How to get sand out of your car

Hopping in your car and heading to the beach is a classic Aussie summer experience – right up there with watching the cricket, jumping into a cool pool and tucking into a tray of mangoes.

Unfortunately, it also wouldn’t be summer if you didn’t get home, look at your car carpets, and realise you’ve brought half the beach back with you. Last year we put together a beach-goers guide to summer car care, and this summer we’re back with some fresh new tips.

While it’s tempting to leave said sand in your car and put it in the ‘too hard basket’, it’s generally best not to leave sand in your car for any length of time. It will only take advantage of your generosity by scratching hard surfaces, making itself at home deep in your carpets, and wearing away your upholstery.

It’s a simple cleaning job if you tackle things in the right order, and learn a few hacks that can help you kiss all those unwanted little bits of beach goodbye.

Start with the hard surfaces. Use tools that will remove and collect sand without doing any damage, such as a damp microfibre cloth (keep washing the sand out of the cloth so it doesn’t scratch surfaces), a dustpan and soft broom, detailing brushes, or a vacuum cleaner with soft brush attachment. 

To get sand out of hard-to-reach nooks and crannies, try blowing it out using a compressor or compressed air canister. Or use a detailing putty or Blu Tack to pick it up.

Remove your mats and give them a good shake well away from your car (picture your car as a neighbouring family on the beach – you really don’t want to shake your towel out upwind of them). Hang the mats up and bash them with a broom (think of this as a free gym session). Then lay them flat and use a stiff-bristled brush, such as car carpet and upholstery brush, to get more sand out, before giving them a once-over with a vacuum cleaner.

Leather seats can just be vacuumed. If you have fabric seats, use the stiff brush to dislodge sand then vacuum it up.

Now it’s time for the carpets. Use the stiff brush to bring sand to the surface. You’ll get more sand out by brushing in different directions. Then vacuum.

Ever heard of Sisyphus? The Greek hero cursed to push a rock up a hillside for all eternity? You may well empathise with him while de-sanding your carpet. Brush and vacuum... brush and vacuum... brush and vacuum. To reduce your eternal torment, try applying some good vibrations. Gently tap the carpet with a rubber mallet, or use an electric sander (without the sandpaper), or even a massage gun, to get that sand to the surface. If you can vacuum it up at the same time as doing the vibrating, all the better.

Don’t want to go through this again? It’s so much easier to get sand off rubber. Consider installing rubber mats and a rubber boot liner, or use sheets or a tarp, to keep sand off your carpets. Post-beach, make sure you shower and wipe down your feet before getting in the car. It can also be a good idea to put all your sandy gear in a plastic container in the boot. After all, summer’s supposed to be about about taking it easy.