40 Car Cleaning Hacks from Expert Auto Detailers

Few people would be quoted as saying they love cleaning. It’s a tedious endeavor that leaves you feeling sweaty and gross, and nowhere is this more true than with our automobiles. Cars have so many nooks and crannies that are difficult to reach, but if you miss cleaning them, you can be left with strange odors, unsightly grime, and other unpleasant issues.

Who would’ve thought toothpaste could be as helpful to your car as it is to your pearly whites? The very same ingredients in toothpaste that allow it to freshen up your smile can ensure your lights are always clear and bright.

No one wants to be breathing in dust, mold, and whatever else may have accumulated in those air conditioning vents. Of course, cleaning them isn’t easy as you can’t exactly reach in there. Thankfully, a simple can of compressed air is all you need.

Apparently, all it takes is a simple cloth to remove scratches and stains from your car. The catch is that cloth needs to be made with cutting-edge nanotechnology. Pick yourself up one of these scratch remover cloths, and you can restore the pristine paint job your vehicle came with.

A can of compressed air is a brilliant car cleaning aid that can help you clear all sorts of nooks and crannies in your vehicle. However, if you have particularly clingy dust or grime, you may need to expand your arsenal of auto detailing tools.

Believe it or not, the slime craze isn’t just for kids. It’s for anyone who wants a clean car.

It’s not just toothpaste that can help you put the sparkle back into your car. An old toothbrush should also be an essential part of your car cleaning kit. With this simple, inexpensive tool, you can easily get into the seams and detail of your upholstery, leaving the interior of your car looking fresh and new.

Many of the best cleaning hacks don’t involve cleaning so much as preventing mess in the first place. This is one such hack. To prevent your car from developing any unpleasant odors, use the three items below to create a natural, chemical-free air freshener.

If you thought the last air freshener was easy breezy, you’ll love this one. All you need to do is select your favorite essential oil, add a few drops to a wooden peg, allow it to soak in, and then attach it to one of your air conditioning vents.

Perhaps you’ve picked up a used car at a bargain price, but it’s covered with someone else’s political slogans. Maybe they’re your old stickers, and you’ve just grown out of them. Whatever the case, you can be left with an ugly, sticky, grimy mess if you simply try to peel bumper stickers and decals off.

How frustrating is it when you step out of your car only to discover that there are spots of tar splattered all over it? This is especially annoying when you’ve just gone to the effort of cleaning and polishing the paintwork. Though tar is notoriously difficult to clean off, we have an easy (but surprising) solution – mayonnaise.

Of course, there’s more than just mayo to be amazed by. When it comes to effective car cleaning strategies, there are plenty of unlikely products that can work a treat. Take Armor All wipes, for example.

While it’s important to keep the outside of your windshield clean, it’s equally crucial that you don’t forget about the inside. Though it’s not exposed to the weather outside, the inside of your vehicle has a climate of its own, and sweat, oil, dust, and grime can cling to your windshield, making it difficult to see.

Since we leave them closed up for hours at a time, it’s common for car interiors to cling onto any unpleasant odors they’re exposed to. Maybe you drop a friend home after a particularly sweaty gym session, or perhaps your dog got a bit stinky after a trip to the beach. Whatever is causing the offending odor, baking soda is the answer.

We love a multi-purpose product, and baking soda definitely fits the bill. While you’re waiting for it to absorb unpleasant odors in your car, why not use that box of baking soda to give your rims a makeover?

You could buy a fancy (and expensive) dusting product from your local auto shop, or you could do just as good a job with one of the cheapest items in your kitchen cupboards. That’s right – all you need is a coffee filter.

It’s not just your hair that needs conditioning. Giving the surfaces in your car a conditioning treatment will protect them from the harsh effects of daily exposure to sunlight. All you need is a microfiber cloth and a tub of petroleum jelly.

We adore trees for so many reasons, not the least of which being that they provide us with the oxygen we breathe. However, there’s no denying the fact that it’s a little soul-destroying to return to your car to discover spots of tree sap all over it.

Everyone loves a good road trip – in theory. Once you’re actually out on the road, it can vary from tedious to downright maddening. One of the best ways to beat the boredom and keep everyone happy is to have plenty of food on hand. However, food inevitably leads to mess. Thankfully, we have a neat solution.

If you’re guilty of allowing trash to accumulate in your car, don’t stress – we do the exact same thing! Thankfully, there’s an easy solution. All you need to do is dig up an old cereal container from your cupboard or head to your local dollar store to pick one up.

