8 steps to clean your car using common household items

The tools you need are all lying around your household. Of course, we all come to a point in our life that we can't treat our car for a trip to the car wash. No judgments, it really does happen not just sometimes while owning your car, of course, we all want to maintain our car's appearance as much as we could.

Washing your car isn't just to make it sparkling but also to protect our vehicle and prevent further wearing and tearing. To these, you would need the right tool and inform yourself of other important things that you should know when washing your car. Read on the tips from Philkotse.com on how you can use common household items like a car cleaning agent. 

Step 1. Wash off the car exterior

For this step, you would need a hose or a bucket. I’m pretty sure you have one of these at home. You would also need a sponge. Use a separate and new sponge for your car and not the same one you use to wash dishes.

Rinse your car exterior thoroughly using a hose or a bucket. This will lubricate the dirt and debris that dry up. Using a soft sponge, scrub the exterior carefully so you won’t scratch your car. Make sure you scrub the exterior to remove excess dirt and make your next step easier.

Rinse your car exterior thoroughly using a hose or a bucket

Step 2. Make a mixture

Nothing complicated and the ingredients are easy to find. For this step, you only need one cup of baking soda to one gallon of hot water.

This mixture is for removing salts and grime in your car. Yes, you can remove them without using any chemicals. Well, you should not experiment on any chemical at home that you think can help you remove salts and grimes. You might harm yourself and the paint of your car in doing so. Hot water and baking soda is your safest bet.

Hot water and baking soda is your safest bet

>>> Read more: 8 useful things for your DIY car wash.

Step 3. Wash your car

You would need a brush with stiff -brushes, buckets, soap or shampoo, sponge and water. Your soap should be based on vegetable oil. The shampoo is also ideal to use. You can also use baby shampoos as they are gentle and won’t harm the paint of your car.

Mix 2 teaspoon of shampoo in 2 gallons or 7.6 L of water. Use a sponge or a soft cloth when scrubbing your car. You should be gentle while doing this because there might be debris that was not removed when you first rinse your car’s exterior. The stiff-bristled brush is for your tires and wheels.

Mix 2 teaspoon of shampoo in 2 gallons or 7.6 L of water

Step 4. Rinse your car’s exterior

In this step, you would need a spray bottle, vinegar, and water. But first off, rinse your car thoroughly from the soaps and other ingredients with water using a hose or a bucket.

Second, make a mixture of vinegar and water with a ratio of 3:1 using a spray bottle. Spray it on your car's exterior with the help of the newspaper and expect your car to dry without streaks.

>>> Also read: 7 surprising uses of vinegar for car cleaning.

Step 5. Cleaning your window

You can make a window cleaner using this thing inside your homes such as one cup water, half cup vinegar and a quarter cup of alcohol. Use a spray bottle so you could apply the solution easily.

Mix the ingredients all together in a spray bottle and shake them gently. Use this solution with newspaper or microfiber towels. This is absorbent and won't leave lint and streaks on your window.

Use a spray bottle so you could apply the solution easily

Tip 1: wipe your windows from top to bottom so it won't leave you with drip marks and trails.

Tip 2: use two rags, one for wiping off the grimes and the other one for drying.

Step 6. Bug splatter in your windows and windshield

Using vinegar and simply wipe it. If it is stubborn let the vinegar soak the stain before wiping it off.

>>> Check out: Tips & tricks to get bugs and tar off your car.

Step 7. Windshield wipers

There is nothing much you need for this, just rubbing alcohol and rag. Wet yours with rubbing alcohol, hold the wiper and pull the rug between the rubber edges of the wiper blade.

Step 8. Clean your interior

Wipe off the entire surface in your car interior with a wet rag. This is to remove excess dirt from your car’s interior and won't spread in other parts of your car.

Stains - Toothpaste is great for removing stains in your leathers and vinyl seats. All you have to do is scrub the toothpaste gently in the affected area. If the toothpaste did not work swap to rubbing alcohol and rub it on the stains.

Toothpaste is great for removing stains in your leathers and vinyl seats

Notes: Test all items in a small hidden area before going all out. And if you apply too much alcohol it will be harsh and bleach your stains.

Mixture for your interior

For this mixture, you are going to use an equal part of water and rubbing alcohol. Mix the solution in a spray bottle. You can spray this on a hard surface. Wipe it with used fabric softener sheets so there would be no lint left behind.

You can also make a solution containing one part vinegar and one part linseed oil. This is another mixture of dirt and grime. Plus, it gives leather seats a shine.

Wipe it with used fabric softener sheets so there would be no lint left behind

Smells

We all know that one of the uses of baking soda is to absorb odors. Yes, it is effective even inside your car. You can put baking soda in your car ashtray and let it absorb odor. It will also keep your car fresh.

Glove box

Use disinfectant wipes when cleaning your glove box to clear out dust, spoiled stains from the leftover snack you stored and molds.

You are going to make a mixture of one part fresh lemon juice and two parts olive oil in a small bowl. Do not use this on anything you use in driving. Dab a small amount on your clean cloth and rub the mixture on your dashboard, plastic and vinyl surface, definitely Will give you a shine.

Vacuum

Use a vacuum thoroughly for excess specks of dirt on your floor and pick all your dirt and garbage as this might accumulate molds, smells, and stains.

Use a vacuum thoroughly for excess specks of dirt on your car

Grease and stains

This mostly applies in a fabric material of your car, sprinkle cornstarch and for 30 minutes then vacuum the cornstarch and check the stain. You can also add some water in cornstarch and make it into a paste. Apply the paste on the stain, let it dry and brush the powder and grease.

The vinegar with mixture also helps in removing stains. Apply the mixture and let it soak in a short time and blot them. If none of this is effective find heavy-duty cleaners that are suited for that kind of stain.

>>> Check out: Must-have equipment to keep your car interior clean & organized.

Heavy-duty cleaner

Mix dish soap with one cup of white vinegar and one cup of club soda. Put them in a spray bottle, spray into the stains, use a brush to scrub the mixture in the stains.

Put them in a spray bottle, spray into the stains, use a brush to scrub the mixture in the stains

Car's air quality

Here is another solution you can make completely at your home.  A  mixture of one cup of water and one tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide in a spray bottle. Shake the solution thoroughly to be mixed properly. You can use this to improve the quality of air from the vent of your car.

These could also be mold and germ-killing spray. Open the doors and windows while your car fans are in full blast and spray the solution in the car's fresh air intake to kill germs and mold in your car.