Ensuring that your car is properly cleaned is one of the basic responsibilities of being a responsible car owner. Most car owners understand that handwashing their car is the best way to ensure it’s as clean as possible, but all the care in the world becomes moot if you’re not thorough. Consider these important places to clean in your car that often get neglected as an oversight.
The Wheels
The wheels are often the dirtiest spot on cars, as they are in closest contact with the ground and all its dirt, grime, and debris. Most car owners will give their wheels a rinse or only clean the surface, but they need to really get into the nooks and crannies to clear build-ups of grime from within the wheel. To do this without mangling your hand, you should use a specialty wash mitt that will make it easier to get into those tight spots and provide a better clean.
Interior Carpets
Even if you have protective mats in place, the carpet of a car is the perfect place for all sorts of dirt and germs to get caught. Between the nooks and crannies of your car and all manner of germs and bacteria being brought into the car via dirty shoes, it won’t be long until you’ve got all sorts of junk staining the carpets and trapping nasty odors. Use a deodorizing foam to clean these carpets and refresh the interior.
The Headliner
The headliner or roof of your car is an equally important place to clean in your car for reasons similar to the carpet. This area is often missed just because no one ever really thinks about the ceiling of their car. I mean, when was the last time you even looked at it? To rid the headliner of stains and odors, you should use an upholstery cleaner rather than the deodorizing foam you used on the carpet. An upholstery cleaner will be much gentler, which is important since the headliner is a soft fabric that will retain moisture and potentially add new stains if you’re not careful.
The Trunk
Since the trunk only ever carries your luggage, you may give it little mind in terms of cleanliness. However, just as much dirt and grime can accumulate within it as in other areas of your car. Whether germs are brought in with bags, dirt is spilled, or food from transporting groceries or plants sullies the area, the trunk can quickly become a petri dish. Luckily, the carpet back there is much tougher than the rest of the car’s carpet and can be simply scrubbed clean.