A moldable putty you can press into your car vent or along your dashboard to remove rogue particles and clumps of dust — so satisfying you’ll ask your friends to let you do theirs too.
Amazon
Promising review: “I LOVE this product! It works SO well! I love getting in my car and having clean vents and a dashboard. I’m not sure if I can clean the dirt out of the goo yet, but so far I haven’t needed to. Also there is no residue left behind or no smell! The color is definitely a plus!” —Helena
Get it from Amazon for $6.99+ (available in two colors).
2.
A headrest hook to hang your handbag — it’ll prevent all of the gum wrappers, mile-long CVS receipts, and whatever else lives inside your Mary Poppins-like tote from spilling out on the floor whenever you make a sharp turn.
Amazon
Promising review: “I have actually separated the hooks and put one on the back of each front seat to keep my son’s daycare bag and my work bag off the car floor. It keeps our bags cleaner, helps the heat flow through the car better, and prevents items from dumping out onto the floor. We routinely have pretty heavy and/or bulky bags and we have no issues with the hooks holding on. It’s such a small thing, but I feel like it’s made a huge difference in the fight to keep my car interior clean!” —Catherine
Get a set of two from Amazon for $8.99+ (available in two colors).
3.
A cleaning stone reviewers swear works like magic — it’ll keep your pet’s hair from taking over every inch of your back seat.
Promising review: “I do a lot of volunteering where I foster dogs and drive dogs to and from adoption events, so I have lots of dogs in and out of my car (of all different breeds). I do put a cover in my back seat, but fur still gets everywhere and stuck to the back of the seat, too. No matter how much I’ve vacuumed, used lint/tape rollers, etc., it never just really works. I came across this little gem, and I’m so excited. It’s minimal effort (gentle swipes across the seat) and got that fur right off! It was time consuming for my first use because there was so much car to swipe, but I didn’t mind. I’m a total fan of this thing!” —Mollie
Promising review: “I do a lot of volunteering where I foster dogs and drive dogs to and from adoption events, so I have lots of dogs in and out of my car (of all different breeds). I do put a cover in my back seat, but fur still gets everywhere and stuck to the back of the seat, too. No matter how much I’ve vacuumed, used lint/tape rollers, etc., it never just really works. I came across this little gem, and I’m so excited. It’s minimal effort (gentle swipes across the seat) and got that fur right off! It was time consuming for my first use because there was so much car to swipe, but I didn’t mind. I’m a total fan of this thing!” —Mollie
A Rubbermaid power scrubber that, despite its size, will pack a powerful punch when it comes to cleaning the rims of your car. When you’re done you can use it to clean all the grout in your house, too.
Amazon
Promising review: “Impressive speed, torque, and durability for a small battery operated cleaning tool. Brush head seems durable and holds shape after extensive use. Despite my warnings, my daughter did not clean her aluminum alloy rims (painted, not coated) frequently enough and they yellowed. I could not get them clean with typical rim cleaning products like Meguiar’s. I thought all was lost… until I made a poultice with Bar Keepers Friend and water, applied it to the Reveal Power Scrubber brush head, and let it rip! It worked fabulously and removed all the yellowing from her rims. The ability of the brush head to get into the nooks and crannies between and behind the spokes was particularly helpful. I will never scrub rims using a sponge or rim brush tool again.” —Fast Cat
A bamboo charcoal purifying bag that’ll neutralize orders, a must-have if you’ve had tendencies to leave a bag of your leftover fast food in your car overnight (guilty).
Amazon
You can reuse this little pouch for up to two years!
