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29 Things That’ll Help Anyone Who’s Bad At Keeping Their Car Clean
We hope you love the products we recommend! Just so you know, BuzzFeed may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. Oh, and FYI — prices are accurate and items in stock as of time of publication. 1. A scratchy lil’ tool that’ll FINALLY get all the pet…
We hope you love the products we recommend! Just so you know, BuzzFeed may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. Oh, and FYI — prices are accurate and items in stock as of time of publication.
1.
A scratchy lil’ tool that’ll FINALLY get all the pet hair off your back seat and floors. You’ll wonder how you lived without up until now.
Promising review: “This this is like magic. Our van was nasty and covered with hair from a German and Australian Shepherd. Looked brand new after. Don’t think about just buy it. It will blow your mind.” —Dan
Get it from Amazon for $10.66.
2.
And a pet protector made to fit over your backseat you should keep in your trunk so you won’t have to go hunting for it in your garage next time Fido rides with you for errands.
My parents have one for our shed-happy family dog Hank and they’re never going back. BTW, this one has a universal fit!
Promising review: “My fianceé and I bought this to take our dog on his first trip about 4 hours away. He has a problem trying to climb into our laps during drives so this was a perfect way to stop him from hurting himself. Our big concern was him not being able to see us, but he was the perfect height to still see us. It was still tall enough for him to not to be able to climb over it. However, this trip made him too anxious, and, since I didn’t listen to my fianceé and stop to let him use the bathroom, he had an accident in the car. This divider help prevent from being ruined. We cleaned up the poop quickly with Clorox wipes and it didn’t bleed through at all. I would highly recommend this product.” —DJ Fullmer
Get it from Amazon for $18.49 (available in two styles).
3.
Smol blind dusters with washable cloths for giving your vents special attention really get in there.
Amazon
Promising review: “Great item to use on window shades and inside the car vents, does really work!” —Elba C.
Get it from Amazon for $7.99 (includes five removable microfiber sleeves).
4.
And a gooey cleaning compound that feels like a child’s plaything but WOW will it work on vents and other hard-to-clean areas of your car.
Amazon
You can also use it on surfaces like keyboards, speakers, screens, cameras, etc. JUST NOTE that you should use it to press to clean. Don’t leave it on a surface and walk away because gravity will let it sink into grooves and make a mess.
Promising review: “Love this! Mini car detailer. It even got some trapped fur in the car crevices!” —MvP
Get it from Amazon for $7.99.
5.
A seat gap filler you may have seen on Shark Tank for warding off lost phones, French fries, change, and more. What’s that weird food smell? It’s certainly not coming from between your seats.
Promising review: “Never drop and lose your stuff again! I purchased these over six months ago and ended up buying another because of how convenient and safe it is. The stitching and quality for the seat filler is great with no loose fibers. This was used in a 2000 Honda Accord as well as a 2016 RAV4. I really believe this will fit a majority of cars.
Having it between the seats has saved me on many occasions. You don’t even notice it there until you drop something, say oh ****, but feel relieved that it stops right on top of the gap filler. Even my friends don’t notice it until they drop something into the abyss.” —Long-Term Product Reviews by Hugh&Co.
Get two from Amazon for $19.99.
6.
A cupholder trash can perfectly sized for gum wrappers and all those tiny things you gotta do something with lest you be distracted while driving!
Amazon
Promising review: “I just got a new car with bright interior. I was looking for a small trash bin which won’t attract too much attention like a bright spot. I bought this, put is in the my driver’s side door where there’s an extra cup holder. Fits perfect, easy to put small trash in to like wrappers or straw wrappers. It’s not bad at all. I’m definitely satisfied with my purchase.” —Bakhtiyar
Get it from Amazon for $5.99+ (available in three colors).
7.
And a waterproof trash can for containing all the bigger things your family is ready to toss while in your car.
Amazon
Promising review: “If you’re like me and spend a lot of time in your vehicle, you’re bound to pick up some trash as you travel. Whether it’s from fast food, old receipts, or just sneezing with a tissue. This trash box can help keep your car organized. It is just something nice to have.” —Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $9.87+ (available in three colors).
