How To Clean a Rental Car Before Returning It
Renting vehicles involves taking responsibility to ensure the car remains in good condition under your care. This responsibility entails cleaning it before returning it. For helpful tips on how to clean a rental before returning it, read on.
The Importance of a Clean Rental Car
Rental companies ensure their cars are clean and up to the standards of sanitization before renting them out to the public. Nevertheless, it’s considerate of you to do your part and make their job easier by returning the car clean.
Customers may rent recently returned vehicles, so the rental company will need to rush to make it clean if you leave a mess. However, cleanliness is a top priority for the full effect of driving an elite car. Your Miami luxury car rental in the summer won’t feel as luxurious if a speedy cleaning left a stain in the back seat or dirt underneath the pedals. Therefore, returning the car in a clean condition is important for you and the next driver.
A dirty car may also result in consequences, such as lost items that you lose in the mess if you don’t clean out the vehicle before its return. You may also receive financial consequences, such as a fine or extra fee. Many rental companies add fees to your bill if the rental car isn’t in good condition when you return it. Rental companies will charge a fee for repairs if there is a scratch or visible damage to the vehicle’s interior or exterior. The same policy applies to a car the company needs to clean or tidy. You will receive a cleaning fee on top of the other charges you’ll pay for. Therefore, keeping your rental clean will help you save money.
You have numerous ways to clean a rental car before returning it. The following methods will help you efficiently clean the vehicle and ensure your rental company won’t have much left to do, helping you avoid an extra charge.
Vacuuming the Floors and Seats
Our shoes track particulates from the outside every time we enter a car. Dirt, pebbles, snow, or water will transfer from our shoes onto the carpet, mats, and seats, eventually accumulating into unsightly displays.
A battery-powered hand-held vacuum will make the task easier and give you the mobility to get into the small crevices where many small particles hide. Also, check the seat creases to ensure there aren’t any remnants of dirt. These small spaces often go unnoticed when cleaning a car because the particulates are out of sight.
Spray-Cleaning the Upholstery
Whether you rent a car with cloth or leather seats, there is always a chance that the upholstery will stain. Spilled drinks on the seats and leakage from food are some of the most common causes of vehicle stains. You may also leave a stain if your sweat seeps into the upholstery and dries, especially in cloth interiors.
Fortunately, you can remove these stains with special cleaners built for car interiors that contain non-beaching ingredients. However, a simple agent such as club soda also works for cleaning most stains and preventing powerful odors from lingering.
Removing stains before returning your rental ensures that the rental company won’t charge for them. Instead, the rental company will take care of any stubborn stains that linger after your cleaning efforts, if there are any. This cleaning will most likely result in a charge, which is why it’s important to exercise caution when placing things in your rental that might stain.
Wiping Down Frequently Touched Surfaces
Cleanliness and sanitization are priorities when cleaning. Unclean surfaces within the car can transfer bacteria and other germs onto your hands, potentially making you or future renters ill.
Therefore, cleaning the rental before you return it will make it safer for the next person who drives it. Wipe down the dashboard and console to clear the screen and controls of germs. Then, gently clean the steering wheel with a sanitizing wipe. You should also take a sanitizing wipe to the door handles, as these are some of the most-touched areas in a car.
Going Through a Car Wash
Although the rental company washes their cars, getting a car wash for your rental before returning it is helpful. If you rent during spring or winter when dirt or snow are common threats to cleanliness, a car wash ensures the vehicle returns in pristine condition. Furthermore, a car helps you notice any scratches or grazes that you couldn’t before. The washing will also make it easier for the rental company to clean it upon return, which the company will be grateful for.
Throwing Away Any Trash
Tidness is an important part of the rental process, and companies will charge you a cleaning fee if you leave excessive trash in the vehicle upon return. Additionally, it’s simply courteous to properly dispose of your garage instead of leaving it behind for the employees who clean it. Just remove any trash—including packaging, food wrappings, and scraps of paper—before returning the car.
Removing All Belongings
When you rent a car, you’ll most likely keep certain items inside for easy access, just as you do with your personal vehicle. But you must remember to collect all these items before returning your rental, so you don’t lose anything.
Fortunately, most rental companies will secure certain items that they consider personal belongings—such as a wallet, phone, or passport—and notify the last renter that they have them. Still, other items—such as earbuds or clothing left in the trunk—may be thrown out.
Therefore, check your vehicle twice to ensure there isn’t anything left. The rental should be as bare as it was when you first drove off the lot.
These ways of cleaning will help you get your rental car in good shape, so you will pull into the lot with a car that’s as good as it was when you left. Ultimately, cleaning your rental is courteous, and it will relieve you of fines and stress later on.
