Spring is almost here and that means sunny days, warmer weather and best of all, no more threats of ice and snow. Spring cleaning is a yearly occurrence in my house, I get the vacuum out, clean the bathroom, scrub the kitchen from top to bottom, even clean the windows. It does a world of good to start from scratch and actually see what my house looks like when it’s clean. The same goes for your car. We often forget about cleaning our cars since we’re only in it when we’re driving. For some people with long commutes, that’s quite a bit of time to be stuck in a dirty car, even if it’s just the Jack In The Box cup that’s been there for a few weeks. With the upcoming Spring right around the corner, I wanted to talk a little bit about some cleaning you should be doing to give you a fresh look at your car.
Vacuum the Inside
Most of us have a vacuum cleaner that uses attachments so you can reach under the seats and in between the cushions to get the last few months of Cheetos crumbs. If you don’t have a vacuum cleaner that does, try one of the do-it-yourself car washes. They usually have a vacuum cleaner station that may cost you a couple of dollars. Vacuum the seats, carpet and the floor mats. If you have plastic or rubber floor mats, get a water hose after them, no one wants to keep stepping in the Coca-Cola you spilled back in November. You’d be amazed how much better your car’s interior looks (and smells) after you give the inside a little bit of TLC.
Clean that Glass
I have a tendency to rest my arm on the ledge where the door and the window meets, so I have smudge marks where my elbow rests. There’s also streak marks from a bug I killed a few months ago. Get a good glass cleaner such as Windex and get that dust, dirt and bug guts off of your windows and windshield. I use Rain-X on my windshield and it’s amazing how much easier it is to see during a downpour.
Wash the Exterior
Get a cleaner specially formulated for automotive finishes and maybe even a good wax to put on your vehicle’s exterior. Spend some time getting in all the nooks and crannies in the body. Clean off your wheels, scrub down your tire’s sidewalls, scrub the grill (those bugs are getting in the way of fresh air getting to your radiator). A good wax job will keep your car shiny for months and keep dirt from sticking to your paint.
You’d be amazed how different your car looks after you spend a couple of hours on it. Every time I walk out to my car after I’ve washed it, I say to myself, “That’s a good looking car.”
