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The question dog owners across the county face, irrelevant as to whether they have a brand new car or if they have had a vehicle for months/years is: How do I protect my car boot from being covered in dog hair?

We’ve all been there, following a day of adventure with our pet pooch, we arrive home, let the dogs out of the back and are faced with dog hair and muddy paw prints everywhere. And, so, the process of cleaning the car boot begins, even though we know that the next time you take your dog out, you are going to be faced with the same dilemma. So, here at Hatchbag, we appreciate your time is precious and have come up with a way to keep your boot, dog hair free!

Step 1: Clean your boot from pet hair

If you have a brand new car then your car boot will be pet hair free, however, for those whose pooches have been in the boot already, the first step is to remove the hair.

To do this, you will need to give the car a good hoover out and also either use a pet hair removal brush to remove the hair from carpet, or, wrap your hands in cellotape to remove the dog hair from the carpet.

To prevent you from having to repeat step 1 on a frequent basis, you may want to invest in a boot liner. All our boot liners are tailor-made to fit the contours of each specific car model and are made from tough, waterproof and non-absorbent fabric. Plus, they are wipeable meaning, if you want to give them a clean it will literally take a couple of minutes.

You can also customise your boot liner to suit you and your family and pets needs. So, if you need a boot liner to just cover the base, the sides and back of the seats then a Standard version will be more than suitable.

Step 2: Prepare their space

Should you wish to give your pet more space by folding your backseats down with the liner in situ then you will need to upgrade the Standard version with either a Rear Plus or Rear Split. The Rear Plus allows you to fold your backseats down altogether, whereas, the Rear Split offers more flexibility in that you can fold your backseats down individually or altogether.

And, if you want to protect your bumper from being scratched or from muddy dog paws then we also offer a bumper flap, which attaches to a loop fastener strip at the end of the liner and can be rolled away in the boot when not in use.

If you have big dogs that like to drool over the headrests then a Rear Seat Flap might be of use, which attaches to the top of the backseats and flaps over the headrests. And for pets that like to press their bum up against the boot door, a tailgate cover will not go amiss.

Step 3: Cleaning your hook and loop fasteners!

Inevitably no matter how much we try, some pet hair will be attracted to some of the hook and loop fasteners, especially owners who have more curious pooches. But, we have a few tricks to help keep the hook and loop fasteners pet hair free.

Before fitting your boot liner, you may want to squirt the hook and loop fasteners with anti-static spray, as this will prevent the fasteners being covered in hair.

However, should hair accumulate in the hook and loop fasteners then you can use either a lint roller, tweezers, a comb, duct tape or even a toothbrush to remove the hair. Then you can use the anti-static spray to prevent hair from getting into hook and loop fasteners again.

Step 4: Keep pet odour at bay

And finally, we all know how much our four-legged-friends like to jump in puddles, lakes, or roll around in mud and sand, not only covering them in muck but also giving them a distinct smell. So, in order to keep pet odour at bay, Hatchbag have come up with an odour mat, which is comfortable for your pooch to sit or lie on with the quilted material, but it also has a charcoal layer in the middle to absorb unwanted odours.

Now, you can spend more time with your beloved pet than cleaning out your car boot. Don’t forget to send us your snaps of your pooch on the road, as we love sharing them on our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter page.

As a car owner, it’s important that you do what you can to keep the exterior of your car looking its best. However, it’s just as crucial that you look after the interior of your vehicle too. To learn how to protect your car from the inside out, keep reading.

1. Invest in a boot liner

There’s no denying that the car boot is a convenient place to store items that we want to take from A to B. However, whether it’s your food shopping, a pram, a bike or even your pet dog, getting stuff in and out of your boot on a regular basis can be detrimental to your car’s interior. If you’re not careful, you could potentially damage the inside of your vehicle, leaving it looking tatty and tired more quickly than you’d like.

To avoid ruining your car’s interior, you could invest in a boot liner from Hatchbag. And if you want further protection then why not choose an optional extra such as; a bumper flap to protect your bumper from dogs jumping in, pram wheels or work-tools, or a tailgate cover, to protect the inside of your car boot door. All of these accessories will help to keep your boot clean and protect your upholstery.

