Use a foam paint brush to clean air vents
Squishy foam paint brushes can be used to reach into and help clean your air vents from dust particles and other debris that would otherwise be blown into your face and breathing air. The foam can squeeze through the small vents, and dirt and dust will cling to it, making it an ideal tool for cleaning your air vents and plenty of other areas of the interior of your vehicle.
Remove bug splatter from your windshield and hood with wet dryer sheets
Grossed out by all the bug splatter on your windshield and the hood of your car? It can be tough to scrape and wash all those little guys off, but a simple trick that works amazingly well is to use wet dryer sheets as washcloth to remove them. They'll come right off! Also, if you're planning a trip to Northern Michigan, you may want to use this tip after the trip as well!
Clean your floor mats
Vacuuming only does so much to clean your carpeted floor mats, and they can get pretty gross. A professional auto dealer can clean them properly for you, but why do that when you can clean them at home? Start by taking your floor matts out of the vehicle, spray stain remover on them, and then toss them in the washing machine with laundry detergent. Put the washer settings on gentle, and let it run. When you pull them out, they look as clean as the day you bought the car!
Use a squeegee & water to remove dog hair from seats
There's a better way to remove all of that pesky dog hairs from your seats and interior than vacuuming or using a lint roller. Use a spray bottle of water to spray the surfaces of your seats, and then use a hand squeegee to pull the dog hair up. You'll be amazed on how much better this method is a picking up clingy dogs hairs quickly.
Clean your windshield wipers to improve their capability
Here's another clever trick to clean a vehicle component that will in-turn improve you driving and safety on the road. When your windshield wipers start to smear water across your windshield and leave gunky, slimey streaks its time to clean them off. Simply wipe down your wipers with generous amounts of rubbing alcohol and let them dry. This won't keep your wipers working perfectly forever, but it will extend their lifespan considerably.
Use a thin cloth covering a flathead screwdriver to clean small cracks
There's plenty of smalls cracks and crevices that accumulate dust, dirt, and grime in your vehicle. Unfortunately they're usually very hard to vacuum out or reach with a regular rag. The perfect way to clean clean out those hard to reach places is by covering a flathead screwdriver with a thin cloth and running it through the cracks and crevices. It may take some time to clean all over, but it will make your car look brand new. Q-tips and toothbrushes are also a good alternative!
Clean up crayon, melted wax, and other sticky messes with a clothes iron and newspaper
Seemingly impossible-to-clean-up sticky messes like crayons or melted wax are actually very simple to clean up on virtually any surface. All you need is a clothes iron and some newspaper. Simply turn on the iron and put lay the newspaper over the mess, then apply the iron to the newspaper directly over the spot of the mess and it will heat the residue up until its a liquid and soaks right into the newspaper. Remove the newspaper and voilà, good as new!
Purchase some air fresheners for the long drive
Long car rides can naturally get stuffy and smelly, so it's worth purchasing air fresheners either to hang from your rear view mirror or to plug into your air vents. They will help keep your ride nice and pleasant.
Use fitted sheets on the seats, under dogs and car seats
To keep you young kids and dogs from spilling, making messes, and shedding on your seats, cover the seats with fitted bed sheets to save yourself the clean up!
So if you're heading out of town this weekend, use our 9 tips to help clean your car before a road trip. It will make your trip all the more enjoyable to start out fresh and clean! Additionally, make sure to keep your vehicle running in top shape before your road trip as well by following our Summer Car Care tips or scheduling an appointment at our Graff Chevrolet Durand Service Center to get any maintenance you need done.
Located at 9009 East Lansing Road in Durand, MI 48429, Hank Graff Chevrolet Durand wants to revolutionize your car buying experience. We’ll bring all the transparency and customer satisfaction you need while making the buying experience fun! If you have any questions be sure to contact us at (989) 288-2657 or head over to our website at www.GraffChevyDurand.com! We are proud to serve Durand and the surrounding communities of Owosso, Flint, Genesee Charter Township, Swartz Creek, and Corunna.
