To wash your vehicle yourself, there is no need for expensive chemicals. Wash your car with simple, natural and economical products. Indoors and out, you can even tailor the product to the area and material you want to clean. Bodywork, windows, plastics, textiles…? There is (at least) an ideal product for everything!
Let’s start with the outside: let it shine!
The exterior cleanliness of a car is not limited to the bodywork and the glass parts. The rims and tires also deserve a little effort.
Bodywork: black soap and white vinegar
Of course, you can always buy a shampoo for bodywork, but let’s face it, there are more ecological…
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- black soap will give you complete satisfaction. Mixed with water, no dirt scares him. If you want to shine the bodywork, wrap your sponge in an old sticky yarn (or stockings). Soak this super sponge with your mixture of water and black soap: cleanliness and shine in a single movement!
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- Is your car really dirty? If black soap is not enough, add a little baking soda. No trace should resist him.
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- If you only have that on hand, simply use your dishwashing liquid. No need to put a lot (no more than for a dish), just a few drops. With this product, you can easily get a glossy finish. But don’t overdo it: only wash your car with dish soap every two months.
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- Pour rinse the car, add some White vinegar in water. This is the trick that saves you from limescale marks on the bodywork. Especially if the water in your municipality is particularly hard.
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- Washing ends with a drying with a soft, dry cloth: a microfiber or a Shammy.
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- You want to do glasses your car like new? In a spray bottle, mix White vinegar and water, half and half. Spray the mixture on the bodywork and wipe with a soft cloth. If you prefer a waterless formula, mix petroleum jelly and rubbing alcohol (three quarter to one quarter). Then wipe with a cloth.
Windows: always white vinegar
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- A car has many glass elements. The universal product to make them shine is undoubtedly the White vinegar. Mixed with warm water and applied with a microfiber cloth, or a plug of dampened newspaper, it’s the star of the windshield. If you want a stunning result, you can add a drop of dish soap. White vinegar gets rid of dirt on the windshield, side windows, rear window and mirrors. No need to rinse; wiping with a dry cloth is sufficient to restore the transparency of the windows without leaving marks.
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- As long as you have your white vinegar on hand, take the opportunity to clean the windscreen wipers. All you have to do is wipe them down and they’ll be clean.
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- And self-pantyhose recalcitrant has left marks on a window? To eliminate them, use a cork of paper journal. Dip it in boiling water and lay it on the trace of glue. After a while, it dissolves. All that’s left to do is wipe it down.
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- We don’t forget the phares, particularly exposed to dirt. If you want to make them shine, here is a recipe that will make children want to participate in the washing… Brush the headlights with toothpaste foaming – yes yes! Wiping on, you will be amazed at their shine.
Rims: white vinegar… in moderation
Again, white vinegar is your ally. But be careful: do not use it if your rims are aluminum! There is a risk of corrosion… Apart from this exception, mix white vinegar and water and rub this mixture on your rims with a cloth. For tar stains, use a stripping product such as white spirit (in very small doses) and rinse well. As for aluminum rims, it is better to use a specific product.
Tires: eye-opening!
For beautiful shiny tires, choose between several effective recipes.
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- The black soap and the Marseille’s soap are as effective as each other. Just brush your tires with soap and rinse with water. Use a toothbrush for the grooves.
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- The baking soda to the rescue ! Mix baking soda and water until you get a fairly thick paste. Apply this plaster to the tires (and rims). Roll your vehicle a few meters so that the mixture is evenly distributed over the entire wheel. Rinse your tires. There you go, it shines like it comes out of the factory!
Wash the inside of the car, for fun
If washing the exterior gives your car a nice look, cleaning the passenger compartment brings real comfort to the driver and his passengers.
The dashboard: soap and oil
Generally dressed in plastic, the dashboard collects dust and gradually loses its shine. For dust, nothing better than an old toothbrush to clean the air vents. And for a complete cleaning, see the magic formula:
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- With soap and water, clean sponge the plastic areas. Rinse with clear water. Avoid electronic items though, they don’t like water. A wipe with a dry cloth is enough for them.
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- To do glasses plastics, rub them with a cloth soaked in edible oil (olive, flax, rapeseed, etc.). Avoid the steering wheel and the gear lever, which do not need to slip between your hands! For polishMadame’s old spun stocking technique also works on plastic.
The seats: textile or leather?
Family cars know something about it! Their seats are regularly stained…
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- To return textiles to their cleanlinessget out of the closet your baking soda. By adding a few drops of water (or white vinegar), make a paste that you will apply to the stains on the seats. Scrub with a brush, then let dry. All you have to do is vacuum it up once the product has dried.
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- Another formula: mix carbonated water (two thirds) and White vinegar (a third). This mixture is effective against most stains.
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- Stubborn stains? Attack them with a mixture ammonia et hydrogen peroxide. Rub the stains with a small circular motion. It’s radical.
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- The dog forgot his hair on the seat… Spray a little water on the fabric before picking up the hairs squeegee. It is simple and efficient.
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- Leather seats are more delicate. Do not use the previous recipes: no water, no vinegar, no baking soda, none of that. The cheapest is to clean them with a lanolin baby milk. But the ideal natural product is beef oil, which nourishes and shines all leathers without damaging them. As for the steering wheel and the gear knob, avoid cleaning them with beef oil… We avoid slipping!
Carpets: an easy makeover
We don’t teach you anything: you have to shake and vacuum the car carpets regularly. They can also be thoroughly cleaned with… guess what? From baking soda. Sprinkle your carpets with baking soda. Brush. Leave on for several hours (best overnight). Brush again. Vacuum. The result: mats like new.
Smells: clay and bicarbonate
Some bad odors tend to settle in the passenger compartment. Ventilating your vehicle is essential, but it is not always enough. Here are some tips that will give your car a spring freshness…
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- Put some baking soda In the ashtray. This product can do everything, including absorbing bad odors.
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- Add a few drops essential oil on a clay pebble. Hang the scented object on the rear-view mirror. Breathe… it smells good.
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- Put in a jar baking soda and a few drops essential oil. Close the jar with a lid that you have pierced with micro holes. This mixture will neutralize bad smells.
In summary, with white vinegar, black soap, baking soda and a stock of microfiber cloths, you already have enough to clean your car from every angle. And with targeted recipes for each material, you no longer need to break the bank to enjoy a clean vehicle.