If you’ve tried the baking soda tip we mentioned earlier, but your car still has a funny odor, it may be time to give the cabin filter a thorough clean. Thankfully, this job is easier than it looks.

Many of us get our news online these days, but now you have a reason to enjoy news reading the old-fashioned way. As it turns out, newspaper is one of the best cleaning tools you could hope to have for your car.

How amazing is it that inexpensive things like coffee filters and newspapers can be such effective cleaning tools? This newspaper hack is designed for those who have old registration stickers cluttering up their windshields.

One of the most difficult spots to keep clean in a car is the cupholders. Not only are they small and hard to get at, but their rounded edges and steep walls make it hard to get a perfectly clean finish. Thankfully, there’s a hack for that.

One of the most difficult spots to keep clean in a car is the cupholders. Not only are they small and hard to get at, but their rounded edges and steep walls make it hard to get a perfectly clean finish. Thankfully, there’s a hack for that.

We love our fur babies, and we’ll never stop taking them on outings to the dog park. However, one thing we do not love is the state they often leave our cars in by the time we get home! We have a simple solution to this furry problem.

While olive oil is a staple in most kitchens, few people think to bust it out when they’re cleaning their cars. As it turns out, this delightful salad dressing ingredient can also do a brilliant job of cleaning your car interiors.

Have you ever had trouble unlocking your car door on a cold winter morning? Though you’d rather be snuggled up in bed, humans sadly don’t hibernate for winter. So if you need to get going, run inside and grab a bottle of hand sanitizer.

Car mats do a wonderful job of keeping your vehicle clean. However, they’re exposed to the worst dirt and grime imaginable, so it’s no surprise that they can end up looking horrendous. If yours could use some TLC, gently pull them out and pop them in the washing machine.

If you have crayon-loving kids or a candle-loving housemate or partner, you may end up in the unenviable position of finding melted wax on your car seats, carpet, or floor mats. If this happens, you’ll need to get yourself an iron, an extension cord, and a sheet of paper.

No one likes stepping into their car everyday to see that same old stain staring back at them. Your car is one of your assets, so if you want to treat it as such, we have good news for you – there’s an easy and affordable way to get rid of those frustrating stains.

You don’t have to fork out for an overpriced polish to get your car looking its best. All you need to create that polished and professional look is a bottle of hair conditioner from your bathroom. Bonus points if you use the free bottles of conditioner you pocket whenever you stay at a hotel!

Wipers are there to clean your windscreen, but that doesn’t mean they don’t need some TLC too! Fail to clean your wipers, and they’ll create a horrendous mess the next time you’re driving in the rain.

Even if you clean your car weekly, it’s easy to overlook certain details. While this isn’t a problem if it happens once in a while, failing to do things like cleaning under the seats can lead to big problems over time.

Since cars regularly travel at high velocity along streets covered in stones, gravel, and other debris, it’s inevitable that you’ll pick up a few chips and scratches. Instead of agonizing over these imperfections, find a bottle of nail polish that perfectly matches your car’s paint job.

If you’ve been unfortunate enough to sustain a dent in the bodywork of your car, you’re likely cringing at the quotes you’ve been given for fixing it. If you’re not yet ready to pay the high price of a professional repair job, consider this easy hack.

No one likes to see scuff marks on their prized possessions, and nowhere is this more true than with your car. To buff out any minor marks on the interior surfaces of your car, add a Magic Eraser to your shopping list.

If you love taking your pup on adventures to the park or the beach and want your fur baby to be as comfortable as possible, it’s worth investing in a good-quality pet hammock for the backseat of your car.

Remember how we recommended wiping your wiper blades with rubbing alcohol to keep them clean? Well, it might be a good idea to keep that bottle of rubbing alcohol in the car. As it turns out, it’s the best tool to help you quickly remove ice buildup from your windscreen.

When it comes to cleaning your car, the only thing more frustrating than tar and tree sap is the endless splatter of bugs that need to be wiped off. Just like tree sap, splattered bugs can wear away your paint job if you don’t clean them off quickly enough, so take this hack to heart!

Now that you’ve armed yourself with a whole host of simple yet powerful car cleaning hacks, it’s time to test them out and find the ones that work best for you and your vehicle. Once you’ve done this, you’ll want to keep them handy – this is where your car cleaning kit comes in.