Promising review: “Used this for chemical smell in car from spilled paint thinner in back floor board. Put one on front seat. Closed all windows and after 24 hours chemical odor gone. I previously left all windows down for a week… could not drive this car the smell was so strong. I highly recommend this product.” —Amazon Customer
Promising review: “I have tried many many different sprays, wipes, and concentrates for cleaning vehicle interiors. This is my personal favorite. I love how it penetrates even the most hard stuck-on dirt and makes it easy to wipe up. After a few days with my windows open I noticed that unlike other detail sprays this one dries completely matte and leaves no sticky residue behind. Everyone can appreciate that. The only downside I can think of is that I didn’t order enough. ” —Mom of 2
Promising review: “I have tried many many different sprays, wipes, and concentrates for cleaning vehicle interiors. This is my personal favorite. I love how it penetrates even the most hard stuck-on dirt and makes it easy to wipe up. After a few days with my windows open I noticed that unlike other detail sprays this one dries completely matte and leaves no sticky residue behind. Everyone can appreciate that. The only downside I can think of is that I didn’t order enough. ” —Mom of 2
A nontoxic dusting spray made of water, vinegar, olive oil, and essential oils — it smells so good you may be tempted to wear it as perfume. Spritz a little on your dashboard and get to work!
Pardo Naturals
Pardo Naturals is a Black woman-owned small business run out of Covington, Georgia.
Get it from Pardo Naturals for $8 (available in four scents).
8.
A cordless handheld vacuum so lightweight you’ll be able to clean your car and jam out to Hilary Duff’s “Come Clean” at the same time. We👏love👏to👏multitask👏!
Amazon
Promising review: “This is a great hand vacuum! I bought a second one to keep especially in the basement. I find the suction to be so powerful that I can also use it to clean my car interior (and superior to pricey hand vacuums that are supposedly made for car interiors). It’s made well, easy to use and easy to empty. I keep it plugged in when not in use so it always has a charge. I’d say you get about a good 15 to 20 minutes of constant use until it runs out of power.” —E.M.S.
A scratch- and waterproof seat cover, so once you finishing removing all of the muddy post-dog-park paw prints from your car (lesson learned) you can continue to keep your backseat clean for passengers who aren’t covered in fur and don’t have four legs.
Promising review: “We take our dogs almost everywhere with us, and being active field dogs, they are frequently wet and muddy. This seat protector is great. It is sturdy and fits the special-order bench seat in the back. I love the flaps that come down the sides, which provide additional protection when the dogs jump in and out. It does not slide around, fitting snugly, but not too tight. Also, it installed easily.” —Jenine
Kick mats you’ll be happy you purchased after you see how long it’ll take you to remove the sneaker marks those destructive (but adorable!) kiddos you’re always toting around left all along the back of your car seats.
Promising review: “The minute we turned my son around in his car seat his shoes went on the seat back. Very quickly we realized we needed a kick mat to protect the seat. This one was very easy to install and is wide enough and tall enough to provide full coverage to wherever my little guy’s feet can reach. So far we are very pleased.” —Finest018
A car seat gap filler, so you’ll never have to gag over finding a moldy creature lurking in between your seats while thoroughly cleaning your car. Is that a french fry? Maybe it’s a piece of pizza crust? Hard to say.
Promising review: “I have to admit, my expectations weren’t very high. I thought it was more of a joke when my husband got this for me for Christmas. Little did I realize it would be one of my most favorite gadgets ever! I don’t know if I realized just how many things went missing in my seat gap. It has really saved a lot of things from disappearing into that black hole. It was easy enough to fit into my car and it’s soft! It’s just like an extension of my seat, except it fits every curve of my seat! There really isn’t another product that compares to this. ” —Tessa Forbes
Promising review: “I have to admit, my expectations weren’t very high. I thought it was more of a joke when my husband got this for me for Christmas. Little did I realize it would be one of my most favorite gadgets ever! I don’t know if I realized just how many things went missing in my seat gap. It has really saved a lot of things from disappearing into that black hole. It was easy enough to fit into my car and it’s soft! It’s just like an extension of my seat, except it fits every curve of my seat! There really isn’t another product that compares to this. ” —Tessa Forbes
A microfiber detail duster to banish the dust that seems to endlessly appear on your dashboard and in your air vents.
