25 Tips to Clean Car After the Holidays

You have just arrived and yes, what you least want is to think about going back to school, to work, to daily obligations.

Well, here are 25 tips to clean car after the holidays that are not in all guides. 

1 Parking to start work

Car cleaning jobs can start a second after you're back. So be careful when parking. Do it in a safe place where you and yours can safely alight when getting out of the vehicle and swarming around it and empty it and clean it thoroughly in a second moment. 

If necessary, let the rest of the occupants get out where necessary and then take the car with you to start the work. But when you do this, remember: 

• Park in a legal place where you can take your time and where you can safely open the doors. 
• If possible, do it between sun and shade so that the natural light helps you not to leave anything dirty, but at the same time, you do not sweat the fat for turning your car into an oven. 
• Be careful with public roads: try to avoid it, because the authorities could fine you for understanding that you are carrying out mechanical / repair/maintenance work ..., which in theory is prohibited just as prohibited as the subsequent washing of the car with soap and water, which is not allowed unless it is in an enclosed area of ​​your property or a laundry room open to the public and specifically designed for it.

2 Trunk 

Since we recommend cleaning from the inside out and top to bottom, the boot is one of the first places to reach. But beware of the rush in this area, whether everyone rushes to take their luggage and disappears or if laziness tempts you to leave things there until the next day. 

In hygiene matters, a bag shouldn't tear or spill the contents of a bottle in a rush. And even if none of this happens, watch out that substances or food are hidden in the most remote places that can be disposed of, rot over time, stain and cause bad odours. 

3 Open all the doors

It is convenient to ventilate the interior well apart from the pandemic, as you would do in your own home on a general cleaning day. For this reason, having parked in a suitable place from the point of view of safety and practicality. It is useless to leave everything as the jets of gold if the air is rarefied and everything smells closed. 

4 Turn off the courtesy lights

Among the 25 tricks to clean your car after the holidays, this is one of the simplest. If you have parked under natural light (if not, it would not be bad if you tried to do it so that the cleaning is more effective and do not spend money on artificial lighting), turn off the courtesy and reading lights using the button you have for it. It will prevent the battery from suffering during long periods when you have the doors open.  

5 Windows, dashboard, and screens

Clean them in that order (descending) so that dirt or product drips do not splash onto the areas you have already treated, and you have to repeat the work. Also, do it with specific products so as not to deteriorate them. 

6 Steering wheel, gear lever

The same happens with the steering wheel: do it very carefully, from the rim (particular precaution if made of leather, leather, wood, Alcantara / turned leather) towards the centre and the pineapple. Be delicate with the buttons if it is a multifunction steering wheel, with the gear lever and the other controls. 

7 Aerators

Direct them down, open them fully, activate the fan, And then use brushes, vacuum cleaners, and wet wipes. 

PS: Throw them in the trash and not in the toilet, even if it says they are 'biodegradable' or 'special toilet' since they pollute a lot and generate significant problems in the purification of waters and rivers). 

8 Slides

Here begins the battle against the open slides. Don't forget any! With a bag, remove all the residue you can and then try to illuminate and feel the bottom of all those small places to check that there are no remains of any liquid (drink, food, hydroalcoholic gel) that may have been spilt. 

In addition, if you leave plastic or paper in the side holes of the doors, you run the risk that these (and everything you have placed on top) will end up falling or flying as soon as you open to enter or exit. 

9 Seats

Remove anything that may have fallen and push what remains onto the mats. Be thoroughly used in gaskets, buttons and adjustment levers. Use specific products to clean them depending on their upholstery; temporarily remove the child restraint systems (CRS) if you have used them ... 

Do not forget to clean the gaps and cracks between the seats, the rails, etc., because coins, tickets, dust, grease and all kinds of dirt usually appear. 

10 Armrests, handles

Do not leave the places where arms, knees, hands rest without cleaning. It is easy for them to accumulate greasy fingers, sweat, sun cream or moisturizer typical of summer, etc., that cannot be seen with the naked eye, but that you also have to clean with certain products depending on what they are coated with.

