The average person spends about a total of four years inside their car. That’s a lot of time to be cramped in a small space. Imagine if that small area is filthy most of the time. You’re practically living in a dump if that’s the case. This is why car maintenance is very important.
Car maintenance goes beyond the typical change oil, auto hail dent repair, or routine AC cleaning. You also need to take care of the inside of your car since that’s where you’re spending most of your time. However, we all know that maintaining a car and auto detailing can be expensive. For this reason, we have listed below a few budget-friendly car interior detailing hacks to keep your car looking new and smelling fresh all the time.
6 Easy Hacks for a Cleaner Car Interior Even on a Budget
Hack #1: Wipe your dash using a coffee filter.
Over time, dust and grime will build up on your car’s dashboard and the inside of your doors. A quick fix to getting rid of all that dirt and grime is the use of a coffee filter to wipe it clean. It effectively removes the dirt without leaving any streaks or smudges.
Hack #2: Detail your AC vents with a foam brush.
AC vents are one of the hardest spots to clean inside your car, especially if you’re just working with a rag or microfiber cloth. We recommend using a foam paintbrush that you can get from any crafts store. These go into the crevices and remove grime and dirt.
Hack #3: Inexpensive car freshener.
If you want to keep your car smelling fresh, an inexpensive alternative to store-bought car fresheners is a wooden clothespin and some essential oils. A few drops of essential oil on a wooden clothespin clipped to your AC vent will keep your car smelling good for days.
Hack #4: Simple solution to cleaning cup holders.
Here’s one simple hack that you will enjoy doing. Take a sock, spray it with a cleaning solution, and place it over a cup that fits well into your car’s cupholder. Put the sock-covered cup inside the cupholder and twist and turn it around to get the dirt out.
Hack #5: Removing grime from your car’s crevices.
Getting into crevices is always a hard task, even with a vacuum cleaner. A flathead screwdriver covered with a microfiber cloth can help you get into your car’s nooks and crannies with ease. Another alternative is using a toothbrush to get into those tight corners.
Hack #6: Vaseline will make your dash shine.
While Turtle Wax is a great product, it can be costly to some people. An alternative you can turn to to keep your car’s dash smooth and shiny is wiping it with Vaseline using a microfiber cloth.
3 Must-Have Car Cleaning Tools
Microfiber cloth
Have you ever noticed how cleaning your car’s windshield and windows with an ordinary rag leaves streaks? This can be prevented if you use a microfiber cloth instead. It doesn’t leave any trails and won’t make the mess worse.
Deodorizer
People say that most houses have a distinct smell that owners are oblivious to. The same thing can be said for the interior of your car. You may not notice how your car smells like but your passengers do. It would be wise to invest in a deodorizer — or cheaper alternatives — to give your passengers a pleasant experience whenever they ride with you.
DropStop
Sometimes, some of the toughest messes to clean inside your car are the spots in-between the seats. Using DropStop and placing it in the crevice between your car seats will catch any mess before it goes in. One less headache for you to solve.
Keeping your car clean and presentable will make any ride a more pleasant experience for you and your passengers. And as proven above, keeping it squeaky clean isn’t as expensive as it seems.
