There is nothing like getting into a clean car. While you can bring it to a professional and have them clean it for you, it is also something you can do yourself right at home. Whether it is getting the food and crumbs up out of the carpet, or cleaning off the hard surfaces and upholstery, there are some tricks for getting it clean. Here are some tips for cleaning your Toyota like a pro.
Cleaning the Dashboard and Hard Surfaces
To start, run a damp rag over all the hard surfaces of the dashboard and doors to pick up loose dirt and dust. You can then spray some glass cleaner on a clean rag and wipe down the surfaces again to get up anything that lingers behind. Use Q-tips to get in the crevices where the larger rag won’t reach, and if you have leather, use a soft bristled toothbrush to loosen the dirt out of the grain, and then if needed, wipe it down with a cloth. To give the surfaces a finishing touch, spray some vinyl cleaner on another clean cloth and wipe them down to make everything shine.
Cleaning Upholstery
If you have cloth seats, use an upholstery cleaner designed for vehicles to get out any stains. If you have a pet that rides with you and leaves their fur behind, you can use a squeegee and a spray bottle to gather up all the fur. Just spray the water and then run the squeegee along the seats and it will collect all the fur and hair. If your seats are leather, use a leather cleaner or just warm soapy water to clean them up.
The Carpets
Remove all the floor mats and vacuum the carpets underneath them. You can then spray the mats with a stain remover, and if they don’t have a rubber backing, you can even throw them in the washing machine to get them almost as clean as they were when they were new. If you can’t wash them in a machine, use an upholstery cleaner and some elbow grease to get them clean.
The Exterior
When you wash the outside of the car, make sure to use two buckets of water. Put the soap in one, and keep the other filled with clean water. You can then scrub the car with the clean soapy water, and rinse the sponge or cloth in the other bucket to keep the dirt from going back on the car. While you clean the outside, don’t forget to wipe down the windshield wipers, and use dryer sheets to get bugs and grime out of the grille.
The Wheels
Don’t forget to clean the wheels. Use a wheel cleaner to get all the dirt and brake dust off the rims and make them shine. Make sure to do this after you wash the exterior of the car, so the dirty water doesn’t run down on the clean wheels.
Follow these tips to get your Toyota just as clean as a professional would.
Image by Klimkin, used under CCO 1.0