Sand car-stle: Over 5,000 tonnes of sand brought home from beach

The research conducted by Direct Line Motor Insurance found over half of the UK (31 million) have been to, or plan to, visit a sandy UK beach this year2. With the majority travelling to the beach by car (69 per cent), it is unsurprising that we are taking home so much sand.

The top culprits for getting cars sandy include shoes and clothing (47 per cent), accessories, like towels and buckets, (24 per cent), the kids (19 per cent) and dogs (13 per cent). Despite many beachgoers doing their best to avoid a mess, by shaking (62 per cent) or rinsing off (25 per cent), almost a fifth (19 per cent) stay chilled and avoid taking any steps to stop bringing the sand into the car.

Once home, only around a sixth (16 per cent) of people vacuum or remove the sand immediately. On average it appears Brits are leaving the clean-up for over two weeks (17 days). For 800,000, the sand souvenirs are still there six months later.

While people all across the UK will travel to a beach this year, residents of Leeds take the top spot for visiting sandy beaches (64 per cent). This is very closely followed by Manchester (62 per cent) and Sheffield (62 per cent). Unsurprisingly, residents of pebbly-beach Brighton had the least uptake of people visiting a sandy beach this year at only 42 per cent, as residents may be content with the one right on their doorstep.

Gunnar Peters, Product Manager for Direct Line Motor Insurance, commented, “A trip to the seaside is a fixture in British summers for many of us – whatever the weather. Whilst the beach is fun on the day, I’m sure most of us would prefer it to stay there. Sand is a tricky substance that can be difficult to remove despite best efforts and it’s no wonder many continue to find it days, weeks and even months later.”

Going to the beach this weekend? Here’s Direct Line’s tips to get sand out of your car:

1. Allow the sand to dry – it’s a lot easier to remove when it isn’t wet
2. Get brushing: use a hand brush or even a toothbrush to loosen sand out of cracks before vacuuming
3. Stick it: use blu-tak or tape in your glovebox to lift it out of small crevices
4. Stay cool: use a hair drier to blow sand out of small gaps and then vacuum it up
5. Use a roller: use a lint roller to lift the sand off fabric surfaces
6. Don’t overlook it: sand can end up in the weirdest places so remember to look where you least expect it – even seat pockets of glove boxes