How do you keep your car interior clean?

[LittleBlueBird]

I have a boot bag told myself I’ll drive to the yard in shoes put on my boots then put my shoes on again to go home. Yeah hasn’t happened and my footwell has hay, shavings etc.

Bought a plastic tub to put my coat in after being at the yard, hasn’t happened and my seats are grubby. All these good intentions but never applied so is there an easier way to keep your car decent? I’m getting plastic mats to go over my car mats but bloody hay gets everywhere!

 

[Abacus]

I don't.

 

[fidleyspromise]

I have a lease car while waiting for mine to be repaired/written off.
Let's just say I'll need it valeted before it goes back. I got it 2 weeks ago ?

 

[dorsetladette]

I don't.

Same

 

[gallopingby]

Have car valeted once a month ?

 

[ponynutz]

Big ikea bag in my boot that everything horsey goes in. Still smells sometimes tho so also have two car fresheners in there. They have car hoovers at bigger petrol stations as well.

 

[sportsmansB]

I don't even try
Every now and again I have a big blitz at it if I need to give someone a lift (about once every 2-3 months)

Dogs stay in the boot, and if I need to carry hay or other super messy things I have an old duvet cover to put them in on the back
Its a lovely car too, I am just not motivated to care...

 

[Sparkeyboy]

I have waterproof seat covers, a boot tray and decent mats for the footwells. It still gets filthy and there's nothing worse than hay and straw stuck to the carpet But it makes it easier to give it a quick clean, shake the mats out and seat covers, re-apply and buy another air freshener.

 

[MereChristmas]

Waterproof covers on car seats.
Washable mats in the footwells.
A huge waterproof liner that fits from behind the front seats to the back of the estate area. It was originally bought for a Honda CRV but has been used in all our cars since, currently a Vitara.
Everything possible in bags.
storage boxes for wet boots.
3 large polythene bags big enough for wet rugs, clothes etc.
Shires hay bags for, well, hay.

Most importantly, Mr M, who is great at car cleaning.?

 

[Burnttoast]

I don't.

I don't either. I admire people who can though! I gave a lift to a friend with more delicate sensibilities than mine at a particularly bad point in my car's cleanliness cycle and she said it was like travelling by rail. I don't think it was a compliment although I can't work out exactly what she meant as it was far worse than any train carriage I've ever been in.

 

[EnduroRider]

Like Meredith, I married someone that has a strange liking for cleaning car interiors. Occasionally he needs to borrow my car for moving something that won't fit in his own and as he cannot stand to sit in it grubby he keeps on top of cleaning it!

 

[Julia0803]

I don’t really…

I do have a waterproof cover on the driving seat.

I take wet coats off before getting in and kind of half fold them so the dry inside of the coat touches the back seat of the car.

Yes it gets muddy/full of hay straw.

What I find the worst, and sadly have no answer to, is the damp smell… wet boots/people etc, leave moisture in the car despite my best efforts. It means the car steams up easily and does pong on occasion ?.

 

[sakura]

I wash my boots down as I leave the yard and always change back into regular shoes and take my overtrousers off (usually I'm on my way to work so I would change anyway). My yard coat gets folded on the backseat and sits on top of a blanket so that keeps the seat clean. Other than that, I don't keep horse stuff in the car so I don't have a problem with it being too dirty or smelly. I hoover out the footwell and seats when it gets bad, but I mostly just brush myself down before getting in the car and don't have an issue with much transfer.

You wouldn't know I had a horse just by getting in my car and I like it that way!

 

[Squeak]

I don’t really…

I do have a waterproof cover on the driving seat.

I take wet coats off before getting in and kind of half fold them so the dry inside of the coat touches the back seat of the car.

Yes it gets muddy/full of hay straw.

What I find the worst, and sadly have no answer to, is the damp smell… wet boots/people etc, leave moisture in the car despite my best efforts. It means the car steams up easily and does pong on occasion ?.

Would moisture removers/ catchers work?

 

[tda]

I don't, mine is bad even by my standards, I keep a large m&s carrier bag for any passengers to sit on ?
My brother often takes it and gets it valeted

 

[Barton Bounty]

A dustpan and brush for the floor, and dettol wipes for the dashboard ?at least once a week keeps it clean.

