10 best hacks to clean and organize your car

It sneaks up on the neatest people until it becomes too much to deal with, so you wait longer to do something about it, as if it would disappear on its own: it's a mess in your car and on her.

Some people like to have their car cleaned weekly, monthly, seasonally, annually, and sometimes even longer. Whether you wash your car once a week or once a year, there is a better way to keep it clean.

Imagine if you could use little shortcuts to make cleaning your car easier, that is, whenever you actually clean it. The following hacks can provide these shortcuts so you can spend your time on the things that really matter in life (Netflix and leisure, anyone?).

Check out the top XNUMX car cleaning and tidying hacks.

1. Clean your windshield with baking soda

It's impressive what soda can do, in addition to sprucing up your drinks. Its many uses include adding volume to pancakes, removing stains from clothing, and now effectively cleaning windshields.

Either spray baking soda on your windshield with a spray bottle or pour it directly onto the outer glass to get rid of stuck insects and dirt. Leave on for 15-30 seconds, then wipe off with a microfiber cloth or paper towels. The sediment will come off immediately. If persistent substances have stuck to the windshield, use a dishcloth to safely remove insects and dirt from the glass after it soaks in soda.

2. Use a plastic cereal container instead of a trash can.

Reusable plastic cereal containers are ideal for use as a trash can in your car. They have a handy flip-up trash lid and are compact enough not to get in the way of your personal space.

Place the plastic bag in the cereal container, fold over the sides. Snap the cover on top and place it next to the console on the floor on the passenger side. Anytime you need to throw away a check, an apple core or a coffee cup, just open the lid and throw the trash inside. This is a simple and convenient solution for cleaning the interior of your car from debris.

3. Clean the dashboard vents with a small foam brush.

Those tiny shutters in your dashboard vents collect dust and tell everyone who gets in your car how well you're taking care of your car. Use a small foam brush to wipe off any accumulated control dust.

Foam brushes are ideal for working in hard-to-reach areas, picking up dust without scratching delicate parts. If you don't have a foam brush, soft-bristled art brushes will also work, although they don't pick up dust as well as a foam brush. Just remember to use a clean new brush.

4. Remove odors from carpet with baking soda.

You are bound to have a spill inside your vehicle someday, especially if your vehicle is ever ridden by children. Everything that has a biological component - for example, orange juice and milk - sooner or later will start to smell. Spoiled milk odors can make you want to set your car on fire instead of stepping inside again, and are notoriously difficult to remove.

Grab the baking soda from your pantry and head to the garage. Coat the affected area liberally with baking soda and lightly shake it into the carpet or seat fibers with a stiff-bristled brush. Leave overnight and vacuum the affected area the next day. The smell will disappear, or at least significantly reduced. You can re-treat the area to completely remove the odor.

This method also works for the musty smell you can get in your car from standing water from under your shoes.

5. Clean the chrome with cola

You've heard about the effects of cola on the body and seen demonstrations of its ability to corrode nails and other objects in science class. Take advantage of this action by cleaning the car's chrome parts with cola.

Pour a sufficient amount of cola onto a clean, soft cloth and wipe the car's chrome parts such as wheels, grille, footpegs, and emblems with it. Leave the cola on the chrome for 5-10 minutes, then rinse well with clean water. Cola will remove all corrosion and discoloration from your chrome, leaving it shiny and shiny. However, you'll want to give your car a proper wash soon after, or the sticky sugar in the cola will make a mess.

6. Organize your interior with a remote control organizer

You've been using one of these hanging from your sofa armrest for years to keep track of all your TVs and extra remotes. Use the same one in your car by hanging it on the back of one of the seats or on the side of the console so that all your items are within reach. Whether you need a tissue, a phone charging cable, or a bar of chocolate you picked up at the gas station, it's all close at hand and out of the way.

7. Clean the slots with a screwdriver.

Your car has tons of little cracks and crevices all over it, from that switch gap to the cracks in your console. Ideally, you should use compressed air to blow out any dirt that builds up, but that's not always an option. Instead, use a flat-blade screwdriver with a cloth tip to get into those tight spots.

If there's more than just dust in the crevices, you can dampen a rag with your favorite cleaner before wiping down the crevices. Also, if you don't have a screwdriver handy, a credit card angle can help.

8. Use a back seat hammock for pets.

Part of making cleaning easier is to prevent clutter in the first place. Your furry little ones also love to ride in the car, and cleaning up after them is easy with a pet hammock in the back seat. It keeps your pets in the back seat and collects dirt, hair and paw prints so they don't cut into your upholstery.

9. Align the cup holders for easy cleaning.

You will inevitably spill your coffee or soda into the cup holder, and cleaning up this enclosed space is never an easy task. Minimize hassle by lining your cup holders with silicone cupcake liners. Available at just about every store that sells baked goods, silicone cupcake liners are flexible to fit inside a cup holder and catch anything that might spill.

When it's time to clean your machine, toss the silicone cupcake liners in the dishwasher and reuse them. This will save you the time and money it takes to clean your cup holders.

10. Wax the paint

It's true, waxing your car will save you time cleaning it later. A small investment in car wax and applicators and a couple of hours of your time will make subsequent washes much faster.

A waxed car finish means dirt won't stick to the car body too much, keeping your car looking clean longer. When it becomes dirty enough to be washed, the dirt is removed from the waxed surface much more easily than usual.

Even if you just use one or two of these car hacks, you will end up saving yourself a lot of time and possibly some money. Your car will stay cleaner longer and you will be more proud of your car.