Remember the fresh, new car smell you once had the pleasure of inhaling every time you slipped into the driver’s seat? The seats framed your body perfectly, the gear shift was seamless and the cup holder, oh the cup holder, at the perfect height and ideally placed for your morning latte. Not anymore. Old chocolate bar wrappers and muffin crumbs now fill your cup holder, the gears clunk and piston into place, and the new car smell has been replaced with the pungent aroma of week-old gym sweat.
Make the Exterior Sparkle
Don’t listen to your mother in this instance. It’s not what’s inside that counts. Give the exterior of your vehicle some love and, like the promise of every anti-ageing moisturiser, shave years off the appearance of your car. Glistening in the sunlight, a clean, shiny car is going to attract attention and look visually appealing. A little extra time spent on making your rims sparkle will go a long way in lifting the overall appearance of your vehicle. Don’t skimp on the exterior wash, work the car from top to bottom ensuring you don’t miss any obscure surface areas; finish off with a detail and wax to truly give your car that missing wow factor.
Turn Stench to Pleasant Scent
The floor mats are looking a little worse for wear, scuffed with mud, dried grass clippings and a brown coffee stain from that sub-par, petrol station cappuccino you purchased some months ago. To enhance the sensory experience of your daily commute, sprinkle baking soda on the carpet areas, leave for a few hours and vacuum clean; this will absorb any musky odours. Still not satisfied? You can relive the new car experience by purchasing car air freshener with a new car scent.
Give the Fabric a Facelift
Give the interior of your car a facelift. Months (or years) of spilled food, grubby hands and driving in pools of summer sweat will take a toll on the freshness of your car fabric. Apply some elbow grease and vacuum all the carpeted areas, even the hard to reach places you would like to ignore. A foaming cleaner can help to loosen embedded dirt.
Eradicate Mould
Festering mould is a common occurrence; you aren’t alone in your struggle against this agent of damp and dark places. One night, one mistake, a storm breezes through and bam, you’re facing an uphill battle against your new ever-growing furry friends. Solution? Mix up a concoction of colour safe bleach with a teaspoon of three percent hydrogen peroxide. Gently rub your mixture into mould or mildew stains until they disappear. Rinse with warm water and dry thoroughly to ensure you win the battle, even if you can’t finish the war.
Complete transformation may seem overwhelming and too time consuming. Take it one step a time and consult a professional, such as AMC Cleaning, if you need some assistance. After the initial overhaul, it will be smooth sailing to maintaining a crisp, clean car, inside and out!
Matt Bennett is a writer based in Australia, he has avast portfolio which has covered subjects such as cars, racing, cleaning, law and marketing