Four Ways To Make Your Car Look Like New!

One of THE most requested CMS videos and in-depth articles is ‘how to clean your car’. Since we know that it will take a good amount of time and resources to create this full video (which we don’t yet have), I wanted to provide you a quick “cliffs note” version of four handy car cleaning tips which are simple, easy and will only take minutes to do. And the best part is, you don’t need to purchase any specialty cleaning products; just make a quick pit stop in your kitchen.

Check out our article Car Interior Cleaning: The Ultimate Guide and get your car ready for those fun summer roadtrips!

Cleaning Toothbrush Interior Detailer

Let’s start on the inside, a place I know can get crusty and crumby all too easily.  As if I haven’t given you enough reasons to not throw away old toothbrushes, here’s yet another one.  Old toothbrushes (that have been cleaned of course), make perfect interior car detailers!   Use this trusted little cleaning tool to tackle all the nooks and crannies in your car’s interior – including the vents, knobs, buttons and even the little cracks and seams!  Start at the top of the car and work your way to the bottom (i.e. start with the dashboard, then move to the vents, then the steering wheel, then the console, etc.).  Simply brush debris out with the dry toothbrush and let everything fall to the ground or a lower surface. You’ll vacuum that up later.

 DIY Wheel and Tire Cleaner

You car has to look equally gorgeous on the outside as it does on the inside. Even after I leave the car wash, I am underwhelmed by how my tires and rims look.  Now trust me when I tell you, I had to see this one to believe it, but once I saw the light, I knew then and there I didn’t need to buy tire or rim cleaner ever again! I am yet again, amazed, at what simple blue Dawn can do.

All you have to do is mix up about a teaspoon of blue Dawn and mix it with a gallon – or four liters – of hot water.  Surprised?  Also have another bucket filled with warm, clean water at the ready.  Depending on how hot your water is, you may choose to wear rubber gloves to protect your hands from the heat, your call.  Then, simply dunk a soft sponge (nothing abrasive) in the warm, soapy mixture and then gently squeeze the sponge so it is damp – but not dripping all over – and start cleaning away the grime and grease build-up. Remember to take you time and get into all the nooks and crannies!  You’ll see all of that greasy, dirty grime drip off which is a sweet, sweet feeling (coupled with anger directed toward your local car wash).  As needed, clean your sponge in the ‘clean’ water bucket and get back to it.  You want to clean your sponge every minute or so.  Once the rims and tires have been cleaned, wrap things up by rinsing your wheels with a clean soft cloth and bucket of clean water or with your handy garden hose.  If you are feeling extra fancy, buff the rims dry with a soft cloth.  Enjoy!

When looking for the best cleaning tools, check out Maker’s Clean Products. They provide the best microfiber cloths for all your cleaning needs!

Clean your Windshield Wipers

Few things are more frustrating when in the car than having your wipers creating streaks on your windshield when you driving in the rain, at night.  I mean, it could be worse (it could be snow!), but seriously it’s not only annoying, it’s dangerous.  You need a clear view at all times, and here’s the best little trick to getting your wipers clean so that your windshield will be streak-free.

Grab some rubbing alcohol and a few pieces of paper towel.  Simply take the paper towel and soak it in rubbing alcohol.  Next, flip your wiper upright and pinch the rubbing alcohol soaked paper towel onto the wiper blade, then run it from the top to the bottom.  You can do this every couple of months to ensure your blades are good to go when you need them to be.  Yet again, another amazing use for rubbing alcohol!

Keep Windows Sparkling with Vinegar

Car care product companies aren’t going to like me very much.  There are so many little workarounds you can do on your car with simple household items, and the windows are certainly one of them – no specialty glass-cleaning wipes required!   If it works on virtually every other glass surface, then there’s no reason for it to not completely rule when it comes to cleaning car windows, and it does! If you notice that haze on your interior car window (everyone gets it, not just you), it’s just a combination of all sorts of things.  And if you don’t’ clean it off every now and then, you can literally spell your name in it (come on, you’ve done it before) and it can obstruct your vision.

All I use for this is good ol’ reliable white vinegar.  I just use a flat weave microfiber cloth which leaves no streaks and a mixture of 1 part white vinegar to 1 part water in a spray bottle.  Spray carefully (you don’t want it spritzing everywhere), and wipe the windows using an ‘S’ pattern.  If you don’t have a glass cloth, simple paper towel will work as well!  You can do this for both interior and exterior windows.  Remember to clean your windows LAST – it’s the last job when you’re cleaning your car!  Vinegar, for the win!

So, grab those items and get outside while the weather’s still nice and give your car the ol’ 1-2.  I’d love to know, what’s the area you need the most help with when it comes to car cleaning? Let me know your car cleaning conundrum below!

This blog post has been done as part of a project with our friends at Dawn, in efforts for us to share with you some creative uses for Dawn around the house.

If you want to dig deeper and start taking your cleaning a bit more seriously then check out our E-Book Bundle! Its encompasses 3 fantastic e-books (Complete Guide to Essential Oils, My 3-Wave Cleaning System, 50 DIY Cleaning Recipes) that will get you started in the right direction for any cleaning task!