Here’s Five Tips for Getting Sand Out of Your Vehicle

May 25, 2017

Here's Five Tips for Getting Sand Out of Your Vehicle - Charlotte, NC If you are an adventure seeker and love hitting the beach on four wheels, you might have come across a common problem: sand in your vehicle. Sand can damage the paintwork and the moving parts of your Toyota as well, and it is extremely hard to eliminate. Below you will find some tips on how to get sand out of your vehicle and protect it from damage.

1. Sand in the Interior: The Hard Bit

If sand is not removed immediately from the carpet and upholstery of your car, it becomes almost impossible to remove. The best cure is — of course — prevention, and you can do it by sitting on a blanket or chair and removing the sand from your clothes before sitting in the car. However, this is not always possible. The best option is to clean the car immediately using a car hoover and follow up the procedure with a damp microfiber cloth. Sand, however, can also get into the narrow gaps in the car’s interior, including cup holders. Use q-tips or similar tools to clean around hard-to-reach edges.

2. Shake It Out

As soon as you arrive home from the beach, make sure you remove all the seat protectors and mats and give them a good shaking out. If necessary, you can still vacuum them, but the longer the sand is in the fabric, the deeper it gets into the weaving and the harder it becomes to remove. Alternatively, if you know you are visiting the beach, use nonfabric, removable covers and rubber mats to prevent damage.

3. Deep Cleaning Fabrics

Vacuuming, unfortunately, is not enough for fabrics that have sand in them. Sand can also stain the seats and the interior of the car, and you might want to use a professional upholstery cleaner or a steam cleaner to ensure all traces are removed. After the first brushing of the seats, give them a thorough vacuuming. Once this is completed, use a steam cleaner or upholstery cleaner (handheld) over the seats and prevent the colors from fading. You can find some professional car upholstery cleaning products in your local DIY store or online.

4. Car Vacuum

Car vacuums are perfect for a quick fix, but not powerful enough to remove deep-set sand. You might want to park your car close to your garage and use a powerful (at least 2000-watt) vacuum to make sure all grains of sand are out and they will not damage the car.

5. Wheels and Trims

If you manage to get sand in your wheels, this can cause trouble long-term. First, if you have special alloy wheels or wheel trims, the surface can get scratched and paint can look dull because of the coarse sand. You want to use a wet sponge and give your wheels a wipe over using a microfiber cloth as soon as possible. Use a protective wax on your wheels to prevent damage after cleaning them.

Getting sand inside your vehicle can be an irritating nuisance, but using these tips, you can eliminate it from your car, so the only thing left of your adventures is memories.

Image by Tomasz Dunn, Licensed via CC BY 2.0