Promising review: “I would’ve been happy if this stuff worked half as well as the reviews made it seem. But holy cow, this fabric cleaner is ~ i n c r e d i b l e ~. I bought a 93 Jeep recently and the inside was pretty gross (check out the photos). The fabric upholstery looked like someone’s Pepsi had exploded everywhere, with dark drippy stains and spots all over the seats. After using this cleaner with a drill brush, these seats looks amazing! It takes some work to really get in there and work a lather, but hoo boy is it worth it. Check out the before and after photos!” —S. Wheeler
Get it from Amazon for $9.99.
9.
A pair of headrest hooks can keep your purse *right* where you need it instead of tumbled over on the floor of your backseat spilling its precious contents of crumpled-up receipts and 78% of the beauty products you own loosely thrown in there.
Amazon
Promising review: “What a great idea! This is the handiest contraption ever. You simply raise your headrest about 1/2″ and clip this to the headrest’s post. It is firm and secure. My handbag’s often heavy and this doesn’t make it tilt at all. I gave one to my daughter who uses it in her car, too. She loves it as her car doesn’t have much floor space as her center console is wide and she often has passengers. Great value for something so useful!” —Just My Opinion
Get a set of two on Amazon for $5.95 (available in black and beige).
10.
A backseat organizer that’ll corral your kids’ stuff because you’d like to see the floor of your car again.
Promising review: “It’s helping keep the minivan under control! Two big sippy cups fit in the drink holders, and they won’t sweat all over the floor. The whole thing is nice and stiff, not saggy. There’s a big plastic back piece, so I expect it’ll stay stiff and strong for a long time. Lots of pockets for markers, pens, activity books, etc. We don’t have car tablets, but the clear pocket is nice for other stuff, too. My toddler tells me about the moose every time she gets in the car now!” —M. T. Jaegerman
Get it on Amazon for $14.97.
11.
A bug remover spray to erase those tiny corpses from your grill where they meet their demise.
Promising review: “This item was recommended by a stranger in the next RV lot at a campground hundreds of miles from home. This Good Samaritan brought his bottle over, sprayed down the front of my bus, and then just wiped half an inch of smashed bugs off it! Just like magic. He then smiled, shook my hand, and left. When we got within two days of home, we ordered this, and it was delivered the day after we arrived. Again, it worked just like magic.” —Hikes in Rain
Get it from Amazon for $17.99+ (available in three sizes).
12.
A dip clip that’ll hook onto your car vent so when you have to eat in your car, spills will be a lil’ less likely.
Promising review: “I love this in my car!!! It stays in place and let’s me do all the dipping I want while I drive without making a mess.” —krystie
Get it from Amazon for $9.99 (available in four colors).
13.
A dedicated wet/dry vacuum (that plugs into the cigarette lighter!) because who has the time to go by the car wash and feed quarters into the vacuum?!
Amazon
Has a 106w motor, strong metal turbine, 16-foot cord, elastic hose, nozzle, and a clear trash compartment so you can see when it’s time to empty it.
Promising review: “The vacuum can get pretty loud, but that’s because there’s a lot of power going through it. It picks up dirt well and with the long cord, you can get around your car with no problem. This vacuum has saved me countless trips to the car wash! Now when my kids spill something I just plug the unit into my cigarette lighter outlet and immediately vacuum up the mess instead of letting it sit and get smashed into the carpeting. Plus it all comes with a nice storage case so you can keep the vacuum and attachments together all in one place and easily store it in the trunk of your vehicle without taking up barely any room at all.” —Angela
Get it from Amazon for $29.97.
14.
A car trunk organizer with non-slip strips on the bottom to keep it (and everything contained within) from sliding around as you hit yellow lights. Just think of how many grocery bags will easily fit in the back around this!
It includes non-slip strips on the bottom and straps to secure it to hooks within your car to keep it in place. And when not in use, it collapsed down for easy storage.
Promising review: “Well after an accident in my last car, everything from my underneath cargo area was in a bag, sliding around the back of my new car. The new car doesn’t have as much underneath cargo space because of the third row seat, so I couldn’t just tuck my stuff away. This has a surprising amount of space. Three spacious compartments; one of the smaller compartments holds a gallon jug of wiper fluid, jumper cables, window cleaner, and a can of pledge. The Velcro strips on the bottom keep the organizer in place and doesn’t slide around at all. It seems quite durable, but that being said, I’m not taking it in and out of the vehicle. It’s big enough to be useful, but not so big that its obtrusive. I’m very happy with my purchase!” —Jamie
Get it from Amazon for $24.99.
