21 Hacks For Cleaning Up Your Car You'll Be Mad You Didn't Know About Until Now

    For when people keep writing "clean me" on your car and you are 👏 over 👏 it 👏.

    Emily Shwake
    by Emily Shwake

    BuzzFeed Staff

    1. Spray your cloth interior with a mixture of household products to keep it looking like new.

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    Mix half a cup of vinegar, a cup of club soda, half a cup of dish soap, and a fourth of a cup of lemon juice in a spray bottle. Spray all over and use a scrub brush to rub it in. Use a rag to rub off any excess liquid.

    2. Stand your cleaning items in a shower caddy to keep them from spilling all over the trunk.

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    Keep all of your essentials in the caddy so you don't actually mix up the bottles with your groceries.

    Get a shower caddy like this one from Amazon for $13.34.

    3. Or stick a bunch of snacks and drinks in a shower caddy if you've got a long road trip ahead of you.

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    This trick's also helpful if you're constantly shepherding your kids to all of their after-school activities.

    4. Pop coins in an empty gum container so you always have enough money for the parking meters at the beach.

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    Nothing worse than having to desperately dig in and around the seats for just one. more. quarter.

    5. Stow your important documents in an accordion file so you're never rifling through nonsense if you get pulled over.

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    "Hold on, officer, my registration is definitely in here somewhere..."

    Get an accordion file folder from Amazon for $8.99.

    6. Rub non-acetone polish remover on exterior scratches so your car always looks as neat as your nails.

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    Fingers crossed that next time, parking at the mall won't be such a traumatic experience.

    7. Slide a hair tie through your air vents so you can actually see your GPS instead of just relying on Siri's verbal directions.

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    "WHAT DO YOU MEAN, SIRI?!"

    8. Stick a suction cup shower caddy to your window to free up a little floor space.

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    They're designed to hold heavy items like shampoo bottles so feel free to load 'em up.

    Get it from Amazon for $11.19.

    9. Or hang a shower organizer from your passenger seat headrest, so the kids can easily reach their toys.

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    And you can always find your umbrella.

    10. Stick silicone cupcake molds in the cupholders so your cleanup isn't such a pain.

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    You know trying to get sticky soda residue out of the crevices of the cupholders is a lost cause. 🤢 Line them with silicone molds that you can just toss in the dishwasher when they get gross.

    Get a 12-pack from Amazon for $5.99.

    11. Brush your headlights with whitening toothpaste if they're looking a little foggy.

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    Rub the toothpaste all over the headlights and let it sit for fifteen minutes. Then, scrub at them with a toothbrush and wipe the excess off with a damp rag. The amount of filth you'll scrub off will gross you the heck out.

    12. Stick your iPad in a sheet protector and hang it from your headrest so the kids can watch a movie.

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    No sticky fingers on your iPad and no fighting in the back. An absolute win.

    13. Hang a towel from a couple of suction cups and a shoelace to keep the car cool without blasting the air conditioner.

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    It'll help the kids nap through the afternoon, too.

    14. Stick a bunch of activity pages and school supplies in a three-ring binder to keep the kids busy on a long ride.

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    And check out a few more road trip games here.

    15. Wedge insulation pipe in the gaps around your seats so nothing else gets lost down there.

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    The next time you try to stick your hand down there to grab your phone, you'll wonder why you didn't try this hack sooner.

    16. Spray alcohol on a Magic Eraser to get stubborn stains off your interior.

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    Because what can't a Magic Eraser clean?!

    Get an eight-pack from Amazon for $9.48.

    17. Scent some cotton balls with essential oils and stick them to a clothespin to make a reusable air freshener.

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    The best part is, you can switch up the smells whenever the cotton balls dry out!

    18. Cut a slit in a coffee cup top to make a tissue holder that fits right in the cupholder.

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    Then, keep an empty coffee cup in the other cupholder so you have somewhere to throw the dirty tissues when you're done.

    19. Tape a paper towel roll to your vacuum nozzle to reach the awkward crevices under the seats.

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    Just because you can't see any dirt, doesn't mean there aren't hundreds of crumbs down there.

    20. Cut a hole in the top of an empty laundry pod box and line it with a plastic bag so that you have somewhere to put your trash.

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    Just one more thing you can do to prevent more crumbs from sneaking under the seat.

    21. Stick velcro strips to a soft cloth if your kids are whining about wearing their seatbelts.

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    Makes a nice lil' pillow for their nap too, doesn't it?!

    Check out the video here.

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