11 Floor mats

Within the interior cleaning, leave them for last, because they will get dirty if not other times and you have to work twice. Take them off without the mess coming out, shake them far away from the cabin, vacuum the carpeting below, and don't put them back until you make sure they are clean and dry. 

12 Especially 'Harmful' Products

To chewing gums, chocolates, soft drinks, fruit, fish that stain more than it seems and fall apart and rot prematurely in the heat, masks must be added to protect from Covid when keeping them well at bay in the car. Try to remove them from the cabin as soon as possible. In the case of masks, throw them away in the 'normal' garbage (they are not recycled) and tear off the rubber bands first so that no animals can end up trapped in them. 

13 Windows and sunroof

Once open for ventilation, make sure that these elements are tightly closed before cleaning them inside. Proceed to the second part of these 25 tricks to clean your car after the holidays. And it related to washing the exterior with soap and water. As you will understand, an oversight here would have disastrous consequences. 

14 Windshield and 'clean.'

Remove any advertising sheets, fines, or paper that may have been left under the windshield wipers. Remove any remaining dirt from the brushes (pine needles, resin) and, if possible, separate these elements from the glass before spraying the set with water. 

15 Door frames, hinges, and gaskets under the hood

Remove leaves and dust from here, too, so they don't end up rotting, clogging drains, or damaging ventilation systems. 

16 Distance and jet force

Wet the bodywork from top to bottom at a safe distance. So it doesn't splash on you or damage paint because it would have heavy force.

17 Mosquitoes and droppings

Get closer and insist on those places where there are animal droppings, glued resins or insects. 

18 Other 'war wounds.'

In this operation, you must locate dents, scratches, chips and other damage to the bodywork so that a too powerful torrent of water does not damage these areas.

19 Soap and sponge

Do not forget a suitable soap for cars and a suitable sponge to rub and go over your work areas. You can also help yourself with a bowl with the right mixture. 

20 Headlights, lamps, grille, grilles 

The headlights, the pilots and the grilles, in principle, should withstand pressurized water without any problem. Still, since they are there to ventilate more delicate elements, you should not go overboard either.

In addition, the grills, gates and bumpers in modern cars increasingly house more technological elements (cameras, radars, sensors) for parking aids, automatic emergency braking, speed controls and all kinds of safety assistants and comfort. So moderate the distance and the force of the water in these areas.   

21 License plates

Don't skimp on cleaning here until you make sure dirt doesn't cover the letters or numbers on the plates. If not, you could be fined for it. 

22 Wheels and bottom

It's okay to do your best here too, but don't apply oil or grease to the tires, the discs, or the callipers. Make sure the valves retain their cap when you wet them. Finally, whether you clean the wheels manually or in a car wash, remember that the first few stops will be less effective than usual until the discs and pads dry completely. 

Also, pressure washes the car's underside with fresh water to remove the saltpetre typical of beach areas (and even in the mountains, if it has been cold) where you have travelled. If not, you will have a lot of rust problems in the long run.

23 Escapes

Locate the authentic exhaust outlet (s) (for years, some are decorative,

and the real ones are hidden below) and do not apply the water-jet directly to them because they will oxidize before. The liquid element could get to the catalyst in the middle section or even closer to the mechanics. 

In fact, as in motorcycles, after the exhausts get wet for whatever reason, the engine should be left on for a while so that these elements heat up and eliminate the traces of moisture that end up promoting early corrosion. 

24 Drying times

Just as it is not advisable for the car to dry out in areas while you soap it, it is interesting that you respect the drying times of exhausts (as described in the previous point) and windows. Regarding the latter, we recommend that you do not roll down the windows immediately -when they are still wet-or activate them clean until it is essential: ​​the aerodynamic effect when you pick up speed could help you with this task without leaving a trace.  

25 Drains 

Before and after washing your car, make sure the drains are not clogged and are doing their job. If not, moisture will build-up to where it shouldn't and lead to a lot of corrosion over time. 

As you can see, everything is a matter of trying and these tricks to clean your car after the holidays can be very helpful. 

Happy back to the routine!

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