By Baxter Overman | July 19, 2024 in 
I’ve been washing and detailing vehicles pretty seriously since 2017 when I started Carwash Country, and along the way I’ve tried a ton of things.
I’ve learned you don’t need to try everything—some ‘pro tips’ aren’t actually best practices…and those ‘home remedies’ can be downright harmful to vehicles. Seriously, those throw-some-nail-polish-at-the-stain hacks are recommended by people who don’t detail vehicles.
To save you the headaches and cut to the chase—here are 11 of my favorite tips to keep your car looking and smelling clean.
1. Keep your vehicle’s paint protected
If you’re not regularly protecting your vehicle, your car probably looks pretty dirty all the time. Protectants repel dirt, especially ceramic coatings with hydrophobic properties.
At a bare minimum, a simple wax or paint sealant offers some protection by repelling dirty water from staying and drying on the paint. As you wash and add another coat of spray-on wax or sealant each time, you’re adding additional layers
Paint protection products also help shield your clear coat from UV rays that will attack your clear coat over time and eat through it.
2. Regularly clean out trash from the inside
I’m not saying eating in your car is the worst thing you can do, but make it a rule to clean out trash from your car every day. At a minimum, give it a good wipe down every weekend especially if you spend a lot of time in your car.
You don’t have to detail your interior every week to keep it looking nice—IF you do a little cleanup every week. You can also buy a small trash can if you’re a working professional; just be sure to clean it out every day.
Many people get overwhelmed once the vehicle gets gross, because deep cleaning carpet, dirty door panels, and everything else becomes a huge chore.
Keep a clean pack of microfiber towels in your car and a detailing spray safe for all surfaces. Clean the trash out and wipe down everything every few days. You’ll be glad you did.
3. Use rubber mats and cargo mats
Since cleaning debris out of carpet fibers can be tedious, just use a trunk protector to save time later! Most vehicles either come with these as an option or you can purchase them separately on the aftermarket.
For my Jeep Wrangler, I use a rubber cargo mat to put groceries and everything else. When it’s time to clean the interior, I just rinse it off, wipe it down, and let it dry.
If you want to keep the carpet in your trunk looking great, I highly recommend floor mats you can easily rinse off.
4. Park in a garage or under a car port
The sun takes a toll on all cars over time which is why a garage can slow this process. Garages also offer protection against the elements and insects at night that can make your car dirtier than it has to be.
The longer it takes for debris to scratch a flawless clear coat, the better.
A car port is also a good option if a garage isn’t feasible to block UV rays and precipitation. If you plan to store your vehicle long-term, I do recommend a car cover in this case.
5. Wash your car often
Every time you wash, you’re removing dirt, road grime, bug guts, and contaminants; these contaminants build up over time if you don’t routinely wash your car. After a few weeks, it becomes noticeable and after a month, very noticeable.
The trick to a clean vehicle is to maintenance wash your car every 1-2 weeks. This process will remove small layers of surface dirt you may not see initially. Plus, if you wash regularly you can use soap that leaves behind a natural protectant like wax.
If you wait too long to wash your vehicle, layers of dirt generally will be more difficult to remove and can even cause pitting over time.
6. Outsource to a professional if needed
I’m all for cleaning your car with the time you have available; that said, a proper detail may be a good choice. Even if you keep your car vacuumed and washed yourself, consider a professional detailing job to recondition leather, deep clean carpet, and even clay or polish the exterior if you can afford it.
Some detailing jobs take longer than others, so if you feel like the only thing holding you back from a clean car is time–and not money–I highly recommend paying a professional detailer.
7. Wash tires and paint separately
Of all the tips, washing clean is one of the often overlooked best practices. For example, never use the same bucket to wash wheels and tires since you never want to transfer brake dust water onto your clear coat. And rinse your mitt off as you go.
I use a bucket grit guard inside my blue bucket for washing paint, and a white 5-gallon bucket for tires.
8. Keep a fresh set of clothes and shoes in the trunk
It’s a good idea to always have a spare change of clothes in the trunk just in case you encounter heavy mud. An empty bag can also be helpful for dirty or wet shoes.
You never know when you might need a change of shoes or clothes.
9. Don’t drive in rain or snow if possible
Dried rainwater is one of the easiest ways to make a clean car instantly and visibility dirty, so be mindful and rinse down your car if possible after a rainstorm. For driving in snow, it helps to have a winter beater and keep your primary vehicles garaged.
Contrary to what some think, driving in the rain won’t clean your car, but it will splash up road grime.
10. Use the right car care products and proper technique
Do you use a crevice tool when cleaning in between seats? At first, I admit I didn’t. The wrong tool or not using the right tool for car cleaning makes it nearly impossible to clean properly.
For example, leather car seats usually need agitation with a detailing brush when visibility dirty; a soft cloth won’t be as effective. For set-in stains, a drill brush attachment can help as well on cloth surfaces.
11. Use moisture absorbers and air fresheners
A clean car should look and smell clean in my opinion! Especially in the summer months, use moisture absorbers to soak up moisture in cupholders or drink bottles.
The type of air freshener doesn’t really matter so long as you remove food and drink bottles that produce those musty, moldy smells.
And that’s it! For a quick guide on washing and cleaning your car the right way, get our free Car Wash Cheat Sheet.
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