2. Keep it shaded from the sun

We all know the ways in which the sun can affect our health - but did you know it could damage your car too? Not only can the sun’s harsh rays discolour the paint on your vehicle’s exterior, but they can cause the inside of your car to fade too, including the upholstery of your seats, and can even cause the dashboard to warp and crack.

The good news is, there are a number of things you can do to stop the sun from ruining the interior of your car. For example, you could use a windscreen sun shade. This accessory sits on the inside of the window and stops the sun from penetrating through the glass into the car. Usually, these shades are reflective too, helping to keep your vehicle cool in the summer.

You could also try parking your car in the shade, such as under a tree or, better yet, in a garage.

3. Clean it out regularly

When it comes to keeping your car spick and span, you’ll need to make sure you clean it out regularly, in particularly giving it a good vacuum. Over time, it’s easy for the foot-wells and sections between the seats to become grubby, so make sure to clean up any crumbs, stones and dirt that’s built up.

It also helps to use a suitable surface cleaner to wipe down your dashboard and steering wheel, and you could scrub away any marks on the seats using an appropriate stain remover. For the finishing touch, you could hang a fragrant air freshener from your rear view mirror.

The festive season is upon us and as we countdown to Christmas, millions of families across the country are putting up their Christmas tree and decorations; making sure everyone is getting into the Christmas spirit.

And here at Hatchbag, we understand just how much your car boot has to endure, as it piles up with the Christmas tree, Christmas decorations and not forgetting the all important Christmas shopping as well. And this is where our boot liners come in; not only are they perfect for keeping dog hairs at bay, but, also in protecting your car boot from straying pine needles, or, from getting scratched by loose Christmas decorations and all that Christmas shopping.

So, before you head out on your family Christmas adventure, be sure to pack your Hatchbag boot liner – then you will have more time doing Christmassy activities rather than spending hours cleaning out the boot.

Plus, we would love to see your Christmas tree/decoration snaps so, be sure to send them to us on our Facebook page or on Twitter @HatchbagCompany or tag us on Instagram using #thehatchbagcompany. And we will repost, retweet or regram them all.

Please be aware that for all orders to go out for Christmas delivery, you'll need to place your order by a certain date. Please check the homepage on a daily basis, as this date will change in accordance with our production schedule.

If you are ordering from overseas then please order as soon as possible. Christmas delivery cannot be guaranteed for orders outside of the UK.

The factory will also be closed from the 24^th December 2016 – 3^rd January 2017, however, you can still order online during this time.

If you have any questions during this time then please email [email protected]. These will be picked up on the 3^rd January 2017 by the sales team.

From all the team at Hatchbag, we wish you all a very Merry Christmas.

So, you currently own a small vehicle whether it be a Seat Mii, a Volkswagen Up, a Skoda Citigo, a Mini Hatchback Mk 1, Mk 2 or Mk 3, or even a Smart ForTwo and you are thinking well my car boot is rather small is there any need for a boot liner, as how much damage is really going occur?

To all the dog owners out there, you do not need us to tell you just how much dog hair can get all over the car boot, even into those areas that are so hard to reach and therefore, no matter what size the car boot, a Hatchbag boot liner is perfect for keeping those hairs at bay.

But, for all those who do not have a dog then you may be asking yourself well why do I need a car boot liner? Well, for owners of a Seat Mii, or a Volkswagen Up or a Skoda Citigo, you will have realised that it does not take long for those metal sides of the boot to get scratched or become damaged, even by just putting your weekly shopping in the back of the car. Therefore, our boot liner will ensure that your car boot is protected at all times.

And, for all you budding gardeners or even those who just like to potter around the garden, who are fed-up of cleaning the mud from plants which have moved position during the car journey, or, bags of soil which have split and distributed mud everywhere in the car boot; which evidently is a time consuming experience. So, here is where our Hatchbag boot liner steps in, as with one quick wipe down with a wet cloth all those mud spillages will disappear and your car boot will be left in pristine condition. Furthermore, with our rear split version, you can even extend the coverage on the drop-down seats, preventing any damage to the actual car interior.

So, no matter how small your car boot, Hatchbag boot liners can help not only prevent damage from occurring to your vehicle but also saving you time from spending ages cleaning the boot, so that you can spend more time on doing the things you love like gardening.

