Spring is finally on the way! We will be doing spring cleanups in our homes, our gardens, and our garages. Why not in our cars as well? Your car sees a lot of wear and tear in the winter, from brakes and tires to body and interior. It’s important to give your car a thorough cleaning once the worst of the winter is over to get all of the leftover sand and silt off.
Body & Wheels
Your car’s body takes a serious beating over the winter. In New England, we can get anything from hail to heavy wet snow to beating rain. Add that to all of the upsplash that comes from the roads and you’ve got a recipe for disaster. In Salt Eats Cars, we advise washing your car every 7-10 days over the winter in order to keep most of the sand and salt at bay. Even if you’ve kept to that rule religiously, a thorough washing is necessary to get in the cracks and crevices.
Don’t forget the buff and wax, too! A thorough exterior detail is always best after winter so that your vehicle’s paint can be evened out and shined up. Even though the sand and silt are gone, it’ll soon be time for the harsh sun of summer. It’s worth your time to purchase a wheel brush (about $10 at most stores) if you have rims on your vehicle. The thorough clean will leave your rims much cleaner than with just a wash.
- Wash
- Wax
- Polish Chrome
- Wheels
Interior
It’s a toss up, which part of your car gets the most abuse from winter weather: the exterior or the interior. Winter boots on your carpet bring the same sand and salt from outside but without the benefit of having it easily washed off. The interior of your car can suffer similar stuffiness to your house over the winter due to the fact that the windows are always closed. Riding on the coattails of all that stuffiness is the presence of molds and mites. Check out Allergens and Your Car for extra details on getting rid of them.
- Vacuum
- Shampoo
- Dash
- Console
- Vents
- Windows
Some car wash vacuums have shampooing options. You can also use general purpose cleaner and a damp rag. **Note: make sure you rinse and dry your interior thoroughly with the heat on to avoid mildew caused by leftover dampness. An extractor machine, used by professional detailers, is your best bet for hard-to-remove soil and silt. An extractor machine also dries as it cleans, so there is very little risk of mildew.