Amazon
Promising review: “If you are picky about having a clean car, you will like this. This is just what I wanted to keep the brand new interior of my auto dust free. I have a dark charcoal interior and, although I love it, it does show lint and crumbs very obviously. I love the long reach of the handle and I love that the fuzzy cloth picks up the dust instead of just moving it around. It keeps the interior looking like I just had it detailed.” —YmR
A set of leather cleaner and conditioner that’ll leave the seats of the precious car you’ve been using since high school looking like the day you inherited it. It’ll help remove discoloration and soften cracks and dry spots while strengthening the leather itself.
This handy product will work on any color of leather and is really easy to use.
Promising review: “The stuff is amazing, absolutely worth buying. First I applied leather cleaner and allowed it to sit for a few minutes, then took a towel to remove dirt. Then I used my hands to rub the leather treatment in cracks and stitches, took a small clean cloth wiping residue off and my leather never looked this good. About a half bottle left after applying on Acura TL, Nissan Armada SUV, F-350 pickup and Harley Davidson leather seat. Placed the cloth in a sealed zip lock bag to reuse again. Best leather treatment I have found.” —Spiderman
This handy product will work on any color of leather and is really easy to use.
Promising review: “The stuff is amazing, absolutely worth buying. First I applied leather cleaner and allowed it to sit for a few minutes, then took a towel to remove dirt. Then I used my hands to rub the leather treatment in cracks and stitches, took a small clean cloth wiping residue off and my leather never looked this good. About a half bottle left after applying on Acura TL, Nissan Armada SUV, F-350 pickup and Harley Davidson leather seat. Placed the cloth in a sealed zip lock bag to reuse again. Best leather treatment I have found.” —Spiderman
A set of microfiber towels to polish every square inch of your car’s body. It’ll look so shiny you’ll be able to use the hood as a mirror for your next TikTok.
Amazon
Promising review: “Love using these towels. They never let me down. I have literally bought around six-seven packs. I use them all the time when I wax my car or when I need a quick detail. Hands down best towels I’ve used. Quality is amazing and they leave my car so shiny.” —Erick M
A bug remover spray you’ll pat yourself on the back for buying after your next summer road trip — there are few things as disgusting as a bug graveyard on your windshield after a long highway drive.
Promising review: “This item was recommended by a stranger in the next RV lot at a campground hundreds of miles from home. This Good Samaritan brought his bottle over, sprayed down the front of my bus, and then just wiped half an inch of smashed bugs off it! Just like magic. He then smiled, shook my hand, and left. When we got within two days of home, we ordered this, and it was delivered the day after we arrived. Again, it worked just like magic.” —Hikes in Rain
Promising review: “This item was recommended by a stranger in the next RV lot at a campground hundreds of miles from home. This Good Samaritan brought his bottle over, sprayed down the front of my bus, and then just wiped half an inch of smashed bugs off it! Just like magic. He then smiled, shook my hand, and left. When we got within two days of home, we ordered this, and it was delivered the day after we arrived. Again, it worked just like magic.” —Hikes in Rain
Promising review: “As with all the other Chemical Guys products, it does what they say it will do. What I can share with this kit specifically is, the clay itself compared to others I have used in the past, well it simply better due to the stickiness of the product itself. I guess the best way to describe it would be a mix of clay and bubble gum, making it much more effective and quick to pick up particles and shortening clay time to one half in my case. So would I recommend? YES.” —Tom
Promising review: “As with all the other Chemical Guys products, it does what they say it will do. What I can share with this kit specifically is, the clay itself compared to others I have used in the past, well it simply better due to the stickiness of the product itself. I guess the best way to describe it would be a mix of clay and bubble gum, making it much more effective and quick to pick up particles and shortening clay time to one half in my case. So would I recommend? YES.” —Tom
A glass cleaner to ensure you’re not squinting through messy streaks in your windshield while driving. Please, don’t accidentally be a menace to society.
Amazon
Promising review: “This stuff is fantastic! Cleans well and doesn’t streak. Gets windows and mirrors clean the first time, you don’t have to go over them two or three times to get rid of the streaks. Bought to use on my car; it worked so well that I’ve been cleaning every window and mirror in my house with it. Who would have thought that I would ever be excited to clean windows.” —T. Tatum
A wheel cleaner made with an acid-free and pH balanced formula that’ll remove grease, dirt, and grime and leave your car looking like it’s ready to race against Danny Zuko’s in Grease.
