Between the commute to work, school runs and weekends away with the family, you car can become like a second home. Unfortunately, that also means that it can become overrun with toys, empty crisp wrappers and general clutter.
To give your car some TLC, we've put together this guide to decluttering your car in nine easy steps.
1. Clearing out your car
First things first: clear out all rubbish, working methodically. Start from the front and work your way to the back, targeting rubbish hotspots including under the seats and in the glove compartment, cup holders, the storage compartments built into the doors and the storage pockets on the back of the front seats. Organise items into three piles: those that are to stay in the car, those that belong in the house or garage and those you’re going to throw away.
2. Wipe up
Clean the dashboard, armrests and steering wheel with wipes. Halfords Car Dashboard Wipes come in packs of 24 and are ideal for storing in the car, but you don’t need a speciality product as regular baby wipes are equally effective.
3. Spruce up car mats
Remove, shake out and vacuum the floor mats. Treat spills and stains with a carpet cleaner – Simoniz Upholstery & Carpet Cleaner is simple to apply, and you just wipe it away with a damp cloth. Before you slip the mats back in, try sprinkling with bicarbonate of soda overnight and vacuuming the next morning, as this will get rid of any lingering odours.
4. Organise door pockets
Transform the door pockets from a space for empty wrappers and plastic bottles to a useful one. Fill an empty cleaning-wipes tube with plastic shopping bags for rubbish, wet umbrellas or muddy shoes and store it in the door pocket.
5. Clear out the glove compartment
Your glove compartment should contain essential items, such as insurance and registration documents, and roadside assistance information. A pen and a small notepad are also handy additions.
6. Make use of the visor
An organiser attached over the passenger-side or driver’s side visor means you can store sunglasses, a phone or receipts easily. Amazon and Ebay stock a wide range.
7. Clean cup holders
To avoid cup holders becoming sticky, pop in a couple of silicone cupcake liners to keep them clean. Lakeland does a variety of sizes and colours. Keep loose change in a small empty jar and store it in your centre console.
8. Tackle the back seats
Toys, food wrappers, and items of clothing can all add to the clutter in the rear of the car, so utilise the back of the front seat for a hanging organiser to store books, games or whatever else your little ones need in the car.
The Diono Stow N Go Backseat Organiser comes with seven full-sized pockets and two drink holders in a washable, waterproof fabric. You can also make use of a shoe organiser, as the pockets are the ideal fit for toys or snacks.
9. Car boot
We all have things that we shove in the boot, only to leave them there for months on end. Sorting through and removing these items will save a Tetris game later when you actually need to fit something in there.
The boot is also a handy storage space for essentials such as a first aid kit. A boot organiser is worth investing in for those ‘just in case’ items.
Pros
- Picked up 99% of dust
- Lifted all food crumbs laid
- 10-minute battery life was just enough for us to clean a small car
Cons
- Heavy
Score: 94/100
This handheld vacuum makes cleaning up after pets effortless; with its motorised pet tool it lifted all hair on test in just one sweep. It excelled with all other debris too, tackling everything from dust to crumbs with ease, no matter the floor type. Its short battery life didn’t impede our car cleaning either.
Pros
- LED lights make it easier to see dirt in awkward spots
- Great for small spillages
- Good 0.5-litre capacity
Cons
- Bulky so harder to reach into crevices
Score: 94/100
Food spillages are easily cleared with this trusty model; it scored full marks for lifting crumbs and debris on test. It struggled with embedded pet hair, but the bagged design makes emptying easy. Plus, the 20-minute battery (even on max power) takes the time pressure off car cleaning.
Black+Decker Wet and Dry Cordless Handheld Vacuum Cleaner
Pros
- Scored full marks for car cleaning
- Lifts liquids as well as dry debris
- Easy to use
Cons
- Lack of trigger lock isn't ideal for longer jobs
Score: 94/100
This handheld’s low price tag and compact stature belies its powerful performance – it scored highly for every test we put it through, impressing when cleaning dust, pet hair, crumbs, cars and liquids. It’s easy to set up, but only has one power setting and you must press the on button continuously when cleaning.
Pros
- Best on test for car cleaning
- Effective upholstery tool, especially for lifting pet hair
- Comes with a wall-mountable charging base
Cons
- Max power runs the battery down in just over seven minutes (lasts for 15 on standard mode)
Score 92/100
Another stand-out from Shark, opt for this model if you have hard floors as it excelled cleaning laminate and floorboards. It also lifted the most dirt from our car thanks to its well-designed crevice tool and lightweight design. Skip if you’re after one for carpets, but if you’re tight on space it’s a savvy buy as you can mount it on the wall.
Dyson Dyson Car+Boat handheld vacuum cleaner
Pros
- Only dropped one mark across carpet, laminate and floorboard tests
- Connects to the Dyson app where there’s maintenance advice and troubleshooting
- Comes with lots of useful accessories
Cons
- Heavy for a handheld
- Have to hold the trigger continuously to use
Score: 89/100
Dyson’s new handheld is a powerful performer and delivered excellent results across the board. Dust pick-up was excellent, and most crumbs were removed in one sweep, making it a great option for quick spot cleans around the home. Its battery life isn’t the best though, lasting around 10 to 15 minutes on max mode, which probably isn’t long enough for a thorough car clean. Plus, with a five-hour recharge time, it won’t be ideal if it cuts out mid-tidy.
