TV cleaning expert Lynsey Crombie has turned her attention to advising car owners how to clean the inside of their vehicle regularly and properly to help avoid bacteria and spreading germs. New research into the car cleaning habits of 2,000 parents by Jelly Belly Car Air Fresheners has revealed an alarming number of parents (30%) are only cleaning the inside of their car a handful of times per year, despite the mess and smell their children make in it.
More than half (60%) of parents claim that they struggle to keep their car clean due to the mess their children create, with 59% of parents admitting that their children eating in the car, leaving behind crumbs, stains and wrappers, is the main reason why they refuse to regularly clean their vehicles. Only 23% are cleaning the inside of their car as often as once a week.
Lynsey said: "It's easy for our cars to get messy and dirty, especially when we are driving our children around, but we wouldn't leave a room in our house for months without cleaning it so we certainly shouldn't be neglecting our cars. Food and drink mess can certainly cause our car to smell and germs to spread, but there are some quick and easy ways to keep on top of the chaos - even as a busy parent."
Lynsey says you should always do the inside first and then finish off with the outside. Take out all the rubbish, any accessories, and your car mats if they are removable.
Loosen up as much dirt and debris as you can from the inside car mats by giving them a good bash with a hard brush before you vacuum them. Then remove any stains on the carpet floors or upholstered seating by scrubbing in an auto care stain remover foam or alternatively an upholstery cleaner suitable for auto care. If you have none of these in the house, white shaving foam can also work brilliantly.
For nooks and crannies, use a recycled make-up or paint brush to brush away the dust and dirt and clean over with warm soapy water on plastic areas or an interior car detailer that is appropriate to the surface type. Remove fingerprints off any screens using a screen cleaner.
Then shine up the dashboard by using a dashboard protectant spray. Final touches are important to get the car looking and feeling fresh so make sure you add in a couple of air fresheners.
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