Maintaining a car’s cleanliness might feel like a tedious task at times, but as a rideshare driver, the upkeep of your car is important because it represents you as a person.
If the passenger has a good first impression, it can lead to improved ratings and tips. Keeping your interior and exterior clean can also extend the (aesthetic) life of your car, which can lead to a higher resale value later on.
We checked with Uber and Lyft drivers from our community to get intel on what they’re doing to keep their cars neat and tidy around the clock. The following products are considered some of the best car cleaning products according to rideshare drivers around the nation.
After receiving the results, we combed through reviews and descriptions of these products online and summarized them below to help you make an informed buying decision.
Which top car cleaning products made our list?
1. AutoSpa Car Duster
This duster is very flexible to move around with its two-sided design especially when you want to reach the inside of wheels for a thorough washing and deep scrubbing. We recommend this if you are intending to clean brake dust and road grime. Plus, the customer reviews so far have been great
The duster is made with professional grade quality materials, has a long chenille microfiber, allows you to reach inside wheels to grab dust from all sides, and it’s easy to handle with its comfortable molded handle.
2. MicroFiber Towels
We don’t advise leaving your car to air-dry after washing it, to avoid water spots developing on the paint which makes the car look less attractive ― after the work you did of getting it cleaned. Microfiber towels absorb water fast and their efficiency is due to the material they are made of ― polyamide and polyester. It also has fantastic customers reviews.
These towels are reusable and machine washable, they removes allergens, dust, smudges and other marks on the car, they’re perfect for cleaning windshield and other car surfaces, and they can be used wet or dry and don’t need chemical products.
3. Meguiar’s ScratchX Scratch Remover
If you notice any faint scratch on your car probably after washing, then use this Meguiar’s ScratchX 2.0 Scratch Remover. It can remove light scratches, blemishes and swirls from all glossy paint finishes and clear coats safely. It can be applied either manually or using a dual action polisher ― no technicality is needed here.
This scratch remover permanently removes defects, is safe on all glossy paints and clear coats, and restores clarity.
4. Leather Cleaner by Leather Honey
Since most cleaning products are now adopted from outside the industry, this leather cleaner has also gained a spot on our list of best car cleaning products. Made by a small USA American family business, the leather cleaner is perfect for any leather and most efficient when used with the leather conditioner manufactured by the same company.
It cleans gently and quickly. Makes 8x ounces when diluted in water. Non-toxic composition. Great for all leather and vinyl types.
5. Aero Cosmetics Waterless Carwash and Wax
Perfect for a quick park and wash. The Aero Cosmetics Waterless Car Wash gently cleans and protects your car while leaving a non-sticky UV protective coating on the vehicle surfaces. This is not recommended for a heavy wash though, as it may not be effective.
This carwash and wax protects and enhances color shine, perfect for a waterless wash. It’s alcohol and ammonia free and used as a spray after wet washing.
6. Mothers 07240 California Gold Clay Bar System
Mothers 07240 California Gold Clay Bar System is one of the most popular clay bars used by most professional detailers and car buddies. We are not including it in our list of best car cleaning products because it is popular, instead, it is because of its proven effectiveness.
It comes with two clay bars for removing particles and contaminants trapped in and under the surface of your car’s clear coat and paint. You will need a detailer or lubricant to use. And you can save more when you purchase it in pack. The customer reviews are great as well.
The clay bar is safe to use on paint, leaves behind an ultra-smooth and sleek paint surface, and it has a long lasting benefit to vehicles.
7. Stoner Invisible Glass Cleaner
Stoner Invisible Glass Cleaner is perfect for dissolving and removing the thin layer of film that builds up on the interior of windshields, door glasses and mirrors. It is tint safe and does not contain ammonia in its composition. But that’s not the real reason we included it in our list of best car cleaning products. Here’s the reason…it is very affordable and cost-effective. The customer reviews are reassuring.
This cleaner features no-drip fine mist spray, cleans any glass products perfectly, and is ammonia free and tint safe.
8. Carpet Cleaner Machine and Shampooer
Passengers are allowed to ride with their pets using Uber and Lyft. It’s irritating when you have to clean stains and dirt from pets on your car carpet. This carpet cleaner machine and shampooer is easy to handle and maneuverable when cleaning your car carpet or fabric seats.
It can also be used to suck liquids like coffee off your fabric. The ability to remove stains well is the reason that it qualifies on our list of best car cleaning products. Plus, customers are giving it lots of kudos online.
This cleaner is good for removing tracked-in dirt and stains, is easy to maneuver and carry, can remove stains like coffee and pet stains, and has a convenient and collapsible handle for easy storing.
9. Spearclean AiroDoctor Mini
The inside of your car needs to be as fresh as the outside, and that means how it smells (or doesn’t!) With the AiroDoctor Mini, you don’t have to worry about smelly food (or, let’s be frank, smelly people…) Spearclean’s AiroDoctor Mini is capable of removing bacteria, allergens, dust and odors from the air.
In our review of Spearclean’s AiroDoctor Mini, we found it removed food smells quickly – within a minute! Learn more about the AiroDoctor Mini.
Final Words
If you travel a lot during the day then you don’t have the benefit of nightfall. At night your car stains or scratches will be less noticeable, but day drivers may need to consider using some or all of the products mentioned above for the car’s longevity and customer satisfaction.
In addition to using the best car cleaning products, there’s some other simple tricks you could use to keep your car nice and tidy.
For example, if you hand wash your car it will give you the chance to get familiar with the car’s surface and inspect it thoroughly. You’ll notice fast if there is any abnormalities on the car.
Also, always search your car for any trash or dirt dropped by passengers. It’s possible some of these passengers may not use the trash bin you have in your car.
Lastly, if your car has an odor, use an air freshener to make the atmosphere more pleasant for you and your passengers. If your car does not have an odor, we don’t recommend adding air freshener as customers could complain and lower your rating (yes, for smelling air freshener, it’s happened).
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