained areas. Do not scrub or rub stains on the headliner.
2. Trunk
The trunk of your car is usually the most forgotten spot when cleaning your car. Aside from tools, a spare tire or roadside safety equipment, the trunk doesn’t get used much. However, there are those times that we throw things in the trunk that are dirty or soiled with grime that we don’t want on our car seats. Be sure to clean out the trunk at least once every few months to remove any items that don’t belong there. When cleaning your trunk be sure to vacuum and to clean the carpet with a carpet cleaner to remove any soiled spots. This will help to ensure that your trunk doesn’t become full of junk and stays nice and clean. On a side note, be sure to clean out the area where your spare tire is located as this area can draw moisture and if you have changed a tire may have road salt, dirt and grime collecting.
3. Glove Box
The glove box that holds our important motor vehicle documents is probably the third most neglected area when it comes to cleaning your car. After all, we usually only get in the glove box on occasion. Nevertheless, dust and dirt will still collect inside. Using cleaning wipes and wiping the entire area out every few month’s is all you need to keep this area clean.
4. Carpet
Most often, when cleaning your car, the mats and floor get vacuumed. This is a standard for most people, however, not everyone cleans under the mats and the foot pedals on the driver’s side. Be sure to vacuum thoroughly and clean up underneath the foot pedal area to remove dirt and grime.
5. Cup holders
Let’s face it, we all spill our drinks from time to time and sweat from cold drinks in our cup holders tends to grab dirt. The result is a dirty, sticky mess that tends to be overlooked when we are cleaning our cars. Be sure to use a small scrub brush to remove the sticky mess and loosen dirt before wiping out the cup holders.
6. Seat Pockets
If you have kids, the seat pockets on the back of the front seats are a great hiding place for trash, leftover snacks and an assortment of small toys. Seat pockets are crumb magnets. Each time you clean your car make sure that you empty the seat pockets vacuum them out with an upholstery attachment to remove any debris.
7. Seats
We all vacuum our seats, but seams are often missed when cleaning your car. The seams can trap dirt and debris and if left unclean for long periods can wear out the stitching on the cushions which can cause them to become weak and overtime start coming undone. This is not something that you want to happen, as it can be very expensive to fix or may not be fixable at all.
8. Air vents
The inside of air vents is usually cleaned on the outside where dirt can be seen however, it is also important to clean the inside of the vents to remove excess dust and dirt. To clean the air vents, you can use a small detailing brush to loosen any dirt and then run the vacuum hose across the vents to vacuum up the loose dirt. This will help to dust out of the air in your car when you have the heater or air conditioner running in your car.
Next time you are cleaning your car, take a moment to touch on each of the spots that are missed. Your car will look, feel and smell cleaner. And your car will appreciate the extra care. A little extra spot cleaning will help to keep your car interior in tip-top shape and can help to improve or keep the value of your car up. For more car cleaning tips check out our car tip blogs here. We hope you enjoyed our article, and if you are in the area, stop in at Splash and Go Express Car Wash for the best exterior car wash clean in town.