 

[HashRouge]

Mine is much better now I'm on a livery yard, rather than a rented field/ stables set up that involved walking across part of a building site to access. The turnout was fab, but there was nowhere to wash my boots/ tidy up a bit, so even though I had a bag for my wellies, everything seemed to get muddy regardless. Now it's not spotless, but a bit better.

 

[MarvelVillis]

I manage to keep mine reasonably clean/tidy somehow. I drive to the yard in shoes and change into my wellies when I get to the yard, which I keep in a bag in the boot. Always rinse my wellies off before leaving the yard and then change back into my shoes. If my coat is wet I'll take it off for the drive home and then hang it up in the shower when I get home to dry. I try and wash my coat regularly to stop the smell and get rid of the inevitable muck. I've got a waterproof boot liner which helps and I keep an air freshener tied to the dog guard. I get the car cleaned in/out every 1-2 months.

 

[EnduroRider]

Would moisture removers/ catchers work?

If you have functioning air con then always running that (even alongside the heater) is excellent at drying. Mine is dead and I do use these which helps.

 

[rextherobber]

My car is awful, I have no need to carry anything horse related in the car, it's all at the yard, yet the car is full of hair, hay, shavings, and there's still plenty of hay left to fall off in the house...There's also a weird and constant supply of gravel in the drivers footwell, (I don't have any gravel paths). It's horribly damp, which is down to my wet coat, the wet dogs, the wet children. I have a little windowsill dehumidifier which is seriously out of it's depth with that lot. I have a massive clean up pre MOT test, then swear I'm never going to let it get that bad again. I love my car, but you'd never guess... I'm off to order Endurorider's little cushion things now!

 

[sbloom]

Explain the question....?!

 

[Archangel]

1st of month give it a clean inside, do headlights, windscreen, have a rummage under the bonnet to see if anything needs topping up.
Keeps it in reasonable to bearable condition for a car that lugs a lot of mucky stuff about.

 

[Tarragon]

I keep my mucky footwear at the stables. So drive over in normal shoes, and change into riding boots or wellies there, and change back to drive home

 

[Sealine]

I manage to keep my car pretty clean as I leave my coats and boots at the yard in my cubicle. I do keep my saddle in my car and I transport shavings and feed in my car. I find leather seats and rubber mats make is easier to keep the car clean and less smelly.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

Explain the question....?!

I'm glad I'm not the only one who doesn't understand the question!

 

[teapot]

Don’t have a horse, dog or kids

My muddy boots are in a boot bag, plus have a towel covering my boot floor as it were

 

[thefarsideofthefield]

My bmw z3 convertible was a doddle to keep clean - once a week I'd put the top down and go for a really fast drive . Job done .

 

[MuddyMonster]

I don't do too badly, considering.

I have a pair of driving trainers and wellies in car in boot bag
Waterproofs or jogging bottoms changed into at yard & worn over riding tights to minimise dirt sticking
Gloves and hat on at yard to stop dirt and straw etc sticking
Tub trugs in boot for coats, boots & other muddy stuff
Bag for very transporting very wet items
Always keep non horse/dog stuff seperate in car - my sequin heeled shoes or day time bag do not need to share car space with my wellies or dirty saddle pad ?
Change in car hanging scented thing routinely
Stack of baby wipes in car used regularly!

Sounds faffier than it is, but it does work reasonably well! Considering I have a horse on DIY, a dog and I run outside it could be a lot worse. The outside however ...!

 

[Hormonal Filly]

I have a 4x4. The dogs (4!) go in the boot with dog guard. I use it daily and for towing. I tend to let it get dirty for a couple of months.. then spend a good half a day cleaning it myself. I do dread it, but after it looks nice.

I don’t change my wellies, and just hose them off and then drive home. Hoping that isn't illegal? I found it got messier if I changed shoes because so much shavings and hay came out my wellies. I nearly ruined my previous cars seats being fabric. Bought some decent waterproof covers which were a godsend. I’m so thankful my current cars seats are leather. I find the dog hair more of a pain!

 

[jumbyjack]

My car is a rat pit inside and out. Kind of odd when I am so OCD in the house.