How to get rid of sand in the car

Everyone knows that moment on the way back from the beach when you try not to get sand in the car. Once it gets in, it's so hard to get rid of it! Fortunately, it can be easily removed with the right equipment and in 3 simple steps.

Published 3.08.2022 Reading time: 3 min

Author: Michelin

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What accessories and products are needed to remove sand from the car?

The fineness of sand usually makes cleaning difficult. If you forget to shake off your belongings before entering the car, gains can find their way into the smallest corners. To do this properly, you will need:

an efficient vacuum cleaner (your own or from a car wash)
a soft bristle brush to avoid damaging fabric
a hard bristle brush to remove sand from carpets
a microfibre cloth
a fabric cleaner
a solution for treating plastics and the dashboard

3 steps to remove sand from your car

To make cleaning and vacuuming easier, start by taking everything out of your car and the boot: floor mats, protective covers, items in door compartments, etc.

1. Start with the floor mats

Cleaning your floor mats is the first step to removing sand:

if possible, dry the mats outside at a good distance from the vehicle to remove most of the sand and prevent dust from entering it again.
next, use the stiff bristle brush to scrub the carpets back and forth to remove the grit and then vacuum it up.

2. Continue with plastics and seats

To remove the grit in the cabin, start by cleaning the plastics since you’ll likely stir up the dust, which will end up falling on the seats and then onto the floor. To do this properly:

use the brush attachment on the vacuum cleaner to remove dust and grit from the dashboard
move on to the windows and then the door stowage areas
finish in the centre of the handbrake
apply the plastic cleaner, leave it to work and then scrub using your microfiber cloth

Now move on to the seats. If you have leather seats, simply vacuum them. If they are made of fabric, here is the procedure:

vacuum first
apply a textile cleaner
vigorously brush the seats with a hard bristle brush and vacuum again

3. Finish with the carpets

All that remains is to remove the sand from the vehicle’s floor, underneath the seats and inside the boot:

start by vacuuming most of the sand in a first pass through the whole vehicle,
continue with your brush and the special fabric cleaner to remove the embedded grains,
make a second pass with the vacuum cleaner, starting with the boot, then in front of the rear seats, moving the front seats forward as much as possible,
finish with the front passenger compartment.

Practice the right habits to avoid getting sand in your car in the first place

Although it may seem impossible to avoid getting sand in the car, there are a few things you can do to limit the amount:

park a little further away from the beach to avoid the wind and prevent sand from blowing in
use a less sticky type of sun protection (spray, dry oil)
wipe your feet as much as possible or even rinse them with clean water before getting in
clean children’s toys with clean water
dry your towels and beach gear, then pack them in a waterproof bag
protect your seats with towels or seat covers

With the right equipment and these 3 steps, you now know how to easily remove sand from inside your car. However, don’t forget to follow our tips to minimise your efforts when you get back from the beach!