6 Must Have Items for Your Mobile Car Cleaning Kit

The summer is a lovely time of year by any measure, and driving your car while enjoying the weather is what the open road is all about, but getting out more frequently means you’re going to be dealing with a dirty car more often than not. Washing and detailing your car on a weekly basis is an intensive task, and unless you can find the time, it might not be realistic. This is where the mobile car cleaning kit comes in handy. You can spiff up your ride in no time, while keeping the complete overhaul to when you can actually find the time. Here are some choice products to keep you clean.

Quick Detailer

Known by many names: Meguiar’s Quik Detailer, Autoglym’s Rapid Detailer, Mothers Instant Detailer, so on and so forth, these spray bottles allow you to remove dirt, bird crap [link to bird poop article], contaminants, other foreign bodies from your paint, or just give it a quick shine when on the move. They’re not only way more beneficial to your car’s paint than water by removing unwanted substances and also leaving a layer of protecting super formulas behind.

Microfiber Cloths

We tend to always keep at least two microfiber cloths in our cleaning kit arsenal: one being used to finely polish surfaces that might look a bit dull; and the second one for getting rid of (again with the poop stuff) bird crap, insects, dirt, or to cleaning wheels. The great thing about these cloths is they’re cheap and can be washed over and over again, plus they fit basically anywhere so you can always have them on hand.

Protectant Interior Wipes

A snot here, a booger there, and a messy leather surface all around. And we’re not just talking about kids in the car, because friends and relatives are the leading cause of car contamination. Protect your insides with wet wipes specifically designed for the leather and plastic surfaces of your car’s interior. The ease of use mixed with the cleaning agents make your life much easier, and also get rid of the problem before it has time to really get under your skin.

Mini Vacuum

If you’re OCD (like this author) then knocking your feet before you step in your car will just not do. You could go for all-weather mats [link to mat article] but if you’re keeping the car’s aesthetics in place, they will stick out like a sore thumb. Or you could leave your shoes at home and drive barefoot, though in modern society, that’s probably not an option. Alas, the vacuum, or something as familiar as the DustBuster, which seems to have been a staple in every household the late 80s and early 90s. They’re cheap, effective, and they’re great at sucking!

Glass Cleaning Wipes

You don’t want to have to keep carrying around more and more bottles of cleaning supplies in your car, because that almost defeats the purpose of a mobile kit. Instead, opt for glass wipes from companies such as Rain-X, which are portable and convenient. You can use the wipes to compliment your rain repellent wax and then to clean your dirty windshield. You get the added benefit of producing a hydrophobic layer that repels water, leaving your windshields free of obstructions.

‘New Car Scent’ Air Freshener

The simplest and most lasting accessory to “clean” your car. Maybe it won’t help with the visual atrocities, but the ‘New Car Scent’ tree air freshener is a staple in anyone’s automotive arsenal. As soon as you step foot inside, you know that masking fragrance anywhere. It’s the Ginsu knife of disguising that stench and you’ll be thankful every day you slowly reveal the plastic wrap from the tree releasing more of that beautiful, synthetic mixture. It’s like Christmas everyday; an advent calendar for your car.