Going to the beach can be a lot of fun, but the mess it makes in your car makes you dread returning home to clean it. And whether you parked on the asphalt and trekked all your stuff to the seaside by hand, or drove up to the beach and parked, it doesn’t seem to matter – it seems like you’ve got the same amount of sand inside and outside of your car. In this article, you’ll learn how to protect the interior of your vehicle and get your car back into good shape after the damage is done.

Prevent Sand From Getting Everywhere

If you have a beach trip coming up, it’s always best to try preventing the mess from happening. To protect the interior, cover your seats, floors and trunk with sheets or towels. That way, you can simply take the sheets/towels out of your car and wash them, rather than attempting to vacuum up all of the sand that works its way into your vehicle.

Another way to prevent getting sand inside your vehicle is to take a jug of water to keep in your car as a “rinse jug”. The jug can then be used to rinse your feet off before you get into your car.

Cleaning the Exterior

Regardless of how much you prepare for your beach trip, there’s not much that can be done about the sand and salt water getting on the exterior of your vehicle.

The bottom part of your vehicle suffers the most when you drive it on the sand or have it exposed for prolonged periods near saltwater, and all that grit can jump-start the rusting process.

Once you get back from your trip, you should start by getting your undercarriage rinsed out. Hose off the underneath and making sure the tires, wheels and mud flaps are free of caked-on sand and grit. Then, take your car to your local Valley Car Wash to avoid grinding the salt and sand into your paint job or windows with a home wash.