May is in full swing, and while our state is still practicing social distancing to flatten the COVID-19 curve, the ocean never shut down. Even if you’re planning a trip to the beach for a quick in-and-out session, you can guarantee that sand and saltwater will make its back to your car. Below are 3 tips to keeping your car clean on a beach day.
SAND
It sometimes feels like there’s no escape from sand. No matter how hard you try to keep sand at the beach, you can’t help but trap some in your suit, your slippers and your hair – all of which end up in your car. It may seem like an obvious answer, but a high-power vacuum will help solve your problem. The key to clearing out all the sand? Vacuum as slow as possible. When you try to vacuum too quickly over mats and seats, the sand particles tent to jump around. Give your vacuum enough time to work its magic.
SALTWATER
Salt has a nasty way of causing metal to rust and corrosion to set in on your vehicle. We recommend rinsing your car off when you get home from the beach, especially the undercarriage, to prevent saltwater damage.
SUN
The sunshine will not only damage your car’s exterior, but also make the interior uncomfortably hot. Direct sunlight into your vehicle will heat up your seats, driving wheel and dashboard. Stay ahead of the heat and park in the shade at all costs. We also suggest investing in a sunshade visor for your front windshield on the days that shaded parking just isn’t an option. The hotter your car is post-swim, the more you will sweat – and the more you sweat in your car, the smellier it becomes over time. While investing in a dashboard visor, maybe grab some car fresheners too.
While we absolutely encourage your beach day to be full of fun in the sun, we also recommend you to take these extra steps to keep your car in tip top shape. Do you have any special cleaning methods after days at the beach? We’d love to hear about them in the comments below.