Cleaning Cup Holders

by Lee Wyatt (last updated May 25, 2010)

I don't know about you, but I find myself spending more and more time in my car as time every day. Even with the rising cost of gasoline, I just can't seem to find ways to limit being in my vehicle. As a result, I have noticed that my cup holders have a tendency to get dirty. It is apparently the nature of these holders to be the collection point of the car's junk. After a little while, it is necessary to clean out this mess. Luckily that is not a hard task. All you have to do is gather a few items, and you are on your way to having perfectly clean cup holders again.

Things you'll need:

• Armorall or other cleaner/protectant
• Sponge
• Detailing brush
• Washcloths or towels
• Napkins
• Warm soapy water

Procedure:

1. Begin by removing as much of the trash, dirt, or whatever from the cup holder as you can. Use your fingers and some napkins. This shouldn't be too hard, just stick your hand in there and pull it out. If something seems to be stuck, use your detailing brush to loosen it up as much as possible.
2. Spray enough of the car cleaner onto your sponge to get it wet. Using the dampened sponge, wipe out the cup holder. Since there are some cup holders that have a special divot for the handle of a cup, simply wrap your detail brush with a washcloth and spray some of the cleaner/protectant onto it, and work it into the crevices.
3. If there are some really tough stains, or gunk in the holder, then pour a little warm soapy water into the cup holder and let it soak for a few minutes. After about 10 minutes, take your washcloth or sponge, and remove the water and gunk.
4. Allow the newly clean cup holder to dry completely. You can do this by either allowing it to air dry, or using some of the washcloths that you have collected. Before using your cup holder again, you need to make sure that it has completely dried out.
5. Prevent further stains or nastiness by using napkins as a miniature table cloth. Simply change out the napkins every so often, and you are going to notice a dramatic decrease in the moisture accumulation in the holders. Without that accumulated moisture, the chance of nasty buildup is less likely.