Clean your car: spring nine in 5 steps

The rigors of winter leave traces inside, outside and on the chassis of your car – snow and ice can make bumps and salt can gnaw at the metal. Our 5-step list will help you do your spring cleaning and give back to your car its old chandelier.

1. Start at the bottom

The first step to give your car spring tunes is to remove the salt from the underside of the vehicle. Pass a garden hose under your car to wash all parts of the chassis exposed to weathering and salt. If this part of the job kills you, you can always bring your vehicle to a workshop where you wash the cars (and the chassis) manually.

2. Wash and wax your car

If you decide to wash the car yourself, take a liquid or powdered cleaner for the body. If there is tar or other stains on the paint, use a more powerful product designed to protect the finish and remove stubborn stains. Do not use Abrasives that can scratch paint, such as steel wool. Once your car dries, apply the wax. For more durable protection, try a synthetic polymer-based wax.

3. Check your tires

As standard cleaning cleaners do not clean tires well, use a tire and wheel cleaner. Apply a good coat on the outer surface, then use a tire brush to vigorously rub back and forth. When finished, apply the cleaner to the wheels, let the solution Act for one minute, then use a clean brush to remove any dirt. Rinse wheels and tires with a hose and dry them with a Microfiber towel.

4. Replace the wiper blades

The beginning of spring marks the perfect time to replace wiper blades, especially if the rubber has cracked. In General, wiper blades last about six months – replace them every time you notice they leave traces or scratches on the windshield. Use any glass liquid to clean the inside of your front and rear Windows (they may be dirtier than you think and it blocks your vision).

5. Clean inside

The same salt and dirt that attacked the outside of your car during the winter probably managed to infiltrate inside. Use a large workshop vacuum to remove dirt between seats. Then take a foam cleaner for upholstery fabric seats, stain remover products for carpets and an armor all product for delicate surfaces.

For interiors containing leather and wood, it is best to consult the owner's manual and determine what types of cleaners you can use. For most leathers, any leather conditioner with a balanced pH that contains stain-repellent products and waterproofing agents should do the trick. For all wood-grain surfaces, choose a product specifically formulated to clean the wood type of your car.