There are only a few days between now and Mother’s Day, which is usually the time I start scrambling to figure out a gift. I can’t be the only one who does this, so I’m sure many of you are in the same boat. It’s always tough to figure out the right gift. Do I go for some kitchenware, a cookbook, or perhaps a perfume I know she likes? These are the usual choices that float in my mind and they usually work. 

However, the same gifts do get stale after a while and it’s nice to be original and shake things up.  Recently, I had the opportunity to visit with the people at Canadian Tire who shared with me a new exciting idea for Mother’s Day – clean her car inside and out! What a thought!

It’s something so simple, yet so nice and most likely needed. It’s hard to make the automotive and Mother’s Day connection, but it’s a service that can include the whole family and be much appreciated and definitely remembered (hopefully not expected every year).

In order to show me what products to buy and explain how easy it was to clean a vehicle, the folks at Canadian Tire gave me a demonstration at one of their local stores. You can call it the one-and-only Mother’s Day gift I will ever receive and I loved it. Now if I loved it – what would your mother say when the whole family puts in the effort on Sunday morning?

I pulled my Mazda3 into their garage area and they went to work on it. Unfortunately, I was so busy writing notes and taking pictures I couldn’t possibly assist. 

The first thing they spotted was some bird droppings on the hood and excitingly ran up to showcase Autoglym’s Bird Dropping Wipes ($6.99). They resemble a large wet-nap that most importantly doesn’t bleed through causing no mess or residue. It was quick, painless and left no bird droppings on my hands and that to me is a formula for success. 

After the bird dropping demonstration, they started out with a power wash using a cap-full of Simoniz Wash & Wax ($12.99) mixed in with a regular bucket of water. Once that was complete, the next step was to spray the entire exterior with Autoglym’s Aqua Wax. The Autoglym Aqua Wax Kit ($21.99) comes with the wax spray and two microfiber cloths. This waxing was so simple even your laziest child can figure it out. It’s just a simple spray, followed by using one of the cloths to spread the wax evenly around and the other cloth to buff off the wax. 

The exterior is never complete without paying attention to your wheels and tires and that’s where Simoniz Tire Foam ($8.99) comes in. After covering the entire tire with a few sprays – I said good-bye to all that dirt, mud and grime. Best part of this product is that after you spray it, there’s no more work to be done, it comes off on its own. As for the wheels, Autoglym’s Custom Wheel Cleaner ($12.99) was used to dissolve brake dust, corrosion and traffic film while providing a nice shine after some scrubbing with Simoniz’s Wheel & Fender Brush ($8.99).

Unfortunately, my interior was in pretty good shape, so I gave the Canadian Tire people a bit of a break. As I sipped a coffee on the side I had one request, if they could do something with my endless array of extinct pennies. Within seconds a solution was found as they were all collected and stored along with many old receipts in a vintage MotoMaster tin jar – I guess there’s everything for everyone somewhere in Canadian Tire.

Now back to the job at hand… 

The first thing they did was remove all of the mats and loose items and got straight to vacuuming. For this job, the Bissell AutoCare Hand Vacuum ($49.99) did the trick. I must say a very handy tool for the car and the home. It’s a compact and lightweight vacuum that’s deceptively powerful and can get into those hard-to-reach places. Within seconds it sucked up loose hair, scraps of paper and the many leftover bagel crumbs.

When it came to cleaning my dashboard and other plastics there were many different products that could be used. I had the chance to see both the versatile Tub O' Towels ($9.99) and the Armor All Cleaning Wipes ($4.99) in action. They both did a great job in cleaning the dash, getting rid of the dust and making it shine. It just shows you the many different options out there – it’s just your job to decide which is best for you.

It might seem like a lot of products and a lot of work, but I can tell you first-hand everything was fairly easy and quick to use. I went to check out their spring display in the store and all of these products are easy to find and were showcased front and center. A little help can go a long way and if your mother’s vehicle can use a little makeover – Canadian Tire has all the products and tools you need.