Cleaning the car is a cumbersome chore we try to postpone as long as possible. However, if you follow these tips, keeping your car in tip-top condition should not take more than an hour every two weeks.

THE INTERIOR
Always start by cleaning your interior: while a wash or polish will make the exterior shine, you want the inside of your car to be comfortable and pleasant for passengers and drivers.

• You can use an electrostatic dust cloth to brush over
  the knobs, dashboard, vinyl surfaces, and plastic trim.
• Using an old towel, wipe the surfaces mentioned above
  with an all-purpose cleaner.
• Take out the floor mats and shake them. Floor mats are a
  worthy investment: they can be easily replaced if they
  get stained and they protect the carpeting. Buying
  rubber mats might be a good idea if you live in a region
  with plentiful rain or snow.
• Vacuum the mats, seats and car carpeting.
• Slide the front seats back to tackle hard-to-reach areas, and make
  sure to move them all the way forward to reach backseat
  debris.
• Tilt the seats back so you can vacuum in
  between cracks as well.
• Roll down your windows when cleaning them to get the
  grime off the edges.
• A microfiber cloth and water will
  clean windows well, leaving them streak-free.

THE EXTERIOR
You might be tempted to clean your car in a warm, sunny spot, but streaks are sure to result. Instead, wash your car in a shady area or in the early morning or evening.

• Use the hose to get rid of loose dirt.
• Lift the windshield wipers to reach the cracks.
• Rinse the hubcaps and wheels thoroughly.
• Make sure your wash mitt is clean; if not, you could end
  up with a dirtier car.
• Using one-eighth of a cup of mild dishwashing liquid
  (like Dove), tackle the hood, sides and trunk of your
  car.
• Do not suds up the windows to prevent streaking; you
  will wash them separately later.
• Use a separate sponge to suds especially grimy areas
  like the tires and windshield wipers. Save the front
  tires for last because they get the dirtiest.
• Rinse your car again: be sure to cover “hard-to-reach”
  areas, including the rim of the gas cap cover, areas
  underneath door handles and side-view mirrors.
• Use a towel to wipe the surface before water spots ruin
  your clean car.
• Dry spots like the roof line above windows, which could
  spill excess water when you move your car.
• Grime, grease and bugs will make your car’s glass
  windows harder to clean. To avoid streaking, you should
  give your windows a few hours to dry before rolling them
  down.

For more information about cleaning your car, visit Real Simple’s Web site.