12 Overlooked Areas in Cars and How to Clean Them

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A car is a very personal possession, but it can easily turn into a bad storage space where we keep overflow items that don’t quite belong. Beside using a truck or backseats for storage, often these areas can become gross and filthy.

Many drivers focus on the obvious areas but overlook some of the dirtiest spots that can harbor bacteria, grime, and allergens. These hidden spots require special attention to ensure your vehicle remains both hygienic and comfortable.

Between the storage spaces and the small crevices between the seats there are many areas that might require your attention in order to keep your car in top condition.

Seat Belts

Seat belts accumulate sweat, food particles, and skin oils, making them surprisingly disgusting. Since they’re often overlooked during routine cleaning, they can become particularly grimy over time. Make sure to extend the belt fully and scrub both sides with a gentle cleaner to keep them fresh.

Similarly, if you have young children, child safety seats also accumulate crumbs, spills, and dirt from frequent use by young passengers. The straps and crevices in these seats can harbor bacteria and allergens if not cleaned regularly.

Steering Wheel

The steering wheel is one of the dirtiest areas in your car because it’s such a high touch area, often harboring more germs than a toilet seat. Hands constantly touch it, transferring oils, dirt, and bacteria from everything you’ve touched during the day. Additionally, when we talk and cough we release germs that the steering wheel is in a perfect location to capture. Regularly wiping it down with disinfectant is crucial to keeping it clean and reducing the spread of germs.

Floor Mats

Floor mats take the brunt of dirt and debris from your shoes, trapping mud, dust, and food particles. Over time, this can lead to unpleasant odors and a significant buildup of all sorts of mud, dirt, dust, grime, and mildew.

Dashboard

The dashboard tends to accumulate dust, pollen, and other airborne particles that settle on its surface. Sunlight can also bake these particles onto the dashboard, making them harder to remove over time.

Air vents are often overlooked, but they can harbor dust, pollen, and other allergens that are circulated through the cabin. When left uncleaned, they can reduce air quality and spread contaminants throughout the car.

Trunk

The trunk often serves as a catch-all for various items, including groceries, sports equipment, and tools. In our car it often harbors golf clubs, sweatshirts, an ice scraper, and various tool we hardly ever use. Over time, these items can leave behind dirt, debris, and even spills that create a mess.

Seat Crevices

The small crevices between and underneath car seats are notorious for collecting crumbs, coins, and other small debris. These areas are difficult to reach, making them easy to overlook during routine cleaning.

Headrests

Headrests, while not touched as frequently as other parts of the car, still collect oils, hair products, and dust. These can contribute to an overall dirty and greasy feel, especially in vehicles that see a lot of passengers. Cleaning them with a fabric cleaner or a disinfectant spray can help keep them fresh.

Glove Compartment and Center Console

The center console often becomes a bizarre wasteland with medicines, coins, toll devices, sunglasses, and other odd ‘junk drawer’ type items. Because it often contains cup holders, armrests, and storage compartments, it evens up becoming a strange area in the car with a combination of spills, dust, dirt, and garbage.

Furthermore, the glove compartment often overflows for similar types of items. Keep the glove box minimal with only registration, insurance info and necessary car info or tools in the event of any issues.

Control Areas

Window controls are frequently touched, leading to a buildup of dirt and oils from your fingers. These small buttons and switches can become sticky and less responsive over time.

Sun visors are often touched as you adjust them, transferring oils and dirt from your hands. They also tend to collect dust over time, especially when left in the down position.

Seats (Cushions and Pockets)

Seat pockets are convenient for storing items, but they also collect dust, crumbs, and other small debris. Over time, these pockets are filled with absolute nonsense that we forget we put in there.

Seat cushions absorb a lot of dirt, sweat, and spills, which can lead to stains and odors. Over time, these elements can break down the fabric, leading to wear and tear.

Under the Seats

The area under the seats is a magnet for trash, dirt, and forgotten items. This hidden space often collects crumbs, wrappers, and other debris that are difficult to reach.

Car pedals are constantly in contact with your shoes, which add dirt, grime, and moisture from the outside not just to the pedals, but underneath and around the driver’s area.. Over time, this can cause the pedals to become slippery and less effective.

Cup Holders

Cup holders are notorious for collecting sticky residues from spilled drinks, crumbs, dust, coins, and all sorts of other odd things. Most people do notice the items and dirt building up in these small crevices but still they are often neglected–leading to a buildup of grime that can be tough to remove.

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