The Car Cleaning Lifehack You'll Want To Know After A Trip To The Beach

Hitting the beach with family or friends is an excellent way to unwind and get much-needed sunshine. However, a trip to the beach is a surefire way to a dirty car. The combination of loose, powdery sand, moisture, moderate winds, and salt will wreak havoc on the exterior and interior of your ride. Moreover, dried-on saltwater and sand will prematurely rust and corrode metal parts like the chassis, suspension, drivetrain, brakes, mufflers, exhaust pipes, etc.

That's why cleaning your car immediately after spending a weekend at the beach is essential, whether you parked the car along the turf or in a beach parking lot. Salty air harms any vehicle and could quickly wear out and dull the paint, chrome, rubber trim, and glass surfaces when left baking for extended periods. The least you can do is rinse the vehicle from top to bottom (including the engine bay) with fresh water or a pressurized hose to remove all traces of salt and sand after a day at the beach.

Your vehicle's interior will also take a beating when visiting the beach. Sand is abrasive and can scratch plastic, leather, wood, chrome, and painted trim. With a trusty old vacuum cleaner, you can safely remove sand, dust, and dirt from your car seats, floor mats, headliners, and trunk. Remove the floor mats from the interior to get rid of excess sand, and vacuum the carpets and seats, taking time to focus on heavily soiled areas of the floor.

To help with this process, you can use a percussive massager or massage gun to lift the sand from deep within the carpet for easier vacuuming. Equipped with high-speed electric motors that spin upwards of 3,000 rpm, a massage gun has enough power to agitate and reveal the sand hiding underneath. Using the massage gun simultaneously with the vacuum cleaner will ensure a sand-free interior.

Meanwhile, you only need a damp microfiber towel to remove sand and dust from the dashboard, center console, and other hard surfaces. Another tip is to use a discarded paintbrush or sponge brush to remove standing dust from the aircon vents. Finally, you can apply baking soda on the carpets and floor mats to remove odors. Allow the baking soda to dwell on the surface for 15 to 30 minutes before vacuuming the excess.