Many people love the whole beach experience — the sea, the sun and even the sand. But let’s be honest: The sand would be a lot more lovable if it stayed at the beach.
Spending hours vacuuming stubborn grains of sand from seats, carpets and all the crevices of your car can take some of the shine off a sunny day.
The good news is, you don’t have to choose between an fun beach day and a clean vehicle. Here are some tips to keep the sand at bay and make cleanup easier.
Weekend Road Trips in the Northeast
Looking for a weekend getaway? The Northeast is full of fascinating museums, natural beauty, quirky destinations and more. Just hop in the car and head out on one of these road trips.
Go now!Sandproof Your Car
- Line your trunk with a garbage bag or fitted sheet with the elastic facing up to trap more sand. This tip comes from Real Simple, which also emphasizes that you can never have too many resealable plastic bags at the beach; they come in handy for everything from carrying home wet and sandy bathing suits to phone protection. For added sandproofing, put sheets or towels on the car seats, too.
- Plastic or rubber floor mats can help contain sand and all you have to do is shake them out when you arrive home.
- Use a mesh beach bag that the sand can slip right through.
- Don’t forget to shake out all towels, clothing and the beach bag before getting in the car.
- Bring a small soft brush with you to take care of extra-clingy sand on your feet before getting into the car. It’s also a good idea to keep a jug of water and extra towels in the car for stubborn sand removal.
- Passengers can sprinkle baby powder on the sand clinging to them, which dries out the sand and makes it easier to remove. NAPA Auto Parts recommends making a DIY pouch with corn starch or baby powder.
- If you’re more of a buyer than DIYer, there are plenty of sandproof products on the market you might want to try. Check out this list from HGTV.
AAA members get discounts at NAPA Auto Parts, online and in select stores.
How To Get Sand Out Of Car Carpet and Interior
- The sooner you can get the sand out the better, so it doesn’t scratch the seats or the interior.
- A vacuum is your best friend. Either take your house vacuum or a shop vacuum and start by vacuuming the seats, in case sand falls on the car floor. Shop vacs are best for this because they have strong suction and are good for messy jobs. Plus, sand could damage the vacuum you use in your home.
- Next, remove the floor mats and vacuum them outside the car. Vacuum the carpet, then put the mats back.
- To get sand out of crevices, try using a paintbrush, cotton swab or toothbrush. If you want to be extra thorough, perhaps at the end of summer, when beach days are in your rearview, you might want to take the car to a detailing shop.
So, don’t fear the sand. The beach awaits.
How do you get sand out of your car? Leave us your tips in the comments.
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At home, fill a gallon jug with cold water for each member of the group and leave it in the car while at the beach. Then after using the soft brush or towel to brush most of the sand off little legs, feet hands, and arms, (check the water temperature before pouring on little feet) a refreshing rinse of water–my kiddos loved that!
Baby powder sprinkled on your feet or wherever there is sand (on objects as well) and wiped off with a washcloth or small towel works well to remove most of the sand before you get into the car.