The winter months can really do a number on your car or truck. Slush, rain, road salt and more can damage your vehicle’s paint, ruin its tires, and trash the seats and carpet. To maintain your car’s value and ensure years of comfort and convenience, a good spring cleaning is critical.
Prepare Before You Begin
First off, strip your car’s interior down to the bone. Remove all items, clean out the glove box, and empty the trunk. Winter-only articles such as scrapers and shovels can be removed and stored away for next year. Remove the floor mats so you can hose them off and hang them to dry.
Detail the Interior Completely and Carefully
Vacuum up any dirt from the interior, especially between the seats and cushions. Use a soft brush attachment to suck up dust and grit from the dash buttons, so when you wipe them down later you won’t press dirt into the tiny crevices surrounding each button.
Wipe down the dash, door panels, center console, and any other non-cloth surfaces with a cleaning protectant such as Armor All. Never spray directly on the area to be cleaned, but on your wiping cloth instead. Clean the seats and carpet using slightly watered-down carpet cleaning solution. For tougher stains, consider picking up a can of foaming carpet cleaner from your local auto parts store.
Finish off with some air freshener. Instead of spray bottles full of chemicals, consider a few drops of essential oil. It’s natural and lasts longer, too. Be careful about where it’s applied, since essential oils can stain or discolor some surfaces.
Remember, Your Paint Isn’t a Load of Dishes
If you’ve driven in areas with snowfall, chances are you have salt residue underneath your car. This can eat away at metal and other surfaces, so give your car a good spraying underneath.
When washing your car’s exterior, it’s tempting to just squirt some dish soap into a bucket and add water. This is inadvisable because it can cloud or damage your car’s paint. Instead, find a good car wash solution. When you’re finished, don’t let your car air-dry. Hard water deposits are unsightly and bad for your paint. Instead, use a cloth or a chamois to dry.
If your paint is contaminated with grit, tree sap, or dead bugs, or it simply doesn’t have the deep glow you used to enjoy, consider waxing or using rubbing compound. This is a risky affair since you don’t want to strip your paint’s clear coat and leave it vulnerable to UV rays. You may want to spring for a professional detailer to buff out the paint for you.
Take good care of your wheels and rims. Wheel cleaner does a great job of removing brake dust and grime without endless scrubbing. Be sure to clean the rims before you wash the car, since you don’t want these powerful cleaners (or the muck it loosens from your wheels) on your paint job. Dress your tires with protectant to prevent cracking and extend their lives.
Spring cleaning for your car is necessary, so make it fun! Recruit a friend or family member to help, pop open some cold refreshments, crank up some tunes, and give your four-wheeled buddy a well-deserved spa treatment.
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Image via Flickr by ColoradoColin
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