For more information on our boot liners, please click here!

The liner and optional extras completely cover my boot and do not have any openings in them, what can I do if I require openings?

In your car boot, there are ‘D’ rings behind the backseats or luggage points to which you need to gain access to, or maybe, your boot contains a side light, a loudspeaker or a 12 Volt battery socket and any other accessories that you would like to use. There may be times when you aren’t taking your four-legged friend with you and would like to use the load cover cassette.

So, here is where you ask yourself the questions: I have found a boot liner for my car, but, it does not come with these openings, why is that the case and what can I do about it?

Why do we not offer openings in the boot liner for all vehicle models?

The reason why we do not offer openings in all our boot liners is that the majority of our customers want their boot liner to be completely covered and protected with no holes in it. In addition, on a year by year basis the positioning of the side light can change, even if it is the same vehicle. This change may only be something as minute as a 2mm difference, but, this difference is enough that the boot liner will not be a perfect fit.

So, what can I do?

As we try to keep the openings in our liners to a minimum then you can carefully modify the liner yourself. However, NEVER cut the bindings or ANY sewn seam.

How can I cut an opening in the boot liner

1. Firstly, follow the fitting instructions and complete the installation of your boot liner.

2. Mark the cloth 

• Identify the shape you wish to cut
• Using a wax pencil carefully trace the contour of the shape
• Remove the boot liner / cover

3. Cut the cloth

• With a sharp blade carefully cut the hole
• It is better to round off corners so that you do not create under/over-cuts

Re-fit the boot liner

My car boot door has door handles but the tailgate cover covers these, what can I do?

Please follow steps 2-4 above

Tip: You can use Autoglym Intensive Tar remover to wipe off the wax markings.

I have a loudspeaker / air vents in my boot, but, the boot liner covers them, what can I do?

• 1. Firstly, follow the fitting instructions and complete the installation of your boot liner.

• 2. Mark the cloth

• Identify the shape you wish to cut
• Using a wax pencil carefully trace the contour of the shape
• Remove the boot liner / cover

• 3. Cut the cloth

• With a sharp blade carefully cut the hole
• It is better to round off corners so that you do not create under/over-cut
• Maybe you would prefer to cut multiple small holes into the liner for the speaker rather than one large cut-out-

• 4. Re-fit the boot liner

A new member has joined the family albeit they may be small, hairy and full of beans, when the question pops into your head, how are you going to keep the car boot clean with a puppy on board. One things for certain your boot will end up being full of dog hair and dirt, which means you will have to spend a lot of your time either hoovering or cleaning it or the hair itself will end up getting entwined into the boot carpet making it nigh impossible to remove. So, here is where Hatchbag’s boot liners come in.

And to see how well our boot liners suit a new puppy, we have Eddie the Westie, an eight month old puppy, who is very active and lively to be our tester. His owner has a Citroen DS4 and has chosen a red boot liner with a rear plus, which allows her to fold the backseats down all together should she wish. This is the perfect way to protect her boot from little Eddie.

Puppies are very nosy and always want to look and touch everything around them. So, if your puppy is like Eddie and enjoys putting his paws on the back of the seats to peek outside the front window then it won’t be too long until the back of the seats are covered in doggy hair or dirt from mucky paws. But this can all be protected with a boot liner.

Or it may be that after a long stroll in the park your little furry friend wants to take a rest by nestling his bum against the backseats and therefore, you want to protect your boot.

Our boot liners also suit puppies who travel in a dog cage. As a dog cage is open at all sides then I can guarantee that in a matter of seconds of your puppy being in the cage in the car, their hair will end up getting everywhere – it is astounding just how much a little thing can spread so much hair. But with our boot liner you will not need to worry and your pooch can shake away without you thinking, oh no I am going to have to clean my car boot again!

So, as you can see our boot liner is a perfect match for a puppy, Eddie himself has given us the paws up, in keeping your car boot clean from dirty puppy paws and puppy hair. And your little nosy four legged friend can roam around the boot or rest his bum on the sides of the boot without making a mess.

So, why not go and find your vehicle here and choose the perfect colour boot liner for you and your furry friend!

