Why do you need car cleaning hacks? Because you don’t want to pay $50 to have someone finally get the bumper sticker residue off or your bumper.
Because you’re in your car every single day you might not notice some of the dirtiness it has picked up over time.
Unfortunately, just going to the gas station and using the quick vac isn’t going to get everything the way you want it.
Sometimes you need to use some car cleaning hacks to really get down and dirty so that’s what we have for you here.
Super Awesome Car Cleaning Hacks Anyone Can Do
Now you might be scared of the term “hack”. This just means that you are going to use some unconventional methods to clean your car.
Instead of water and soap, you’re going to use the conditioner for your hair.
Weird things like that.
Hacks!
1. Clean Foggy Headlights With Toothpaste
Image credit goes to How to Get Rid Of.
Foggy headlights might be something you don’t even notice but overtime your headlights develop this yucky residue which means you can’t blind people passing you as easily as you’d like.
Soap and water sometimes just won’t get the job done so you’ll have to use toothpaste.
You’re also going to want to use some microfiber cloths for this. They are great for this type of detail work.
Apparently, if it’s good enough for your teeth then it’s good enough for your headlights.
2. Don’t Want to Use Toothpaste? Use Baby Oil Instead
Image courtesy of How to get rid of.
Toothpaste might be a little too extreme for some of you. That’s understandable because it isn’t cheap!
If you don’t want to go the toothpaste route then you can switch it up for baby oil.
When you’re done washing your headlights, grab some baby oil, put it on a microfiber cloth and wipe the headlights till they look brand new.
3. Dust With a Coffee Filter
Image courtesy of The Crazy Coupon Lady.
If you’re old school and happen to have coffee filters in your house, then you can use them to wipe that annoying dust off your dashboard.
Why do they work so well?
Because coffee filters are lint-free material so you won’t wipe and cause even more of a mess.
Even if you don’t drink coffee what’s the harm in buying a cheap pack of coffee filters that will last you years in your battle against dust.
4. Remove Dead Bugs From Your Grille With Dryer Sheets
Image courtesy of The Krazy Coupon Lady.
When I lived in Florida, Spring time was the worst because of the love bugs. If you don’t know what those are they are little black flying bugs that are able to attach to each other and they just fly the perfect height to get stuck on the front of your car.
I don’t know why they do this, maybe it’s a weird mating ritual. A suicide pact if you will but they are annoying and they seem like they are impossible to get off.
But they aren’t.
Good ol’ dryer sheets to the rescue with this one.
5. Create Your Own Air Freshener with Clothespins
Image courtesy of The Krazy Coupon Lady.
Admittedly, this one is a bit clunky but keep a clean car isn’t always about elegance.
And besides, doesn’t it seem like those stupid air fresheners that hang from your mirror last just 3 days?
It’s like you can sniff all of the odor from them instantly!
If you want to have a bit more variety of aromas in your life then put a few drops of your favorite essential oil onto a clothespin and stick it on your AC vent.
Who wouldn’t want Pumpkin Spice year round in their car?
6. Clean Your Vents with a Foam Brush
Image courtesy of The Krazy Coupon Lady.
If I had a nickel for every time I got my fingers stuck in my car vents trying to clear the dust with a paper towel then I would be able to get a gum ball.
There is an easier way to clean the AC vents of your car so you aren’t inhaling dust mites every road trip and that is by using a craft foam brush.
These are really handy to have everywhere. House, car, Yacht, and probably on Mars.
7. Use This 2 Ingredient Carpet Stain Remover
Image courtesy of Kids Activities Blog.
If you get the carpets in your car dirty then you can’t just simply vacuum them. You need to get the soap out and really get to scrubbing but sometimes those stains seem like they just aren’t going to come out.
What do you do?
You make your own super-powered soap.
Use bottle of hydrogen peroxide that is 1/3 full. If you have a full bottle, either pour some of it out, or use another dark colored bottle. Any clear or semi-translucent bottles will break down the hydrogen-peroxide neutralizing the cleaner.
Fill the bottle the remaining 2/3 of the way full of water. Add 5 drops of lemon essential oil. Shake lightly.
The peroxide breaks down stains and the lemon oil helps release sticky particles.
8. Use Baking Soda to Get Sparkling Hubcaps
This tip comes to us courtesy of Popsugar.
Simply mix one-half cup baking soda, one tablespoon dish soap, and two cups warm water in a small bowl. Use a soft sponge or towel to wash and gently scrub the tires and hubcaps. Spray with water and your car is ready for road tripping.
9. Use a Hair Dryer to Remove Bumper Stickers
I didn’t even know bumper stickers were still a thing but apparently, they are. Maybe you went through a bumper sticker phase and it’s time to change things up or up the resale value of your car so you want to get them remove.
They don’t come off easily.
They do come off easily if you use a hair dryer, though.
10. Clean Your Dashboard with Olive Oil
Sometimes you don’t want to use chemicals to clean and that is perfectly understandable.
Did you know you can put together a pretty solid cleaning solution for your dashboard with olive oil?
Mommy Footprint has more details for you.
11. Remove Pet Hair With Spray Bottle and Squeegee
If you love taking your pets for joy rides then you know how annoying it can be to get their hair stuck in your seats. That stuff doesn’t come out!
It builds a city, plants a flag and then seems to spread around. Before you know it you have Pet Hair Metropolis in your back seat.
Thank goodness for this awesome hack of getting the hair out of your seats. You just need a spray bottle of water and a squeegee.
Pretty damn simple.
12. Clean Your Mats With Your Washing Machine
All Things Thrifty coming through with this awesome tip.
All you need to do is spray your mats with some homemade stain remover and then throw the mats into the washer.
That’s it.
13. Smell Fresh With Baking Soda Air Freshener
Is there anything more powerful than baking soda and essential oils?
Okay, there are probably a lot of things more powerful but when you combine them you can create a pretty fantastic air freshener for your car.
Check out Jen and Joey Go Green for more details on this chemical-free way to keep your car smelling fresh.