Easy Car Cleaning Hacks to Save You Money

Mar 26, 2024

It’s National Cleaning Week, and we couldn’t think of a better time of year for that than the beginning days of Spring! We’re shaking out the dust bunnies and clearing out the clutter from our hibernation in our homes, garages, and yes, of course even our cars. Today’s blog is all about sharing some seriously smart cleaning tips and hacks! Our smart car cleaning tricks will keep those dollars in your wallet so you can put more gas in your tank and add more miles to your travel logs. Get ready for road trip season with these professional level clean results on a pauper’s shoestring budget.

Clothing lint rollers can help pick up grit and pet hair from upholstery in seconds. Those dollar store lint rollers will save you time and money between detailing. Use it the same way you would on your clothing, and for the nooks and crannies just give it a few press-and-taps to remove things from the seams.

Condition your vehicle’s leather using olive oil and a microfiber cloth. Of course, it’s nice to use the high-end vehicle conditioners when you have the budget, but if you’re looking to protect and condition for $5 or less, this will do the trick! Add a small amount of olive oil to your microfiber cloth, and gently rub in soft circles to apply the oil into the leather.

Protect your cup holders from sticky mess and melted drinks with cupcake liners. Your local grocery store or dollar store probably sells multipacks of these convenient cupcake and muffin tin liners for a low price! Place a silicone cupcake liner into the bottom of each of your cup holders, and when they get sticky or dirty you can swap them out and pop them out for clean ones, and put the dirty ones in with the dishes. Easy peasy! It’s also great for easily accessing change for tolls or vending machines or air-pumps in a jiffy.

Keep your car fresh and clean the natural way with baking soda and essential oils. Reducing the use of VOCs and other additives in the air can help allergy sufferers greatly during the spring season. Find a small jar that fits inside of your cup holder, and poke a few small holes in the lid; add baking soda and a few drops of your favorite essential oil and mix together. Put the jar in your vehicle and it will absorb odors while releasing a mildly pleasant aroma!

Remove rust with a bottle of Coca Cola and a bit of foil! If you’ve got rust spots on your bumper or other metallic accents on the body, consider a bottle of Coke and a piece of foil. Pour the soda on the rust spot, and gently scrub it with some aluminum foil folded over 3 to 4 times into layers. You’ll notice the rust will begin to flake off! Once it does, you can switch off to a gentle dish sponge. When the rust is removed, grab some gentle soap and clean water and rinse off the sticky pop and remaining debris.

Use a cereal keeper container as a lidded trash can for travel! Forget about those hanging fabric garbage cans, or putting a bin/box on the floor that rolls around as you drive. Grab a budget friendly cereal container with a lid at your local dollar store, and line it with a plastic grocery bag. Place it in the backseat of the car and use it to store your trash while you’re on the go. Makes cleaning easier with nothing sticky left on your floor mats or carpets or tipping over on turns.

Remove dead bugs and insect splats with dryer sheets! No need to gather complicated cleansers or soaps to get those stuck-on nasties off your windshield or bumper. Any brand of dryer sheet will do the trick nicely! Rinse your car with clean water, then grab the damp dryer sheet and simply wipe them away. Rinse with water again and you’re good to go!