Green Cleaning Products for Your Car or Truck

Homemade Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products Keep Your Car Clean and Help Save the Planet

Mavyn McDaniels
Most eco-friendly or health-conscious folks have shunned chemical-laden, toxic cleaning products for household cleaning, but when it comes to car care, sometimes we forget that eco-friendly cleaning products work just as well as conventional car care options for cleaning windshields, dashboards and upholstery. From upscale cars to the toughest work trucks, all natural green cleaning products will get rid of the dirt and grime and leave your vehicle with that much-loved new car smell.

Green cleaning products for your car or truck are easy to make and are a money-saving option that helps you limit your environmental impact in a number of ways. First off, avoiding the harsh, toxic chemicals found in conventional car care products will immediately limit the amount of toxins you release into the environment and that you and your family come in contact with. This alone is a healthy, eco-friendly reason to immediately stop using conventional car care products.

Homemade eco-friendly cleaning products for your car also limit the amount of waste that you and your family create since you will be able to reuse a single cleaning product container over and over again, rather than disposing of single-use car care product containers. In fact, if you already have a spray bottle or other container from a conventional car care product, you can clean and reuse that container for your DIY eco-friendly cleaning products without having to purchase a new container for your homemade product.

Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products for Your Car: Glass Cleaner

Homemade glass cleaner is a great, natural way to clean the inside and outside of your windshield and car windows. A simple solution of one part distilled white vinegar and two parts water mixed in a spray bottle will work wonders on dirty windshields. If you have used commercial glass cleaning products in the past, put a small amount of dish soap in your eco-friendly cleaning product the first time you use it - this will remove the waxy build up left by conventional cleaners and give you a streak-free shine.

Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products for Your Car: Upholstery Cleaner

Spots and stains on carpet and upholstery can be cleaned the all natural way by creating a baking soda and water paste, scrubbing it into the spot or stain and then allowing the paste to dry. Once dry, simply vacuum up the paste.

Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products for Your Car: Surface Cleaner

The same water and vinegar solution that you use for cleaning glass will also work great as a surface cleaner for vinyl, dashboards and other surfaces in your car. Alternatively, you can also create a separate surface cleaning solution that begins with water and vinegar and includes one teaspoon borax, or one teaspoon liquid castile soap.

Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products for Your Car: Chrome Cleaner

For a simple, eco-friendly cleaning product for your vehicle's chrome wheels or bumpers, sprinkle baking soda on a wet sponge, wipe down your chrome (or scrub, if needed) and rinse with water. Dry with a soft cloth and you will have shiny chrome that didn't require toxic chemicals.

Sources:
Personal experience
Halvorson, Christine - Pure Baking Soda for Baking, Cleaning & Deodorizing: Over 100 Helpful Household Hints

Published by Mavyn McDaniels

Mavyn is a freelance writer and holistic wellness practitioner living in Washington.  View profile

  • Homemade eco-friendly cleaning products save money and the environment.
  • Make your own non-toxic cleaning products for the health of your family, and the planet.

3 Comments

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  • Kristie Leong M.D.3/27/2009

    Green is good. Great job. Nice to see you back. :-)

  • Bethany Marsh3/23/2009

    You raise some great points and provide great info!

  • Matt A. Maxx3/23/2009

    Thank you for the great information! Wonderful!

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