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23 Ways To Make Your Car Cleaner Than It's Ever Been

Sparkly clean zoom.

1. Use a cheap foam brush or paint brush to dust between the AC vents.

2. Vacuum up the dust as you brush it off, so it doesn't immediately settle somewhere else in the car.

3. The vacuum+brush duster combo also works to clean all your car's knobs and buttons.

4. Remove and replace your cabin's air filter to get rid of stinky smells.

5. Get all of the trash out from every nook and cranny.

6. Use a Magic Eraser to scrub gross sticky things off of vinyl and leather.

Gently rub dried on gunk with the Magic Eraser — don't rub too hard, because you don't want to damage the fabric. From here.

7. If dirt has embedded itself in the textures of your vinyl, some detail scrubbing with a toothbrush may be necessary.

8. Use olive oil to condition and polish the leather on your dashboard.

9. Banish animal hair from your upholstery with a spray bottle of water and a squeegee.

10. Use a fine-bristled brush (like a toothbrush) to get dirt and crumbs out from the seams of your seat cushions.

11. Use paper and an iron to remove melted wax (like crayons) from your upholstery.

12. Shampoo the seats in your car with diluted all-purpose cleaner, a sponge or scrub brush, and washcloths.

Elbow grease FTW. Use white or un-dyed washcloths, though, so the color dyes in the cloth don't rub off onto your car's fabric. See the full step-by-step here, and a recipe that uses dish soap and washing soda instead of all-purpose cleaner here.

13. Spray your dirty floor mats with stain remover and throw them in the washing machine.

14. Or, scrub them with a DIY upholstery cleaner.

15. Enlist a lint roller, bristle brush, toothbrush, dish soap, steam cleaner, and baking soda if you need to clean a kiddo's car seat.

This is not an easy process, but you can do it! See the full tutorial here.

16. When everything's fresh and clean, keep it smelling that way with a baking soda air freshener.

Get the how-to here.

17. ~Super clean~ your windshield using steel wool and glass cleaner, then treat it to a coat of Rain X.

18. Wipe down your windshield wipers with rubbing alcohol to prevent a smeared windshield.

19. Get stubborn bugs out of your grille (and off of your bumper) with the help of dryer sheets.

20. Shine up cloudy headlights with toothpaste and water.

21. Remember to roll down your windows before you start wiping them with glass cleaner.

22. Use a cleaning powder and water to clean your wheels.

23. After washing your car, use a clay bar to pick up bits of grime that water doesn't rinse off.