You Also Need to Do a Spring Cleaning of Your Car Body
While it is snowing in parts of the country this morning, it is technically spring, which means it’s time for spring cleaning. And your car is no exception.
While the first thing on your mind is vacuuming your car’s interior, washing your windows, and getting all the crumbs out of the crevices between your seats, the exterior needs your attention, too.
This is especially true after winter, when you probably have accumulated all sorts of garbage and salt residues (if you live somewhere with snow and ice, that is). Here are a few ways to do a general cleaning of your car’s body.
Clean the undercarriage
The bottom of your car is the part that gets exposed to salt and other winter grime all season long, but because it’s out of sight, it’s easy to forget about it when washing your car.
Of course, you can ask to have it cleaned if you take your car to the car wash, but this is something you can do yourself. All you need is a garden hose, a sprinkler and a little patience. This post from It Still Runs breaks down the process.
Check windshield wiper blades
Take a look at the wiper blades and test their performance by cleaning the windshield as if you were driving. At a minimum, you’ll want to erase them to get rid of the remnants of the winter bustle. Check them again and if they still leave streaks or gaps, it might be time to replace the wiper blades.
Change tires
If you have put winter tires on your car, it’s time to go back to regular ones.
Clean outside crevices
Open the hood and clear any fallen leaves, dirt, or other debris that may have accumulated around the inside perimeter. Do the same along the cracks in the roof, including the sunroof gutters if you have them. If these air intakes are blocked , they can reduce the efficiency of your vehicle.