Promising review: “It will take one look from your friends to say. ‘Did you buy some new wheels?’ This stuff is absolutely amazing. For the full effect, dismount your wheel, spray the back. Go do something for 10 minutes. Wash with water, no scrubbing needed. Turn the rim face up, do it again. Do the rest of your rims, and don’t forget the tire protectant when you reinstall them. This stuff will handle salt, road tar, off-road dirt and mud; you get it dirty, it comes clean. Where was this stuff when I was racing off-road?” —johnfcon
Promising review: “It will take one look from your friends to say. ‘Did you buy some new wheels?’ This stuff is absolutely amazing. For the full effect, dismount your wheel, spray the back. Go do something for 10 minutes. Wash with water, no scrubbing needed. Turn the rim face up, do it again. Do the rest of your rims, and don’t forget the tire protectant when you reinstall them. This stuff will handle salt, road tar, off-road dirt and mud; you get it dirty, it comes clean. Where was this stuff when I was racing off-road?” —johnfcon
Promising review: “Great item! If you take care of the brushes they will last. I use one for removing wax residue on the outside of the car, and the other one on the inside to dust vents and get the fine dirt out of the texture in the dash. I have maybe lost a couple ‘hairs’ on the first use but I rinse and take care of them and have not had any problems. And they are soft enough to use on the paint.” —Casey Jo
Promising review: “Great item! If you take care of the brushes they will last. I use one for removing wax residue on the outside of the car, and the other one on the inside to dust vents and get the fine dirt out of the texture in the dash. I have maybe lost a couple ‘hairs’ on the first use but I rinse and take care of them and have not had any problems. And they are soft enough to use on the paint.” —Casey Jo
An eco-friendly window cleaner you can keep in the back of your car and break out when you realize your mirrors are looking a bit grimy. Excuse me while I put on Meatloaf’s “Objects in the Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Are.”
Sivi Tidy
This fabulous product comes from a Black woman-owned small business run out of Florida — they create vegan, pet-safe, cruelty-free products and also donate a portion of sales to various charities.
Promising review: “I love the smell of this. it lingers after you clean your windows and does a great job without a lot of elbow grease. This is like my one stop shop for cleaning supplies now. I find myself using the products for multiple things. —Becky
Get it from Sivi Tidy for $12 (available in three scents).
21.
An entertainment organizer with a slot for a tablet and pouches for coloring utensils and toys to keep little ones busy whether you’re headed on a 10 minute drive for a few hours — however long it takes to get to Grandma’s house. After you spend a solid day trying to dig out crayons and kid’s snacks from various crevices in your vehicle, you’ll understand while you need this.
Amazon
Promising review: “Two big sippy cups fit in the drink holders, and they won’t sweat all over the floor due to the neoprene insulation. The whole thing is nice and stiff, not saggy like some all fabric ones I’ve seen; there’s a big plastic back piece, so I expect it’ll stay that way for a long time. Lots of pockets for markers, pens, activity books, etc. We don’t have car tablets, but the clear pocket is nice for other stuff, too. My toddler tells me about the moose every time she gets in the car now!” —M. T. Jaegerman
And a sun visor organizer so you’ll never find yourself scrambling for a pen, important papers, or a charging cord while you’re out and about. You and I both know right now all of these things are currently chaotically stowed away in your glove compartment or middle console in a crumpled mess.
Amazon
Promising review: “I absolutely love this thing. It holds my lighters, earrings, cards, and even my sunglasses. Another thing that I love about this is that I can easily hold any papers in there that I want. It is amazing for the price and I recommend anyone to buy this who doesn’t have enough room in their car to put a lot of their stuff.” —brooke
Get it from Amazon for $15.97 (available in three colors).
