Cleaning your car with natural products

The bodywork

Black soap diluted in warm water will do the trick for this job. Dip a sponge or microfibre cloth in the mixture and rub the bodywork, starting from the top of the car. Then, rinse with clean water. Add a little white vinegar to the rinse water to avoid lime marks.

Headlights

Use baking soda. Start by soaking a damp, non-abrasive sponge in a solution. Gently rub the entire surface of the lights and then rinse with clean water. To make the lights shine, apply a little oil (olive, sunflower or peanut) with a cloth.

Windows and windscreen

Add white vinegar and a few drops of washing-up liquid to hot water. Use this mixture as a window cleaner, then rub it with newspaper to shine.

Rims

Use a mixture of white vinegar and water and rub your rims with a cloth (unless your rims are made of aluminium, in which it is better to use a special product). A clay bar, applied with a damp cloth, can also be very effective.

Tyres

Use a thick mixture of water and baking soda. Apply it to the tyres and drive a few metres to spread it over the whole surface. Rinse with clean water.

Carpets and rugs

Use baking soda to prevent carpets and rugs from deteriorating too quickly. Sprinkle it evenly over the entire surface of the carpets and leave it on for about 15 minutes before vacuuming. The action is both cleansing and deodorising. For a thorough cleaning job, brush the bicarbonate of soda after sprinkling and leave it for several hours before vacuuming.

Fabric seats

Make a paste of baking soda and white vinegar. It should be thick enough to apply to the stains and scrub with a brush. Allow it to dry before vacuuming the seats.

Leather seats

For leather, you can use baby lotion or lanolin-based cleansing milk for a nourishing and cleaning action. Beef fat also works well, as it will leave your seats feeling soft and looking shiny.

Dashboard

Clean all the plastic parts with soapy water (while carefully avoiding any electronics). To add extra shine, soak a soft cloth in a few drops of cooking oil.

Eliminating odours

To combat unwanted odours, sprinkle baking soda on the affected areas. Leave it on for half an hour and then vacuum it up. To keep the interior of your car smelling fresh, spray a few drops of essential oil on a wooden clothes peg. Then, hang the peg in the cabin. Lavender or peppermint works well, but you can choose your favourite natural scent.

Natural products are both economical and environmentally friendly. They are also very effective for cleaning the interior and exterior of your car, so use your favourite natural products for your next car wash !