Five things to keep your car clean

It’s important to protect rubber and vinyl surfaces from Australia’s harsh UV rays, and while there’s a bundle of products available for the job, many leave an oily residue that attracts dust or feels slimy to the touch. In our experience 303 Aerospace Protectant protects without the greasy residue. It’s antistatic and restorative, while also acting as a sunscreen for your car’s vulnerable surfaces. It’s safe to use on vinyl, fibreglass, carbon-fibre, rubber, seals, plastic and leather – the perfect protective spray for the perfectionist.

Whether it’s sticky seats or crusty carpets, Autoglym’s Interior Shampoo is just the thing for freshening up your interior. This deep-cleaning shampoo removes stains, freshens and deodorises fabric materials including synthetic and velour fabrics, and is tremendously effective in drawing ground-in grit and dirt from well-worn floor mats. I’ve used the Autoglym product safely on head-linings, consoles and door trims, too. In fact the manufacturer says it’s safe on just about any interior surface that isn’t glass or leather.

An oldie but a goodie, Autosol Metal Polish has been around since 1929, and a staple of my own cleaning kit since 1992. Available in a toothpaste tube-size package, the paste polishes stainless steel, chrome and brass safely (a separate Autosol product is available for aluminium), removing light surface rust and oxidisation, tarnish and other stains with minimal effort. It also seems to last a really long time, the product containing a wax-like coating to protect metal surfaces from further corrosion and degradation.

I’ve covered How to Wash Your Car in detail previously. But one of the best tips we can offer is to use a little Bowden’s Own ‘After Glow’ as part of the drying process. It leaves a terrific protective shine on the paint and is perfect for removing stubborn water spots. It’s safe on paint, clear-coat, rubber, glass, plastic and metal surfaces, and can even be used to ‘top up’ wax and other protective coatings. Best of all, Bowden’s Own products are Australian made.

As a stickler for a clean windscreen, nothing annoys me more than windscreen wash that isn’t up to task. I’ve tried dozens of brands of windscreen cleaner in my decades on the road and have found nothing works better than Volkswagen Screenwash Concentrate. Whether it’s road grime, bugs, frost, sap, bird droppings or random waxy or oily residue the VW-branded washer soap is extremely effective. Oh, and if you live in a cold climate, the winter-spec concentrate resists freezing down to -70 degrees!