15.
If you’re a smoker (or drive around a smoker), this cup holder ashtray will look so much nicer than stray butts or repurposed soda cans.
Amazon
Promising review: “Just what I wanted for my car. They don’t come with ashtrays anymore. This fits in the cup holder, has a cool blue light when the lid is lifted, holds two cigs, and no more lit cigarettes flying back into my lap when flicked out the window. Thank you from those of us who still crave a cig while driving.” —Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $10.87.
16.
A spring-loaded coin holder that’ll corral the jingling change in your car door pocket and fit nicely into a cup holder to help you make speedier money moves in the drive-thru.
Promising review: “Absolutely perfect!! Has a slightly snug fit in the smaller cup holder which is quite alright. No more change flying everywhere out of small pocket when closing the van door! (Ford E250 Cargo Van)” —Ivory Kilpatrick
Get it from Amazon for $11.01.
17.
Trim-able floor mats built to stand up to the elements because you’re not going to wipe off your drenched shoes before you duck into your car during a downpour.
Amazon
AND if you’re wondering “But will it fit my car?” Amazon has a Check Fit option for this product where you can enter your vehicle’s year, make, and model to help you find the perfect fit. Oh, and they’re trim-able!
Promising review: “Very nice, easily cleanable mats. I just take them out of the car and wash them with the car washing brush. I wish I had bought them sooner instead of wearing out two sets of those chintzy synthetic carpet mats which never really came clean in my dusty rural area and allowed my right heel to wear a hole in them after only a couple of years of driving. Even a blob of shoe goo didn’t last long, and looked dumb.” —Critical Thinker
Get it from Amazon for $16.83+ (available in five styles).
18.
A headlight restoration kit that’ll save you about $80 instead of going to the car shop to get this cleaning done. And then you can brag about it to anyone who doesn’t ask why it looks like your car got a facelift.
Promising review: “I have a 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The headlights were to a point where I barely even wanted to drive at night because I had a small blob of light MAYBE 20 feet in front of me, not even. And that’s all it was, my headlights were crap. You just needed to supply water (for wet sanding) and some paper towels to wipe the lights dry between the sanding. The box says 35 minutes. The whole process took me about an hour, hour and a half.
The results though. I am still in shock about them. I saw some pictures of ‘results’ and I thought they were all fake. NO, they are not. It’s that good. I am very pleased with this product, and if it only lasts a couple months, then so be it. I’ll do it again.” —Brad
Get it from Amazon for $19.99.
19.
A steering-wheel cover made of leather and microfiber in subtle (like this) and not-so-subtle color combos in case you just can’t seem to get your steering wheel cover looking clean. This’ll help you start over fresh!
Amazon
Promising review: “Good product, easy to install and looks clean. The leather feels nice and this particular color looks perfect with my black and white interior. Overall it’s comfortable and snug on the wheel.” —Shazaam
Get it from Amazon for $10.19+ (available in seven color combos).
20.
A compact silicone brush to get all the tiny hairs out of your upholstery and carpet that a hand vac just never seems to get.
Promising review: “Great tool for hair removal. I use it in the car, it gets into crevices between seats and along edges where my Dalmatian’s hair accumulates. His hair tends to get interwoven in the upholstery and is virtually impossible to remove with vacuuming alone. This tool gets the hair off amazingly well.” —Susan Sheffield
Get it from Amazon for $11.57.
21.
A powerful tire cleaner that’ll work on all sorts of wheels to clean off the road dust (and so much more).
Amazon
Promising review: “Wow! I spend a long time trying to clean my rims with car soap, dish soap, and other car products without any success. No matter how much I rub and scrub it felt like the the dirt and grime was a permanent part of my rims. I’ve been negligent and haven’t touched my rims in about two years (I know… never again). I was desperate so I decided to do some research as a last attempt. I found this and thought maybe it’s because I need something specifically for ‘brake dusts.’ Decided to give it a try and it actually worked! I had to scrub it with a brush and respray it about two to three times on each rim before it’s 90% like new again but that’s mainly because my rims are so heavily soiled that I don’t blame the product. At the end of the day it did what I needed it to do so I’m happy.” —Rvn101
Get it from Amazon for $16.97+ (available in two sizes).
22.
A glove box organizer so the space that holds your most dear documents won’t be filled with crumpled-up inspection receipts and all sorts of papers that you *think* are important but you’re not quite sure what they are from a glance.
