It doesn’t take long to get a car dirty. You may spend an hour or two at a car wash, having your vehicle’s exterior cleaned, vacuuming out the carpets, cleaning the glass, and wiping down the dashboard. Then, one trip to the beach later with your kids and dog, and your car looks like a playground sandbox. But you don’t necessarily have to make another trip to the car wash. Several car cleaning hacks use household products, so you can touch up your vehicle without leaving home.
Gum Removal
Few sights are more frustrating than a wad of gum on car upholstery. Fortunately, removal is simple. Just put ice cubes in a plastic bag and place the bag over the gum to freeze it. Then, you can remove the wad in larger pieces. Finally, vacuum any remaining residue or scrub the area with a toothbrush.
Pet Hair Removal
Vacuum cleaners don’t always remove pet hair well from a vehicle’s carpet. So instead, you can use a pumice stone or shower squeegee to scrape up any follicles the vacuum missed. Swipe the pumice stone in one direction to loosen up the hair, and then swipe it the other way to remove anything that remains. Or spray the area lightly with water and move a squeegee back and forth over the carpet.
Adhesive Removal
Old bumper stickers leave the worst residue on a car. Fortunately, you can get rid of it with a hair dryer. First, heat the adhesive to soften it so you can remove the largest globs. Then, clear away the rest with isopropyl alcohol.
Sand Removal
Sand is almost as painful to remove from vehicle carpets as glitter. But one of the best car cleaning hacks uses a massage gun to remove it. First, vacuum up as much sand as you can, then use the massage gun on the area to loosen particles that have fallen deeper into the fibers. Then, vacuum again.
Air Vent Cleaning
Got a used makeup brush? Clean the old blush off and use it to swipe your air vents.
Cupholder Protection
Car cupholders get nasty quickly, especially after soda spills. So, protect them with silicone cupcake liners. When the liners get dirty, rinse them and pop them back in.
These car cleaning hacks are brilliant ways to keep your vehicle spotless. And if you care about your car’s appearance, you should also care about its insurance protection. So, call your Hibbs agent today and ensure you’ve got the best possible auto insurance coverage at the best possible rate.
