Spring is here (yes, according to the calendar it IS actually springtime now) and in the spirit of spring cleaning, we’re going to dedicate this week’s blog to make sure that the nice spring air that you are breathing when you drive around is untainted by nasty smells, pollen, dust, dirt… you get the picture. Take a look at our tips for making sure that your air vents are squeaky clean and smelling great!

The first things you need to tackle are the vents in your car, the ones that blow air onto your face and feet that you probably adjust either all the time or never let anyone touch because you’ve got the perfect angle. You’ll need cleaning solution, white vinegar, a vacuum, and some Q-tips. Give your vents a vacuum to get any loose dust out. Then you want to take a Q-tip that’s been dipped in a cleaning solution and really work it into the crevices and hard-to-reach spots. When the Q-tips you’re using come back clean, you know you’ve gotten all the grime. Then, take another Q-tip dipped in white vinegar and go over everything again to get rid of any lingering odors. The vinegar smell doesn’t last long, and when it disappears it takes gross odors with it. Give the vents one last vacuum and you’re done! Make sure you’ve gotten them ALL, including the one that’s right up next to your windshield and the ones at your feet. Don’t forget the back seat!

The next step is to take a look at your cabin air filter. Your owner’s manual should cover how to access it, and if not there’s always YouTube. The cabin air filter is your barrier against everything that’s floating through the air that you drive your car through – pollen, dust, smells, odors – and it’s often a forgotten part of the vehicle. Take a look, and if you think it needs changing then schedule an appointment with us to have our service department take care of it!

Finally, if you still smell something reminiscent of dirty socks in the car when you run the air, you might have mildew in your A/C evaporator. It’s easy to dry that up! Just drive about a mile away from home (that’s enough time to warm up your engine, you see) and then roll down all your windows and turn the air on full blast. Don’t use the A/C! Just regular old air will do. Keep it running for a minute or two, and that should be enough time to circulate air through the evaporator and dry up any residual moisture.