8 Easy to Follow Car Cleaning Tips to Avoid Extra Fees When Returning a Rented Car

Avoid extra car rental fees by making time to go through and thoroughly clean the vehicle you have hired. These cleaning fees can be very high so it pays to use a checklist so you don’t miss anything.

Don’t assume you know what is considered a clean vehicle until you ask and get a clear response. Have a look through the vehicle before you take it to be sure it is clean.

Apart from a good general clean inside and out pay attention to some detailed areas:

* Dirt Or Scuff Marks Around Feet Areas – Getting in and out of vehicles can cause scuff marks in hard to see areas. The driver’s side in particular can harbor dirty foot prints around the pedals and if you have children in the back you never know where a footprint might be lurking.

* Marks On Upholstery – You might want to take some extra precautions with upholstery and throw a towel or rug over the seats in case of spills or marks of any kind. It might be very good practice to not eat and drink inside the car. Even things like lotions and oils can stay behind.

* Sticky Residue On Surfaces Inside The Car – as with footprints, finger and hand prints can be left behind. There may be other reasons why sticky residue can form and have dirt cling to it, so run your clean hand over surfaces to feel for any.

* Smoking – the best advice about smoking inside a rental vehicle is simply, don’t. Smoking is an addiction and many people need to have a cigarette but it is safer and cleaner to stop and take a break outside of the car for that purpose. Smoking does have a strong odour in an enclosed area and non smokers are very sensitive to this. Check that no odour is lingering from your clothing, hair or hands even when smoking outside of the car.

* Seats – under seats can be a great little trap for objects and rubbish. Also check down the sides and in the crease where the back joins onto the seat.

* Windows – Windows with smudges, smears, and dead bugs look very unsightly. These may be obvious on the front windscreen but be sure to check all windows and glass or chrome surfaces for marks and dirt.

* Compartments – Modern cars these days often have extra storage compartments and holders for drinks etc. Be sure you open, pull out if needed, all compartments to check inside.

* Glove Box – There are so many incidences of thins being left in the glove box as an oversight that this deserves its own point. This is where we can often pop things into when in a rush and then completely forget to look later.

It may be considered by some that if you are paying for car rental then you have the right to return the car in any condition and be able to smoke inside if you choose. Car hire companies will have varying standards and to simply assume might see you charged extra under the contract.

Check the policy on this and also look through the car before you drive away to be sure it is in a clean condition. If you accept it dirty it doesn’t always mean you can return it that way.