EXPERTS have shared a list of 10 spring cleaning hacks you can use to make your motor shine after winter – including a 29p household item that can work wonders on your windows.
Dirt and grime can easily accumulate over the colder, wetter months and as we move into Spring, it’s a great opportunity to brighten up your car.
GettyExperts have shared 10 hacks for spring cleaning your car[/caption]
Thankfully, specialists from leasing firm Vanarama were on hand with their top cleaning tips.
Pet problems
For pet owners, a tangled mess of animal hair is a common sight, especially on upholstered car seats.
While it may seem like you have to struggle to heave your vacuum cleaner around the vehicle, there is actually an easier way.
It turns out that, according to Vanarama, the rubber strip on a standard bathroom squeegee works a treat for grabbing up all that fur.
Just run it along your carpets and seats to mass all the hair together and then hoover up the result in one easy ball.
Ear ear
You might be more familiar with Q-tips as a cheap, disposable tool fo getting wax out of your ears.
But they are also great for cleaning out some of the hard-to-reach nooks and crannies in your motor.
Specifically, you can use them to wipe dust, pollution and pollen out of the air vents after it has been sucked through when you put the heater on in the winter.
This can help hayfever and asthma sufferers by keeping the air coming into the car clean.
Best of all, you can find a bag of 200 Q-tips online for as a little as a pound – so you’ll almost never run out.
Motor fairy
Another favourite household item that can have a handy application to your car is basic washing up liquid.
It’s ideal for getting dirt and stains off leather upholstery without much scrubbing.
Just mix a small amount with some warm water and apply it with a soft cloth, wiping away the grime.
Rise and shine
While things are brightening up, the nights are still coming in relatively early, with plenty of motorists left in the dark on their way home from work.
Winter can be a major season for headlights dimming, as dirt builds up on the bulbs.
Nobody wants to be left relying on what seems like candles in a jam jar on a dark residential road, so cleaning them is a real must.
Thankfully, this can be done with something everyone has – toothpaste.
Use an old toothbrush or soft cloth to apply to layer of the minty stuff to your tired headlights and wipe it away to reveal the gleaming glass.
Close shave
And toothpaste isn’t the only morning essential that can make a difference.
Shaving foam is surprisingly good at removing stains from upholstered seats.
If you want to be shocked, try this after you’ve already hoovered to see how much more dirt appears
Simply spray some on the seats, rub it in with your hands or a brush and then use a damp cloth to wash it off.
A fabric vacuum can be handy for removing some of the excess moisture, but isn’t vital.
Good vibes
One of the team’s more unconventional hacks made use of a less common household item.
If you happen to have a massage gun lying around, it can actually have a nifty use in your motor.
You can use the vibration it creates to throw up hidden dust from your floor mats to get them extra clean.
Vanarama added: “If you want to be shocked, try this after you’ve already hoovered to see how much more dirt appears.”
Window wonder
If your windows are looking smeared and greasy, you may well have something in your kitchen cupboards that can solve it.
Vinegar is a favourite of cleaning whizzes like Mrs Hinch thanks to its stain-removing acidity.
But wiping down your windows with a small amount of it before rinsing off with clean water can help leave them streak-free.
Perfect for parents whose little ones find a way to get their sticky fingers all over the glass.
Plus it only costs about 29p online.
Easy access
The problem with car cleaning is that there are so many areas that are hard to get at with your sponge or scrubbing brush.
Dashboard crevices, the central console and in between and under the seats are all problem areas.
So why not try using a paint brush to sweep crumbs and debris out of small gaps with ease?
Pop out
Speaking of those tight spaces, it can be a nightmare to clean out cup holders, especially if you’ve spilled anything in there
To make life easier, it’s a good idea to line the holders with a silicone mould, for example a cupcake mould, which can catch spills, crumbs and other detritus.
Then, when you want to clean them, you can just pop them out and wash them in the sink before replacing them.
Oil of life
Dashboards are a lot like people really – in that putting one on the Mediterranean diet could help it live longer.
Olive oil is a kitchen essential in today’s Britain and, while it tastes great, it can also be a helpful cleaning product.
If your dash is looking a bit run down, apply a few drops of olive oil to a soft cloth and wipe it down to give it some shine.
Just make sure not to use too much and make it look greasy – a little bit goes a long way.
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