How to Get Sand Out of Your Car

Hopping in your car and heading to the beach is a classic Mauritian summer experience—right up there with watching the sunset and enjoying a delicious ice cream.

Unfortunately, it wouldn’t quite be summer if you didn’t get home, look at your car carpets, and realize you’ve brought half the beach back with you. While it’s tempting to leave that sand in your car and put it in the ‘too hard basket,’ it’s generally best not to leave it there for too long. Sand will only take advantage of your generosity by scratching hard surfaces and embedding itself deep into your carpets.

It’s an easy cleaning job if you tackle things in the right order and learn a few tricks to help you say goodbye to those unwanted little bits of the beach.

1. Do the hard work

Start with the hard surfaces. Use tools that will remove and collect sand without causing damage, such as a damp microfiber cloth (remember to keep rinsing the sand out of the cloth to avoid scratching), a dustpan and soft broom, detailing brushes, or a vacuum cleaner with a soft brush attachment.

2. Stick at it

For hard-to-reach nooks and corners, try blowing the sand out with a compressor or compressed air canister. Alternatively, use detailing putty to pick it up.

3. Hit the mats

Remove your mats and give them a good shake well away from your car (imagine your car as the neighbouring family at the beach—you wouldn’t want to shake your towel out upwind of them!). Hang the mats up and beat them with a broom (think of this as a free workout). Then lay them flat and use a stiff-bristled brush, such as a car carpet and upholstery brush, to loosen more sand before giving them a thorough vacuum.

4. Take a seat

Leather seats can simply be vacuumed. For fabric seats, use the stiff brush to loosen the sand, then vacuum it up.

5. Brush and vacuum

Now for the carpets. Use the stiff brush to bring the sand to the surface. Brushing in different directions will help you remove more sand. Then vacuum.

6. And do it again...

To make the job easier, 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 bring the sand to the surface. If you can vacuum while doing this, even better.

7. Let the rubber meet the road

Don’t want to go through this again? It’s 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. After a beach day, make sure to shower and wipe down your feet before getting in the car. It’s also a good idea to put all your sandy gear in a plastic container in the trunk. After all, summer is supposed to be about taking it easy.