There's nothing quite like that new car smell and the unbeatable shine of a newly delivered car with just a few miles on the clock.  

Read our tips on how to keep your new car clean and tidy - and potentially avoid de-hire costs too!

Washing your car is extremely important. It prevents contaminants like dust, dirt, pollen, tree sap, bug guts, salt, air-borne pollutants from adhering to your vehicle. Washing your car once a week will help to prevent contaminants from damaging your paint and finish. 

You don’t need to spend a fortune on car shampoo but do buy car specific wash – don’t use washing up liquid!!  It contains all kinds of chemicals that are capable of harming a car's paintwork.

It might be tempting to pop to the local car wash but beware – some older automatic car washes still use abrasive brushes (instead of cloth), which can leave small scratches in a car's finish. A touchless car wash, using only high-pressure water jets and detergents without physically touching the car are much better – so if you have the choice, go for one of these. 

Vacuum your car regularly – especially if you’ve got kids and pets! It’s far easier to do a quick weekly hoover than leave it a month and let it become a mammoth job!

TOP TIP – do you have dogs? If so they are bound to leave a lot of hair behind in the car! Blow up a balloon and rub it around the car, the static created will cause the hair to stick!

Who doesn’t love a cup of coffee in the car on a cold (in fact any) morning? To prevent spills causing the build-up of grime use silicone cupcake moulds in your cup holders! If you anything spills it’s easy to take them out and clean them! 

Baby wipes are a handy addition to your glove box – they’re perfect for mopping up the odd spillage and for wiping over the dashboard to keep everything clean. 

Keep a bag in the car where you can pop all rubbish, rather than using the cubby holes in the doors! You can simply remove the bag and empty it - voila, no rubbish!