Jul 6, 2017

5 Top Tips to Keep Your Toyota Cleaner For Longer - Charlotte, NCIf your car seems like a moving pile of dirt and grime even if you cleaned it a few days ago, don’t worry. You can make it look great again. Then, use these five top tips to keep your car cleaner for longer.

Don’t Park Under Trees

Trees add shade in summer, keeping your car from being burning hot when you get in. Unfortunately, they also shed leaves or pine needles and sap. A bird could even perch on a tree and leave a disgusting present on your car.

Get a Car Cover

If you don’t have a garage, a car cover will protect your vehicle from snow, rain, dirt, and dust. You’ll have to remember to put it on when you come home, but you won’t have to wash your car as often. Also, neighborhood cats and other animals won’t be able to walk all over your car, leave footprints, and damage the finish with their claws.

Keep Your Interior Organized

Use collapsible bins to keep groceries and other items in your trunk neat, and use color-coded pouches to keep insurance information, hand sanitizer, tissues, and other necessities in your glove box. Add a back-seat organizer for kids’ items like toys, hair ties, snacks, and electronic games. You can also use a plastic shower organizer. Make sure you keep a garbage bag or an old plastic grocery bag in your car for trash and make an effort to change it when you go somewhere. Otherwise, it will all end up on the floor. For more ideas, check out Good Housekeeping.

Always Have Cleaning Products Ready

A lot of the hassle of cleaning when someone spills a drink or gets mud in your car comes from going inside your house and climbing to a top shelf or the back of a cabinet for a cloth and cleaning supplies. To avoid this, keep a microfiber cloth and a can of spray car wash in your car. That way, you can take care of any minor bits of grime as they appear. You can also prevent water spots by drying your car as soon as it rains.

Use Wax

The paint on cars is more durable than in the 1960s and 1970s, but wax can still add extra protection from rain, snow, dirt, and pollution and make your car shinier. First, wash your car and use a pre-wax cleaner to deep clean the paint and remove the last of your previous coat of wax. Then, apply the new wax with a damp cloth or an applicator from the manufacturer. Wait a few minutes, and then use a microfiber cloth to buff your car.

Natural wax usually lasts about three months, while synthetic wax lasts six to nine months. For extra shine, you can apply a second coat of wax after the first coat dries in 12 to 28 hours.

Make sure your car stays clean to help retain its value, make driving more fun, and prevent embarrassment when you have passengers. With a clean car, you also won’t lose items under your seats or have to worry about bad smells from trash or dirt on your clothes.

 

Image by PIVISO, Licensed via CC0 1.0