Fall Cleaning for your Car

With the arrival of fall and back-to-school time, many of us clean-out our closets to kick-off the season feeling recharged and organized.

Why not do the same with your car? Giving your older or junk car some good old-fashioned “Fall Cleaning” can do wonders in making it look newer and increasing your driving enjoyment. Plus, it’s certainly more cost-effective than buying a new car!

Tips & Tricks to Make Your Junk Car Look Better

1. Get Rid of Junk.

While it may seem obvious, one of the easiest ways to make your junk car look newer is to declutter and detrash it. Whenever you get out of your car, make it a habit to empty it of trash. Use Ziplock bags to organize items in your glovebox.

2. Do a Deep Clean.

Packed on dust, grime or salt can really age your car. Stay on top of regular washes, and consider using a toilet brush to clean your wheels. Every few months, shampoo and vacuum the rugs, wipe down interior surfaces, and clean the windows inside and out.

3. Replace Your Floor Mats.

Floor mats are usually the first things to get ruined in a car. If your mats have seen better days, trade them in for weather-appropriate rubber floor mats. These will keep your car’s carpet clean and stop the growth of mold caused by wet shoes.

4. Repair Dents and Scratches

There isn’t much that makes a car look old than dents and scratches. Fixing then not only helps your vehicle look better, it also prevents rusting and corrosion. To remove dents, try the simple plunger method.

Inexpensive scratch repair pens can fix the top layer of your car’s protective coating, but they won’t fix a scratch that goes through the paint. Learn how to remove more stubborn scratches at home in five easy ways.

5. Clean your Headlights

Plastic headlights can become dull, scratched and yellow. If you have foggy headlights, you already have something that will fix your problem right at home! Toothpaste works great on headlights due to its mild enamel-cleaning abrasives.

6. Get New Windshield Wipers

Old windshield wipers leave streaks on your windows that look bad from the inside and outside and block your view. Change your wipers at least every six months.

7. Buy Seat Covers

Get some inexpensive seat covers in neutral colors to cover-up damaged and dirty seats and protect your seats from future harm.

Most of us spend a lot of time in our cars, whether commuting to work, driving the kids to school and soccer practice, or just doing errands. Making these small cosmetic improvements can help you feel good about your older car, which will make you a happier driver!