We all know the importance of regularly cleaning your car. However, if you’re looking for ways to keep the kids entertained, why not get them involved and make it a fun family activity.
Washing your car with the kids is a great way to make their play more productive, helping you restore that flawless finish to your car while keeping them engaged. Extra pocket money is optional (but highly encouraged!) So, grab a sponge and get involved!
When washing the car with the kids, all you need is a bucket, sponge, cloths and some car shampoo – hopefully you can dig these out of your garage. If not, Halfords can help with our wide range of car cleaning esssentials. You can get everything you need to wash your car from just £5 from Halfords – that’s less than the cost of most high-street car washes. You’ll need to provide hot water and some elbow grease, while we’ll supply the rest.
Here are our five tips to make car cleaning as a family a whole lot of fun!
Get out the Car Wash and Wax
Like an F1 pit crew, it’s time to get busy and see just how quickly you can clean your car. Most commercial car washes take between 5–10 minutes, so that’s your starting point.
The Halfords 10 Litre Bucket should carry enough water to clean most cars. Don’t be tempted to use a household detergent as these harsh chemicals could damage your car’s finish. Instead, use a special car cleaner like the Halfords Car Wash and Wax. Start the timer, and off you go!
A race to clean your car from front to back
Set the adults against the kids and see who is the fastest car cleaner. Adults start at the front, kids at the back. At some point, you’ll meet in the middle – it could get messy!
A car sponge, like the Halfords Car Wash Sponge, will be tough on dirt and grime, but soft on your motor’s finish. It’s flexible enough to glide over the contours of your vehicle and get into those small gaps. They’re suitable to use on glass, bodywork and wheels – including alloys, and are just £1 each.
Dry and polish with microfibre cloths
Nobody said getting the perfect finish was easy – you’ve got to work for that showroom shine. Our Halfords Microfibre Cloths can be used inside and out, to perfect your paintwork and bring back some elegance to your car interior. You’ll find five colourful cloths that are engineered to provide an expert finish whether they’re used to clean, dry or polish.
Make polishing fun by setting a timer and see how fast you can buff your car. Work as a team and you’ll be much quicker! Record your best times somewhere and see if you can smash your personal best.
Channel your inner Karate Kid and take your car cleaning to the next level by applying a specialist car wax and polish. Using a microfibre cloth, apply your wax in long strokes. Set your kids a challenge to see who can get their part of the car the cleanest. Remember: wax on, wax off.
Car as a classroom
The key to making cleaning fun is to get creative. While cleaning the car, explain to your children how the various parts and systems work. Teach them about the importance of crucial components like the battery, ignition and spark plugs. Show them how to oil doors to remove squeaks, measure tyre pressures and check lubricant levels to keep things working smoothly.
Open up the bonnet and use your car as a classroom, describing what the various parts of your car are and what they do while cleaning each area as you go. Sit your child in the driver’s seat and explain to them what all the various knobs, switches and levers do. There are hours of fun to be had and some important life lessons too.
Car treasure hunt
Your car should look as good inside as outside. Set your kids a challenge and get them to dig for buried (or, more like, lost) treasure inside your car! If they find any golden nuggets, they can keep them.
They’ll need to pile up everything outside the car to ensure that nothing gets lost or goes missing (like your precious locking wheel nut, 12v adaptor or mobile phone cable). Once everything is out of the car, you can get to work with a vacuum cleaner and your microfibre cloths. A paintbrush or toothbrush can be effective at getting into tight spaces like air vents. Use your imagination to fire theirs.
Tips for keeping your car clean with kids
It’s one thing to get your kids involved when cleaning the car, but how do you get your vehicle to stay that way for as long as possible when you have little ones?
We all know things can get a little messy when you have children, but there are still ways to keep your car interior cleaner for longer.
Remove odours
A regular spray of air freshener is a quick way to freshen up your car interior. A quick blast will eliminate odours from your little one’s spillages and other mishaps. We have a wide range of air fresheners at Halfords from sprays to hanging air fresheners or ones to place under your car seat.
Car interior wipes
Car wipes are a quick and convenient way to remove stains, dust and dirt from your car interior. We stock car wipes that can clean a variety of surfaces from your dashboard to glass to fabric and leather seats. Wipes can be easily stored in your glovebox and whipped out whenever you need them!
Car interior shampoo
For tougher stains, a car interior shampoo will do the trick. The Autoglym Interior Shampoo can be used on a variety of surfaces from car seats, steering wheels and car mats, removing stains and spillages to leave your car feeling fresh.
By following our tips and involving your family, not only will you have a better-looking car, but you can keep it cleaner for longer too. Our bucket bundle includes everything you need to restore your car’s basic brilliance. Whatever car you drive and whatever state it’s in, Halfords can help bring back its shine with a few smiles along the way.