Amazon
Promising review: “I absolutely love this thing. It holds my lighters, earrings, cards, and even my sunglasses. Another thing that I love about this is that I can easily hold any papers in there that I want. It is amazing for the price and I recommend anyone to buy this who doesn’t have enough room in their car to put a lot of their stuff.” —brooke
Get it from Amazon for $15.97 (available in three colors).
23.
A new air filter, because sometimes it may just be worth it to replace the mess instead of cleaning it. Go ahead, embrace the “easy way out” just this once.
Promising review: “I know very little about cars but I do know quite a bit about saving money. I went to get my airbag replaced this past month and they recommended I replace my cabin air filter. It was going to cost $60 and $40 for labor!! I YouTubed a tutorial and it looked so simple. I bought one on Amazon (same brand) for less than $20!!! For a 26-year-old (completely inexperienced with cars) who spent 10 minutes on YouTube and an extra 10 minutes in installation, I saved over $80!!! I probably would have had to wait at the dealer more than the 20 minutes it took me overall and would have had to pay an extra $80. No thank you!!” —Vanessa C.
Get it from Amazon for $8.17 — but make sure to fill out the vehicle info drop downs at the top of the page, so you know it’s compatible with the car you have (if it’s not, then Amazon will direct you to one that does!)
24.
An organizer for your trunk that’ll make grocery shopping a much less daunting task. You can also use it to separate your emergency tools and car cleaning supplies from everything else — if your trunk currently looks like something exploded inside it (ahem, mine does) then this is a worthy investment.
Promising review: “I’m a visiting nurse and I often have a disaster of a trunk when it comes to medical supplies. Thanks to this beast of a storage option I can organize the supplies for quick access, take inventory of what I’ve got back there easily, and maintain a clean environment suitable for work! Excellent! Highly recommend.” —Shaun
Get it from Amazon for $22.99+ (available in two colors).
Promising review: “I’m a visiting nurse and I often have a disaster of a trunk when it comes to medical supplies. Thanks to this beast of a storage option I can organize the supplies for quick access, take inventory of what I’ve got back there easily, and maintain a clean environment suitable for work! Excellent! Highly recommend.” —Shaun
Get it from Amazon for $22.99+ (available in two colors).
25.
A scratch remover to buff out those not-so-cute scrapes you acquired when you got into that fender bender last month. It happens to the best of us.
Promising review: “This was the first time I had ever attempted a project like this and I was able to get great results without any special tools. I just used the polishing pad included, a microfiber towel and some high grit sand paper for the tougher spots. Everything worked out well. I finished the job with Turtle Wax polish. The pictures speak for themselves. This stuff works!” —TEXAS95
Heavy duty wipes you won’t know how you ever lived without — they’ll tackle all kinds of stains including grease, oil, dirt, ink, paint, permanent marker, crayon, wax, scuffs, lipstick, adhesives and decals, nail polish, food, drinks, and pet stains. You might as well order two right off the bat…
Promising review: “Just got it in the mail and I immediately cleaned the interior (dash/cup holder area) of my 2018 Prius. The sheets are very wet and do a great job of cleaning. Didn’t know how dirty my car was. When I was done, the sheets were a dark brown. The scent is great as well. Definitely will be buying again.” —Travis
Febreze car vent air fresheners, because if you’re going to spend all this time and effort making your car look clean again, it might as well smell nice.
Amazon
Promising review: “I love these, my favorite is that there is an adjustable wheel that controls the amount of scent that is released, which is necessary because other car fresheners are GONE in 30 days then you have to buy another one, that is not the case with these, and they also come in a pack of four so you will not run out for the next six months at least.” —Max Hood
And a 10-piece detailing kit that’ll provide you with anything and everything to make your car look like you just picked it up from the dealership.
Amazon
This kit comes with a wash formula, spray wax, interior cleaner, odor-eliminating spray, scratch and swirl remover, tire shine, two microfiber towels for drying, and one foam applicator.
Promising review: “This kit has everything you need to have a great-looking car as long as you give it the time and effort. I have bought a few car cleaning kits and this one has by far the best chemicals and best variety. Everything you need for inside and out unless you have leather seats. Good value, 10/10 would recommend.” —Garett
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