I will admit the interior of our car is sadly neglected when it comes to cleaning. We watch our neighbour enthusiastically clean their cars inside and out, but rarely does it get me fired up to do the same. Which is gross because with THREE kids using the car it is pretty disgusting in there. However, your car is one of your biggest investments and expenses and cleaning inside and out is one way of making sure you car runs well and stays with you for a long time. We also have noted that we are warm weather car washers…..who isn’t?
I have been lucky enough to test drive and review Hyundai vehicles and am now part of their ‘Drive Squad.’ This month the Hyundai Drive Squad is here to help spring into SPRING cleaning your vehicle. Get your rubber gloves out; here are some helpful tips for car spring cleaning:
1) Say goodbye to salt-stained carpets: After a long winter, your car’s carpets are likely to have white stains from road salt. Remove them by using water mixed with white vinegar and scrub the tough stains with an old rag or brush.
2) Wax every season: Each winter season, your car’s paint colour is dulled by the elements and picks up scratches, so keep it looking clean and new with a liquid spray wax.
3) Out with the dirt in with the clean: Get out your vacuum to suck up all the dirt and dust in the small corners of your vehicle. Remember to put your seats down to get between the cracks and also vacuum all the cup holders throughout your vehicle as these areas collect dirt, too!
4) It’s called washing your car, not your dishes: Never use dish soap to clean your vehicle as it will dull and scratch the protective clear coat off your car. Try using Meguiar’s Gold Class Car Wash Shampoo and Conditioner.
5) Put a break on your brake dust: Get rid of that reddish, brown coloured powder on your wheels caused by normal brake wear. Wipe down your wheels with a cleaning solution safe for alloy wheels (available at any hardware store) and address those hard-to-reach places in between the wheel’s spokes with a scrub brush or rag.
6) Take a load off: Do you use your car as a storage unit? Be sure to empty out your trunk and back seats of all your winter build up. Removing unnecessary weight also improves fuel efficiency and your car’s handling!
7) What’s happening under the hood? Cars need a ‘medical’ check-up, too! Every spring, it is a good idea to take your vehicle in for a quick under-the-hood inspection and get an oil change, filter replacement and tire rotation.
8) Freshen up: After you are finished cleaning your car, add your favourite smelling air freshener to keep your car smelling clean and fresh all spring and summer!
To kick start your vehicle spring cleaning, we are offering a giveaway (valued at over $50) – The ultimate spring cleaning kit for your car, including:
- Scrub brushes
- Turtle Wax ICE Synthetic Spray Wax
- Meguiar’s Hot Rims Wheel Cleaner
- Meguiar’s Gold Class Car Wash
- Air Fresheners
Disclosure: “I am part of the Hyundai Drive Squad program, a program that offers the chance to test drive Hyundai vehicles, and provide vehicle tips and tricks for the road, as well as the inside scoop to some of Hyundai’s amazing initiatives. From cleaning, to safety, to fun activities, and giving back to the community.” @HyundaiCanada #HyundaiDriveSquad.
Embarrassingly enough, my car is always a mess both inside and out! I’m always running errands and hauling the kids around so it gets messy and after I finish cleaning the house the last thing I want to do is go outside and wash the car too. Lucky for me, a messy car drives my husband batty so when he borrowed my car this weekend, he was so frustrated with the mess that he ended up taking it to the car wash. He washed it, wiped down the inside and vacuumed it out. My kids couldn’t stop exclaiming about how clean it was this morning!
It is a mess lol We have what seems like a full closet of coats and sweaters in the back seat, salt stains on the floor and a thick layer of winter dust on everything else haha
This inside of my car is brutal. Cheerios, fingerprints and mud…everywhere!
OMG – it’s horrible! I need to clean it out, vacuum and wash it because it is disgusting after this winter!
My car isn’t too bad. It isn’t even a year old yet so I have been pretty attentive to it so far!
One of the little known secrets of non-parents is that once having kids, your car will never be clean again. Spare sippy cups, water pants, random toys and a special blanket all prevent it!
It is pretty clean right now because we took all the winter stuff out of it.
My car is relatively tidy inside but could use a cleaning and a vacuuming.
Our car interior neds a spring clean. Quite a bit of dust on the dash!
The interior of my car is a mess!! I have yet to clean it after our brutal winter…there’s salt everywhere on the carpet, loose leaf tea that spilled between the seats in the back and dust. The thing needs a good clean and vacuum.
My floor mats are caked in mud! I’m waiting for my hubby to come home and clean them, lol.
I just cleaned out all the winter junk and garbage from inside my car but it needs a good bath inside and outside
Our car interior is spotless right now, as we only just bought it three days ago.
Mine has a funky smell like dirty socks. I’m hoping to clean it next week, and take it in to get the carpets shampooed.
Mine looks fairly tidy but it smells a little (okay, a LOT) like wet animals…
I just vacuumed out my car, so now it looks much nicer.
My car just needs vacuuming from dirt and maybe food crumbs.
It is really clean as we did spring cleaning in the car!
There are some food crumbs from eating pizza today.