Spring Vehicle Cleaning 10 Step Program

Spring is right around the corner (can you feel our excitement?!?!?!?) and with the change of seasons comes the change in our personalities that makes us go from lazy winter slobs bundled up in blanket burritos every night of the week in front of the Netflix – hey, we do it too – to beautiful springtime butterflies that love to clean and feel the fresh air on our faces. Understandably, we want you to be prepared for when you decide to spring clean your vehicle, which is absolutely something you should do. We don’t discourage that at all. But we do want to make sure you do it right, and that you don’t damage your vehicle unintentionally. Take a look at how to give your vehicle a fantastic spring clean, especially after this winter we’ve had, and then get to work!

1. Tackle your carpeting and upholstery by vacuuming the crevices in your seats, wiping your seats down with a damp cloth, and shaking out and vacuuming your carpets. Get the hose of the vacuum into all the crevices on the floor, as well, and really make sure to shake all the dirt out of your mats.
2. Wipe down your console and vacuum out the cupholders. Don’t get the electronics wet, but make sure you clean off any grime or stickiness that’s collected.
3. Organize everything in your glove box and other compartments. That’s a good place to stash trash in an emergency and then forget about forever, so make sure you take care of those spots.
4. Clean the insides and outsides of your windows, including your windshield. Fingerprints, dust, and frost marks can collect over the winter and now’s the time to get rid of all of that.
5. Clean out your trunk – winter debris and various other things can collect in your trunk and you don’t need to deal with that in the spring.
6. Wash your vehicle! Use a good vehicle shampoo and a warm day and make sure your vehicle is looking great. Spray down the undercarriage as well to knock loose salt. If you’re more of the full-service car wash type, then treat your vehicle (and yourself) to a nicer car wash that includes a protectant and undercarriage wash. Check out the Hoffman’s and get anything including and above the Ultimate Exterior (or Ultimate Full Service) wash!
7. Check out your wheels, including checking the tire pressure, cleaning your wheels and wells, and making sure that your tires are in good shape and your wheels and rims aren’t bent or broken anywhere.
8. Clean out your engine bay by getting rid of any dead leaves, debris, and dust that have collected in the bay and checking for animal nests (especially if you live in a more rural spot).
9. Consider applying a protectant like a spray or wax to your vehicle after you wash it. If you do choose to do this at home, then do it in the shade. Direct sunlight is never a good idea when you’re applying protectant.
10. Replace your wipers with ones that haven’t seen the ravages of winter. The salt, dirt, and other debris that gets thrown at your windshield with snow and road slush can do a number on your wipers, and with those spring showers that are coming, you’ll need your wipers to work well.