ALT-2 Spring Cleaning Ideas for your Car
In this busy world, we often spend nearly as much time in our vehicles as we do in our homes. Just like our home, where things may accumulate over time, the family car can collect a lot of unnecessary debris and they may need a good spring cleaning. So, the first step should be to get rid of all the paper cups, sandwich wrappers and junk mail.One of the most overlooked areas in the car is the glove box, and yet, this should ideally hold a variety of important documents. Clean out these areas and find your registration papers, proof of insurance, and other important car related documents, and put them in a plastic sleeve, together, where they are handy and protected. Dispose of outdated papers, extra napkins, and general junk that has accumulated.Every vehicle should be equipped with emergency kits. Check out the trunk, and find out if you have all the important items that should travel with you, such as a jack and spare tire, snow brush, and, emergency kits and supplies. Include an emergency kit that contains first aid items, a compact heat blanket, jumper cables, and, some tools. It is also a good idea to include a change of clothes, boots, hat, gloves, and a blanket if you live in a cold climate.Once everything has been cleared out or put away, begin the inside cleaning from the top down. Clean the dash, the steering wheel, around the instrument panel, and the inside of the doors with a mild spray all purpose cleaner, or one of the many cleaners on the market for that purpose. If you have leather, do use a leather cleaner on any parts of the car that are leather. There are special cleaners that can clean the dash and, protect it from sun damage. Clean the windows inside and out. The inside of car windows develop a greasy film from the carbon dioxide that we exhale, so it may be necessary to go over them several times. Remove all the mats. If you have rubber mats they can be scrubbed, hosed off and hung to dry. Mats made from a combination of rubber and material can sometimes be put into the washer. Vacuum the carpets and the upholstery, and, if you have a home carpet shampooer, give them a good cleaning. Be sure and pre-treat any stains. If you are leery about using the shampooer on the upholstery, test a small area first. Don’t forget the wells, or step areas, inside the doors. These collect a lot of dirt. Leave the doors of the vehicle open and allow the interior to dry, but remember to disengage the interior lights so that you don’t run down the battery.
While you may never get back that showroom look or smell in your vehicle, a good detailing can provide a whole new atmosphere in the car and even prolong the life of the interior.
