I know it’s hard to believe, but
spring is finally here. Before you know it the snow will be all gone and
flowers will be blooming. Now is the perfect time to start thinking about
getting your vehicle prepared for the spring and summer months ahead, just as
you did for winter.
You really do have to wait until
all of the snow and ice are gone before you start the cleaning process or you
will end up doing it more than once. However, it is a good time to start
thinking ahead about what needs to be done. This will give you time to get all
of the supplies need. It will also give
you time to get your vehicle into the shop for a good once over by your
mechanic. It’s a good way to make sure
that the rough roads of winter didn’t do any major damage. Give things a good
check before you go to the shop, that way you can bring up any concerns and
have them looked into while you’re there. This is
also a good time to have the mechanic change your fluids; you will no longer
require the sub-zero ones. Your tires
can be swapped out now for your all seasons or summers, and balanced as well. You should have a look at your wiper blades
too, and make sure winter didn’t destroy them.
Once they have stopped sanding
and salting the roads it’s time to give your vehicle a really good wash. Make
sure to get the underside as well. You want to make sure all of the salt and
dirt is thoroughly washed away; it’s the salt that causes a lot of the
corrosive damage that will result in rust.
After a good washing you can apply a coat of wax. The wax will help to
further protect the body and help the spring rain to bead away.
That salt from the winter roads
has to be cleaned from the interior of you vehicle as well, it can cause just
as much damage on the inside of your car as the outside. You will want to pick
a warm day when there isn’t any expected rain.
Start with wiping down the inside of the doors and the dash (use a Q-tip
for those small places like vents), you can use a mild detergent and water for
this. The windows should also be washed.
Remove the floor mats and give them a good wash, set them aside to dry.
If you have the rubber mats in from winter, you can continue using them to
catch the mud from the wet mucky rain showers. Once the weather dries up you can put the carpet ones back in. You can now give the carpet and
upholstery a good vacuuming, try and remove as much dirt and rocks as possible.
All that salt is deep into the fibers of the carpet and upholstery, so it is a
really good idea to shampoo everything really well. You can go to a car wash and use the shampoo
equipment there, or you can use a shampoo solution and a stiff cleaning brush
with a little elbow grease. If you choose to hand scrub just add a little bit
of the shampoo to a large bucket of water, dip the scrub brush into the
shampoo/water solution and scrub small sections of carpet at a time. For extra
dirty spots pre soak the area and give it a little extra elbow grease. Don’t
over saturate the fabric; you don’t want the upholstery or carpet too wet. If
you have a shop vac you can use that to suck up any excessive water. Once the
carpet and upholstery are clean leave the windows rolled down and let
everything air dry. Now hang your pine tree air freshener and you’re all done.
The good news is that there isn’t
a lot of maintenance that needs to be done for the spring and summer months. This
does depend on how you spend your time in your vehicle, if you are out
exploring the back country roads you may have to work a little harder at
it. But basically, just make sure you
try and keep your vehicle clean inside and out; pollen and dust can cause scratches
to the exterior paint and the interior surfaces. And of course a good coat of
wax after each wash helps protect against the elements, so try and make that
part of your regular maintenance. A quick vacuum and dusting once in a while is
a good practice too.
Now get out there and get your
fill of days at the lake and backyard barbeques!
-Muriel Rolufs