Amazon
Promising review: “For years, I had my car papers sitting in whatever the dealer gave me (maybe an envelope) and whenever the unfortunate situation of getting pulled over had happened, I was always a panicked mess trying to find everything. I moved everything over into this great organizer and now I feel like my glovebox chaos is solved. Highly recommend to any car owner as it is nice to actually have a good setup for a change.” —Joshua R
Get it from Amazon for $12.99.
23.
A sling-like purse holder you can stretch between your front two seats to keep all your essentials within reach and upright, instead of all over the dang floorboard. Seriously, no more lint-covered vials of lip gloss you find a year later.
Amazon
Promising review: “This was the best purchase I have made for myself! It works extremely well, exactly how the description described, which is a rarity these days. I spend a lot of time in my car with my children running back-and-forth doing the mommy thing. This little gadget has made my life so much easier. I actually have the pocket facing me so that way I can put my iPad in it and lay my pocketbook in front.” —Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $19.99 (available in two colors).
24.
Microfiber cleaning cloths that’ll ever so *gently* get all the nitty gritty off of your automobile.
Amazon
Promising review: “Excellent value for the money @ 33 cents per towel! They are fairly thin towels so don’t expect a 5-star hotel plush thick face towel feel. As long as you know that, you won’t be disappointed. I use them for car detailing, spill cleanup, window/mirror cleaning without any Windex, wiping glasses (reading or drinking), oil change rags, waxing my car, and general kitchen usage. Just don’t use these as potholders because they are made of plastic, not cotton, so they will melt lol!” —Amazon customer
Get a 24-pack from Amazon for $8.51.
25.
A set of drill brush attachments you can use in sooooo many ways and places. But it’ll do major things on grungy car seats with a lil’ cleaner.
amazon.com, Amazon
Promising review: “Works great. These are better than expected durability wise. They work great and they seem to last. Bought the variety pack for my leather car interior and the tile shower. Worked great and saved a lot of time on my leather.” —Patricia
Get them from Amazon for $17.95 (available in seven colors).
26.
Mink oil you can use to revive the look (and feel!) of your car’s leather surfaces. They take a lot and they deserve it!
Amazon
Promising review: “Used for conditioning leather in car. Rub a whole can into seats on 2004 Envoy at the beginning of every hot season. No tips or tears.
Leather is very soft and supple.” —E. Kulling
Get it from Amazon for $2.99.
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Become a founding memberPromising review: “Leather Honey is gooey, thick, and almost odorless. It has been used by me on 31 year old leather seats in one car, 6 year old seats in another, and 5 year old seats in a third, and in all three cases it softened, made the leather more pliable, and brighter. I have used a LOT of different products over the years, and I like this better than all of the others for immediate improvement in the look and feel of the leather, and only one other I’ve used provides better restoration of the pliability of worn and dried leather. For leather in normal condition or not treated very often, this is the BEST” —Jerryjohn22
Get it from Amazon for $18.95.
28.
And because so much of somewhere being “clean” has to do with ~smells~, a bamboo charcoal air purifier you can toss in your car and forget about it.
Amazon
You just have to place the bag in the sun (like say, on top of your car?!) once a month to ~refresh~ its odor-neutralizing powers for up to two years.
Promising review: “This stuff works. I farted up a storm in my car the other day just before exiting my vehicle. Typically, I could come back several hours later and it would have a stench of stale farts. Not this time! Upon returning to my car, it smelled quite divine.” —Blackety
Get it from Amazon for $9.85 (available in three colors).
29.
AND IF IT’S A LIL’ MORE DIRE, an air sanitizer even funeral directors recommend will be ever so helpful.
Amazon
OK, when you spray it you may want to vacate your car because it’s strong! But it works! And while you’re here, check out that funeral director rec.
Promising review: “I have been smoking in my leased car. I was very careful not to burn anything and keep the ashes in the tray. But the stench of cigarettes!!!! What was I to do at my lease end? I stopped smoking in the car and put one Ozium canister in the car. It completely eliminated the smoke smell within three days. It emits a mild citrus scent. I swear! It is like I never smoked in there at all. The inspector didn’t smell a thing! Great product!” —Sara
Get it from Amazon for $6.87+ (available in two sizes).
Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.
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Allison Krausman / BuzzFeed
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