Our cars, just like most of us, have spent the past few months in lockdown. For quite some time now, they have been sitting in the garage, and perhaps untouched just gathering dust.
Toyota Australia has teamed up with a Melbourne Mum/Cleaning Expert, Chantel Mila, to create a list of DIY car cleaning hacks so you don’t even have to leave your driveway in order to get your car looking utterly perfect. Ready for when we can all get back out on the road to simply enjoy a drive like this road trip I took with my family to Wombeyan Caves in a Toyota LC200 a couple of years ago.
1. Make your car headlights sparkle
Headlights can get foggy, especially if your car is sitting in a garage for a long time. Thankfully, you already have the simple ingredients to make them sparkle again! Cut a lemon in half and dip it in bicarb soda (aka baking soda). Rub it on your foggy headlights. You’ll see the effect instantly – the citric acid in the lemon and gentle abrasion of the bicarb soda leaves headlights sparkling. Simply rinse with water to reveal your clean headlights.
2. The trick to keep your windscreen cleaner for longer
Say goodbye to dirty windscreens! Mix 1 cup white vinegar with a tablespoon of dishwashing liquid. Apply this mixture on your windscreens with a squeegee. Leave for a few minutes before rinsing off. This mixture is powerful at cleaning even the dirtiest of windows. Bonus tip: apply a protector like Rain-x to keep your windscreens shining for longer!
3. Embrace the power of slime!
Kids are obsessed with slime, but it turns out it actually has a great purpose to help you clean your car interiors! Because of its texture, it can sneak into small crevices to pick up dust and crumbs. It’s sticky enough to pick up small particles, but doesn’t leave a residue on your car interior. Simply press it against your cupholders, air vents and dashboard and you’ll be shocked at how much it can pick up!
I would trial this idea before attempting to use it on your car as not all slimes are created equal.
4. Take the dirty work out of kids car seats
The area around the kids car seats can be a constant mess! If you find yourself constantly cleaning this area, try lining the seats with towels that match your car interior. Instead of vacuuming up the kids’ mess, you can simply switch out the towel with a fresh one as it gets dirty.
This is also a great idea if your child is prone to car sickness as it is much easier to wash a towel rather than fully stripping a car seat and cleaning its multitude of cracks and crevices!
5. Clean cup holders with ease
Car cup holders can be difficult to clean. You can place silicone cupcake liners at the bottom of your cupholders to catch dirt and mess. Simply pop them in the dishwasher to clean and replace them!
Follow Chantel Mila on Instagram for more cleaning hacks and Toyota Australia for their latest news on new models and deals.
Main photograph supplied.