Cleaning Tips for Turo Hosts

Clean vehicles are a must for successful Turo Hosts. It helps hosts get the most revenue, and also the highest ratings. There are numerous ways to keep ones vehicles clean. As a professional luxury detailer and Turo Host, I would like to share some cleaning tips to help you out.

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Tip 1 - Unlimited Car Washes:

Sign up an unlimited car wash plan, if available n your area. They are $20 per month in many parts of the US. Do not sign up for the upgraded wax packages; they are not worth it since Turo vehicles typically get washed frequently.​

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Tip 2 - Seat Covers:

The driver's seat is used every day, and it take a beating. Seat covers are a wonderful accessory to your vehicle, whether it is used to cover up worn seats, or protect the existing seats. They make clean up easy in case of spills and stains by guests. Whether you choose to get an inexpensive $50 seat cover, or $150 Coverados, they are a worthwhile investment.

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Tip 3 - Rubber Floor Mats:

Let's admit it, vehicle carpets get dirty, very dirty. Factory car mats are not durable, and get stained easily. Replacing them with rubber mats or liners is an easy trick to help speed up cleaning. It makes vacuuming a breeze, since the dirt is no longer embedded in carpet fibers.

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Tip 4 - Trunk Liner:

The trunk floor in most vehicles are flimsy. They often not much more than an inexpensive felt liner that can be easily destroyed. Similar to rubber mats inside the vehicle, a trunk liner makes cleanup a breeze, and protects the cargo area from damage.

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Tip 5 - Rinseless Wash:

Some of us like to wash our own vehicles. But often, we are pressed for time. The best and quickest way to safely wash your vehicle is via a rinseless wash. Driving to a car wash, waiting in line, going through the machine, and driving back is time consuming.

 

And, contrary to public opinion, you do not need a garden hose, a pressure washer, or even high foaming soap to wash the exterior of your vehicle at home. Rinseless soaps utilize the latest in polymer and surfactant chemical technology, so you can wash your vehicle quickly and effectively.

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All you need is a car wash bucket with a grit guard (easily found at Walmart, Meijer and other retailers), a cross cut sponge or microfiber wash pad (The Rag Company Cyclone, the Autofiber Wash Monster and the Griot's Garage Microfiber Two-Pack Wash Pads are good choices), a handheld spray bottle (under $10 from Home Depot, Harbor Freight and other retailers), a drying towel, and a rinseless soap. I recommend DIY Detail, P&S Absolute, Optimum No Rinse (ONR), or Duragloss 932 rinseless soap for their low price.

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The directions are simple. Put two gallons of water into the bucket, add one or two ounces of rinseless soap, then dunk the open spray bottle to fill it up. Use the sprayer to pre-soak your vehicle. Then take your sponge to wash the vehicle using long straight lines.

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There is no need to rinse afterwards, hence the rinseless name.

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Afterwards, dry the vehicle with your towel. Optionally, you can apply a spray on wipe off (not buff off) wax to give your vehicle additional protection against the elements. Inexpensive waxes from Meguiar's and Turtle Wax are readily available at most major retailers.

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Plus there is another benefit of rinseless. You can dilute the soap into a spray bottle, and use it to clean every surface of the interior of your vehicle. It is safe to use on all surfaces, inside and out. Rarely do you need a stronger cleaner than this!

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Tip 6 - Automotive Glass Cleaner:

Guests notice when windows and windshields are not clean. A quick wipe with a glass cleaner between trips is all that is needed to prevent this. Make sure to use an automotive glass cleaner (it has no damaging ammonia), and a microfiber towel (or a glass specific microfiber towel). Streaking happens when the glass is hot. So, to prevent streaking, clean the windows in the shade or run the AC to keep the glass cool while cleaning.​

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Tip 7 - Microfiber Towels:

High quality microfiber towels are key to keeping the interior and exterior clean. Good microfiber towels are thick and absorbent. Make sure they are over 300 gsm, and at least an 80/20 blend (70/30 is even better). The microfiber towels at Costco, or the top towels at Harbor Freight or Walmart are perfect, and not expensive at all and work wonderfully.

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As for drying towels, Harbor Freight has an amazingly affordable drying towel. The grey side of the towel is for drying glass, and the green side is ideal for paint.​

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Tip 8 - Wheels & Tires:

Wheels get dirty from brake dust and road grime. Over time, your vehicle's shiny rims become dull. To restore the shine, a strong but gentle wheel/tire cleaner makes all the difference. Three of the best are Adam's Wheel & Tire Cleaner, P&S Brake Buster, and Superior Products Dark Fury. Dark Fury is concentrated; it must be diluted before use. The other two can be diluted for less dirty rims.

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Tip 9 - Pressure Washer:

A pressure washer is not needed in most cases to keep your vehicle clean. But they do come in handy when your vehicle is a very dirty. An inexpensive one from Ryobi or other brands cost around $100 and do an amazing job. And if you want the ultimate in performance, you can upgrade the pressure washer hose and gun.

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Detailers know how to supercharge your wash; a pre-wash with a diluted all purpose cleaner like Meguiar's D101 helps clear traffic film, which is especially noticeable on white and light colored vehicles.

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Tip 10 - Vacuum:

A wet/dry vacuum has more suction power than a battery powered car vacuum. It can pull out deeply ingrained dirt in the carpet, and speed up floor cleaning immenssely. The Ridgid 4 gallon 5 horsepower wet/dry vacuum is popular with detailers, and is recommended for Turo Hosts also.

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Tip 11 - Drill Brush:

Sometimes, dirt is so embedded in the fibers of a carpet that a pass with a vacuum is not enough. Agitating with an inexpensive drill brush (found easily on Amazon) loosens up the dirt and makes it easier to be vacuumed up.

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In addition, a soft tip drill bush is also really helpful in removing interior stains, whether it's on leather surfaces, cloth seats, or carpet. Apply an interior or stain cleaner to the stain, let it dwell for a minute, then run the drill brush over the area.

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In Summary:

Keeping Turo vehicles clean do not have to be a chore. It can be done quickly and effectively. I hope you found these tips to be helpful.

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Do you have any tips you would like to share? Feel free to message me via email or on social media.

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I wish you the best of luck with your Turo endeavor!

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