How to clean the car boot at home like a pro

By its very nature your car boot or luggage area, in the case of a hatch, is a haven for collecting a host of unwanted dirt and grime along with other assorted rubbish, yet is often neglected when the car is cleaned allowing the accumulation of dirt to produce permanent stains or unpleasant odours.

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes, 32 seconds.

Aside from any stains or odours, there are a number of items – such as old takeaway food cartons – that can cause harmful bacteria to develop. It is, therefore, advisable to wear gloves when detailing your car boot.

A Consumer Report study found on average, the steering wheels, driver's seat floor, rear seats, and gear shift lever contained an average of 700 bacteria per 10 square centimeters. The worst area: the car's boot with 1 000 per 10 square centimeters.

https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2011/04/microbiologists-your-car-s-filthy/index.htm

Tips

1. Take care of the basics

Ensure you remove all loose items before starting the cleaning process. This includes the spare wheel, jack, and other tools as well as loose carpets or covers.

Once the trunk is empty, vacuum it thoroughly to remove the more obvious dirt from the carpeting and tyre well.

2. Nasty Stains

There are a number of tricks to removing stains using simple household items.

Baking soda is a good method for removing fuel spills from the canister you used to get fuel for the lawnmower. Leave the baking soda on for a couple of hours (if still wet, repeat the baking soda step) and then vacuum it off. After vacuuming, a combination of dishwashing liquid and hot water is usually enough to complete the job. Soak the stain and then brush and clean.

You can use old, dried coffee grounds to absorb any lingering odour.

3. Other unusual products

Baking soda is also useful when cleaning the carpet. Just start sprinkling baking soda on the carpeting, leave it there for a few minutes and then vacuum it off. This technique should help remove any stains and odours from the fabric.

However, if you want to be more thorough, try sprinkling the baking soda and just brushing the surface with a damp brush. This should help further clean the fabric. You can also do this to the carpet located in the trunk.

4. Beware of hidden dirt

The seals around the boot lid build up grease and dirt as time goes by, but there are some straightforward solutions. Using a cleaning agent, wrap a soft fibre cloth around the bristles of a narrow brush and run it through the seals. The soft cloth ensures no damage is caused to the seals, while the brush allows easy access into hard-to-reach places.

To keep the boot neat, tidy, and clean a good idea is to invest in a boot organiser to keep permanent items safe and out of the way.

Want to get the latest on road-tripping, car care, auto advice, and more? Sign up for all the info you didn’t know you needed!