ALT-4 Spring Cleaning Ideas for your Car
Winter has to be the worst time of year for trying to keep a vehicle clean. From the additives used on roadways and highways, to muddy boots that day after day soil your floor mats, by the time spring rolls around your car is probably in dire need of a good spring cleaning. When considering this sometimes hefty project, there are two roads one could take. For those who prefer not to get dirty or simply do not have the time, you can always just drop it off at the local detail shop for a thorough spring cleaning, inside and out. For you who are more of a ‘do it yourself’ type of person, there are several ideas to consider.
Exterior
The best place to start your spring cleaning is usually with the exterior of your vehicle. This job is best tackled with either a bucket and a hose, or a pocketful of change taken to the local car wash. However, for the first spring cleaning of your vehicle, after a long, hard winter, you may find a car wash to be much more successful at removing the dirt and grim that can accumulate over the winter and through the spring thaw. Whether you take your vehicle through the automatic washer, or spray it by hand in a booth, make sure to thoroughly wash undercarriage, wheel wells, tires and rims, mirrors and glass.
After letting your car air dry or drying it by hand with a soft chamois or cloth, there are several polishes and waxes available to today's consumers that can be applied to all the surfaces of your vehicles exterior. Be sure to check new applications for their specified uses and surfaces
Interior
These days, the interior of a car can easily take the shape of a second home or bedroom, depending on how much time one spends in their car. As some spend hours a day in rush hour or on long commutes, the interior of their vehicle can end up in quite a state by the time spring rolls around. The best tip to remember when cleaning the interior of your car is, that a bucket of warm water, a couple drops of dish soap and a glass cleaning cloth will generally clean every surface found inside your vehicle, extreme messes and stains excluded. Other supplies that may help in your spring cleaning include a container of Armor-all or other surface protector, a handful of cotton swabs and a good disinfectant.
Starting with interior glass, windows and mirrors use soapy water to wash clean and then polish clear with your glass cleaning cloth. Moving from the top of the vehicle, down, wash clean the dash area, doors, console and/ or cubbyholes the vehicle may have, with the soapy water as well. It is also a great idea to take a few moments to disinfect the high traffic areas of your car. These areas can include the steering wheel, shifters, knobs, door handles, window controls and electronics that may inhabit the interior of your car. Your handful of cotton swaps can then come in handy to catch any dirty spots that were missed or unreachable by your cloth.
In conclusion, the last part of your spring cleaning to think about is the many, many muddy boots that place themselves in your car over the winter. This spring cleaning job is usually done best with the high powered, industrial vacuums that are available at the local car wash. Unless you have an industrial sized vacuum at home, the trip to the car wash will be much cheaper for you than the new vacuum you will be buying after all the dirt and sand on your floor kills your last one. After vacuuming carpets and upholstery, spots and stains may be able to be removed with soapy water; however, you may want to consider a more thorough shampooing or stain removal product for the tougher jobs.
After considering these tips, the spring cleaning of your vehicle will hopefully turn into an enjoyable and relaxing morning or afternoon.
