5 Tips for Cleaning Your Car Without Using Harsh Chemicals
When you are the parents of young children, you probably realize that the areas where you spend a lot of time tend to get cluttered or dirty faster than others. The kitchen, family room, and backyard probably come to mind, but one true dirt magnet is likely to be the interior of your family car. Crumbs, spilled drinks, and accidents caused by a toddler in the midst of potty training can make the inside of your car look and smell dirty. Fortunately, there are ways to clean it without the use of harsh chemicals that may endanger your family’s health.
1. Baby Wipes for Windows
Baby wipes are a miracle of the modern age and can clean everything from dirty faces to messy baby bottoms. There are also many different types, from gentle to fragrance-free brands, and now you may have more reasons than ever to stash an extra pack in your glove box. These wipes work wonders on car windows and your windshield, and you do not need harsh window cleaner to use them. The moisturizers they contain clean grime and fingerprints away and leave your car’s class looking and smelling clean and streak free.
2. Baking Soda Toothpaste for Interior Stains
You may already know that baking soda makes an effective ingredient for most DIY housecleaning chores, but it can also help you clean the interior of your car. Baking soda toothpaste that includes no dyes or additives can lift stubborn stains, including tougher ones like grape juice or urine, from non-fabric car seats.
You can use a soft brush or cloth to treat the stains. Remember to test a small patch of the seat first to ensure the toothpaste does not harm any dyes or treated leather. Once you are sure it will not stain, use the soft brush to work the paste into the stain. Wait a few moments, then see if it will lift out. You can leave the toothpaste on a stain up to 20 minutes, but you probably should not allow it to dry completely.
3. Vinegar for Stained Windshield Wipers
Your windshield wipers can become dirty and gummed up with grime after a long trip, which can leave ugly streaks on the windshield. You can remedy this issue without having to use harsh bleach or ammonia-based cleaning products and turn to white vinegar instead. All you need is a bucket and two microfiber towels.
Mix one cup of white vinegar with water in equal parts. You can also use apple cider vinegar and dilute one cup with one-and-one-half cups of water. Soak one of the towels in the solution for a few moments and then apply the liquid to your wiper blades. Let it sit a few moments, then use the other towel to wipe the blades dry. You may want to wear rubber kitchen gloves for this step, as vinegar can dry out your skin.
4. Shine Up the Interior With Baby Oil
If you are planning on buying a new or used car soon, knowing how to clean it with a few common household items can make getting a car for your next adventures less stressful. You can even keep some of these items and solutions in your car for your next road trip, as they are much less hazardous to carry than commercial cleansers.
For example, if you want to make the interior of your car shine like new, all you need is some baby oil, a dollop of dish soap, some distilled water, and a bit of white vinegar. Mix two cups of the baby oil with equal parts of the distilled water, add a tablespoon of the vinegar, and about eight drops of the dish soap. Mix it together and add it to cotton or microfiber towels to clean your dashboard and console. This concoction can also be used to shine up your tires during the late winter and early spring.
5. Fizz Away Headlight Grime With Soda
While soda might not be great for your diet, the carbonation can be useful for getting rid of grime that makes headlights appear dim. Soak a cloth with Coke and wipe it into your headlights, let it sit, then rinse it all away. Make sure to rinse each headlight thoroughly so no sticky residue stays behind.
Cleaning the family car is not always easy. However, with a little eco know-how, you can have it looking and smelling like new without having to use harsh chemicals.