Cleaning the car or any type of vehicle isn’t as easy as it sounds. In fact, it’s one of the most labor-intensive tasks involved in car maintenance. There are a lot of areas to clean, including its interiors, exteriors, and underside. When done correctly, nothing beats the feeling of a freshly cleaned car and a vehicle that looks almost brand new.
The same goes for preventative maintenance to avoid unexpected accidents and vehicle breakdowns that can potentially happen at any time. For example, those who own a luxury vehicle such as a Subaru car are willing to spend for Subaru repair and maintenance to keep the car in working order. There are professional car mechanics that offer the best prices.
Maintaining the cleanliness of a car isn’t won’t only make it look good, but a well-maintained car ensures the driver and passengers’ health, well-being, and safety. It also increases its perceived value, which you may find useful if you’re planning to sell it and earn more money from it.
Our vehicles are full of little places that we know exist, but neglect to clean. We spend a lot of time and effort cleaning a car, but there will be some spots that always escape from getting cleaned. Here, we’ll be taking a look at the common spots inside a car that many forget to give some TLC.
Glove compartment
The glove compartment or glovebox is that one place where we keep most of our belongings, particularly documents, car manuals, receipts, tokens, and other essential stuff. It’s small enough to serve as miscellaneous storage that we tend to take advantage of it to prevent losing things inside the car. Meanwhile, others develop a habit of using it as a trash bin or dumping ground, from food wrappers, paper, and full-on litter.
The sad thing is, the more we load it, the more we forget about cleaning it. If it’s full of important stuff, we often feel lazy to fish out all items and browse through each of them. That’s why others would rather leave it alone and clean other areas that are more visible.
The glovebox needs to stay tidy, organized, and clean at all times. Failure to clean it will only accumulate dirt, dust, and contaminants, making it the perfect breeding ground for bacteria and germs. The last thing you want is to have the car risking you and your passengers’ health and safety.
Carpets
We’re not talking about the obvious parts of your carpet. We’re referring to the area below the floor mat. The carpeting is full of nooks and crannies, which serves as a magnet for different kinds of junk, dust, dirt, and gross smells. Although they’re visible in daylight, these wayward specks shine like disco balls at night.
Pull the mats up and pay attention to the areas below the backseat and pedals. Scrub the area beneath the carpet using a deodorizing foam and professional carpet cleaner. There are plenty of car carpet cleaners available on the market with thorough deep cleaning power that will lose all the grime and eliminate the nasty funk.
Trunk
Drivers have a habit of cleaning only the areas that encounter lots of foot traffic. But little did we know that even the deepest and darkest places accumulate serious dust and dirt on their own. This includes the car trunk where we keep our purchases, luggage, and gym equipment. When left unchecked, the trunk becomes the dirtiest area of the vehicle without proper cleaning.
Often, the carpet of the truck is the only part that gets enough attention, but be sure to check beneath the spare tire lid because it’s where dirt, moisture, and dirt easily build up. This is very important if you used the spare tire or encountered a vehicular accident.
Cupholders
Imagine this: your car hits a pothole very hard and a fountain of soda spills all over the center console. You think it’s fine while giving yourself a mental note that you’ll clean the cup holder if you have the time. What you’re not aware of is that ignoring the leftovers of a spilled drink will leave the cup holders with certain stickiness that emits an awful smell.
Most cars have a rubber liner included on the cupholders that are removable. All you have to do is simply pop them off, hand wash using a multipurpose cleaner, and wipe the area using a wet sponge. If you don’t have one, you can buy or make your own. You can also try rubber muffin holders or other alternatives. Just be sure not to drive around with naked cupholders.
Car cleaning is an incredibly challenging task that requires patience and guidance. Combined with the right tools and techniques, all the neglected places will get the attention they deserve. So pay extra attention to these overlooked areas to keep your car always smelling, looking, and feeling brand new.