Every Hatchbag Boot Liner has been designed to fit a specific vehicle. As every vehicle is different the method of fitting will vary. These instructions are a general guide on how to fit a boot liner.

Our boot liners are designed to follow the contours of the carpet in the load area of each vehicle. We weld hook Velcro tabs onto the boot liner, which will attach directly onto the Velcro friendly carpet of the load area. However, for some vehicles, there is a combination of carpet, plastic and metal trim, for which we supply self-adhesive loop Velcro tabs, which attach to the plastic/metal trim of the vehicle, which in turn attach to the hook Velcro tabs on the boot liner.

Preparation

Before fitting a boot liner, you will need to do the following:

• *Clean plastic/metal surfaces that you boot liner will be attached too (see our previous blog “How to Clean your car boot”)*
• Remove the load cover cassette. In most cases this can be replaced later.
• For some vehicles, you will need to fold the second row of seats flat before fitting the liner. In other cases, you will need to make sure that the rake of your second row seats is in the correct position as stated in each individual manual.
• Moreover, for some vehicles there will be two versions of floor level either a raised floor or lowered floor version. Please make sure your boot is in the correct floor position as ordered. This information can be found online on your vehicle page.
• Once the steps above have been followed, you can then unfold the Hatchbag and place it in the vehicle so that the base fits snugly in position. The panel with the Hatchbag label sits against the back of the rear seat.

Fitting the base

Fit the liner from the tailgate end going forwards unless stated otherwise on your individual fitting instructions.

For Velcro friendly carpets

• The Velcro on the reverse of the liner will attach directly to the carpet on the base.

• The liner on the base will fit level to the tailgate plate.

Attaching to plastic/metal trim

• IMPORTANT - Before attaching Velcro to the plastic trim – please refer to our previous blog “how to clean your car boot”

• Attach the self-adhesive loop Velcro tabs to the hook Velcro welded onto the liner. Then line it up with the plastic/metal trim. Peel off the protective backing on the adhesive Velcro tab, and apply firmly to the aligned surface

Fitting the side panels

For the majority of the vehicles, you can fit the sides once you have fitted the base of the boot

For Velcro friendly carpets:

• Carefully position the side panels in place.
• The hook Velcro tabs welded on the reverse of the liner will attach directly to the carpet.

Attaching to plastic

• IMPORTANT - Before attaching Velcro to the plastic trim – please refer to our previous blog “how to clean your car boot”

• Attach the self-adhesive loop Velcro tabs to the hook Velcro welded onto the liner. Then line it up with the plastic. Peel off the protective backing on the adhesive Velcro tab, and apply firmly to the aligned surface

Fitting the Front panel

• If the row 2 seats are folded, put them in an upright position
• Wrap the headrest straps around the headrest
• Hold the bottom of the front panel in place as you fasten the head rest straps around the headrest pole in a clockwise position

For Rear Plus / Rear Split Versions

• When fitting the sides for a rear plus or rear split work from the bottom upwards

• Fold the Velcro from the bottom corner up to give a strong seal

• Then attach headrest straps

And now you should have a fully fitted boot liner.

1. Please take two lint free cloths – one will be used for cleaning and another one will be used for drying

2. Apply Autoglym Intensive Tar Remover generously to the first cloth.

3. Using first cloth with Autoglym Intensive Tar Remover scrub the surface clean where you are going to apply the Velcro onto the plastic

4. Then thoroughly dry the area with the second cloth (with no Autoglym Intensive Tar Remover applied to it)

5. When drying the area, you need to get it to the point where the cloth is dragging and slightly peeling off onto the plastic. Then dust away the strands of cloth. You may need to repeat steps 3 + 4

6. Stick the Velcro onto the plastic

7.  Wait 24 hours/designated time stated on fitting instructions until fitting the liner

Please note that the last date for Christmas delivery is the 17th December 2015.

This is for UK Orders Only. If ordering for an overseas delivery please order as soon as possible. Christmas delivery cannot be guaranteed outside of the UK.

The factory will also be shut down from the 24th December 2015 - 4th January 2016, but you can still order online during this time.

If you have any questions please email [email protected]. These will be picked up on the 4th January 2016.