Cleaning your car with a jar of Play-Doh

This week, our Jill of All Trades, Jill Washburn, shows us a quick and easy way to detail the interior of our car using Play-Doh. Yep!  You’re not seeing things. Jill actually used Play-doh!

There are ads circulating that show a slime that you can get for cleaning your car. While Jill loved the idea, she wondered if it was necessary to buy something like that. She knows that nearly every mom of a youngster probably has a jar of Play-Doh in the house. 

In fact, this would be a great use for used Play-Doh, once the kids get the colors all mixed together and decide that they don’t want it anymore. As long as it’s still soft, says Jill, it will work for doing some interior detailing in your vehicle. 

Jill’s car, like a lot of people’s, has an issue with crumbs getting into the trim lines on the front console and stitching lines on the upholstery. The Play-Doh worked well at picking up lint, crumbs, and debris from those spots. 

Jill said no matter how much she vacuumed the seats, she could never quite get all of the fine debris out of the stitching lines on the seats. The Play-Doh pulled it right out. Jill used a bit of a rolling motion, kind of pushing the Play-Doh in as she worked. The Play-Doh pulled out a ton of debris from those deep creases. 

It also worked pretty well for getting junk out of the cup holders and change holder on the front console. It wasn’t perfect, says Jill, but it left it a whole lot cleaner than it was before, and it took minimal effort, too. 

Jill recommends turning the Play-Doh as you work. You can keep kneading the crumbs and debris to the inside so that you continually have a fresh surface to work with. 

Jill also tried it on the steering column, which is perpetually dusty, thanks to life on a dirt road. The Play-Doh pulled off everything there. 

So, all told, Jill gave it a thumbs up. It wasn’t a perfect solution, but it was a solid improvement. What Jill liked best about it is the fact that many people probably already have it in the house and, even if you don’t, it’s readily available and super inexpensive. A single jar of it should cost you a buck or less, and it goes a long way in terms of cleaning. 

Plus, it’s great to have it stashed in the car so that the next time you’re waiting to pick up the kids from school, or a lesson, or extra-curricular activities, you can be productive, if you want, and feel better about your vehicle by the time the kids jump back in (just in time for them to start leaving messes again). #Parenting 

BONUS POINTS TO YOU, says Jill, if you can turn it into a game and get the kids to "buy-in" and help with the cleaning! 

PROJECT RATING:  Super Easy

To watch Jill take you through the process, just click on the video player above.