Anyone spending a lot of time around the stables will find he is bringing an accumulation of hair and dirt into his vehicle, and typically being busy people, the time needed to clean the car up can be hard to find.
A few simple steps will allow the often much abused car to stay neat and tidy enough to be used for transporting even fussy passengers without complaint or embarrassment.
Use the Boot or Trunk
Rather than allowing all your horsey paraphernalia to spread all over the car interior, store as much of it as possible in your boot or trunk. The most effective way to do this is to protect the boot itself with a waterproof liner, then carry one or two lightweight plastic crates inside, depending on what you need. For example, one crate can accommodate muddy riding boots and wellies, the other horse feeds or medicines that may spill. The crates are easily shaken out and rinsed clean on a regular basis and keep the boot itself largely clear of stray muck.
Mats and Seat Covers
As anyone active in the stables will carry a lot of dirt into his car, it is advisable to protect the interior as much as possible. Floor mats are inexpensive, and will allow mud to be kept off the floor itself and then beaten off the mat quite simply when dry. Seat covers can be waterproof and protect the upholstery. They can also be removed by gathering them up carefully, then shaking them out away from the car, again removing mud and hair quickly. When your car is in a clean state, install covers on seats and flooring to help it stay that way for the future.
In-Car Vacuum Cleaners and Wipes
Miniature car vacuum cleaners can be bought from various online electrical stores and high street shops, usually plugging into the cigarette lighter facility to be powered by the car itself. These are very handy as they mean that if you are ever stuck for a period of time in your car, or just have a free few minutes, you can always give the seats and floor a quick once over. Dashboard wipes are another innovation which is useful to the horse person, ideal for keeping the steering wheel clean and again, easily carried in the car for use at any opportune moment. Hairs stick to them making it easier to remove them too.
Change of Clothing
One of the simplest ways of keeping the car cleaner is to keep the clothing worn on the yard in the boot itself and to change into it on arrival at the yard, then out of it before getting in to drive home. Wear a dedicated pair of driving shoes, e.g. an old pair of trainers, in the car. On arrival at the yard change into yard shoes kept in the boot, and change back out of them before getting back in the car. Keep the outermost layer (the coat) worn around the stables in the boot too. Getting into the car with dirty shoes is one of the easiest ways to make it very muddy, very quickly.
Exterior
Depending on the tracks leading to and from the stables the car may be prone to collecting a coating of mud along the underside and inside the wheel arches which can build up quite quickly. Removing large lumps of dried-on mud is difficult and it is easiest to keep on top of this with a regular rinse. A hose with good pressure and a long handled, stiff brush are the best way to go about this, firmly rinsing and rubbing the mud away as often as possible. It won’t take long and will prevent a much more major job at the end of a long muddy winter.
Weekly Mini- Clean
The following is a suggested quick, once a week, clean that will keep the worst of the mud and dirt out of your car. For a totally clean, shiny car, try to be more thorough once a month, and give the exterior a bit of a polish.
- Remove serious external accumulations of mud with a hose and brush. Ensure windows are clean for driver safety.
- Empty and shake out crates from boot. Vacuum out boot or shake out liner.
- Remove accessories from interior.
- Remove and shake out seat covers.
- Remove and vacuum, beat or shake Floor mats.
- Wipe down dashboard and other solid interior surfaces.
- Vacuum any debris off the floor.
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