Spring Cleaning for Your Car

Winter is the harshest season for cars, thanks to salted highways, harsh temperature shifts, potholes, ice, and neglect. Seeing that spring is here, CARSTAR Arnold in Arnold, MO is here to let you know that it’s time to wash away the grime and make your vehicle look like new.

Clean Out The Trash

When you are cleaning any car, much less a winter-weather-beaten one, begin with removing all the junk you've been neglecting. Have a garbage bag and a "keep" box handy, because you will want to hold on to some of the items. Be thorough: Get below and beside the seats and in the trunk.

Vacuum the Inside

You will want to work from the top down, simply because gravity dictates that stuff stirred up works its way floorward. Additionally, yank out the salt-caked floor mats for a quick pass with the vacuum cleaner. Then employ a house or shop vac and a rigid tool like a screwdriver to work dirt out from the creases.

Scrub Carpet and Upholstery

This step is optional but worth the gratifying results. Grab a spray bottle of automotive-upholstery-and-carpet cleaner and a sturdy scrub brush to wash the soft parts of the interior. Spray the seats or anything cloth covered; scrub, then wipe down. Repeat at least one more time, moving to the carpet for the same job. Being comprehensive with the carpet is necessary, since it can act like a filthy, salty, damp rag that increases rusting. When you are finished, pull the drain plugs beneath the floor and let things air out for a few days. You'll certainly be astonished at how much better the automobile smells.

Power-Wash the Floor Mats

The floor mats are undeniably the parts of the interior that take winter abuse the worst. If you have got all-rubber floor mats, they will not take very long to clean, but carpeted mats will likely take two passes with a power washer in order to get all of the salt and dirt out. Without having a power washer, CARSTAR Arnold recommends that you utilize one at a self service car wash. Let the mats dry out thoroughly before placing them back into the vehicle or you will be begging for mold growth in the carpet.

Tip: Old Tool, New Trick

Whenever cleaning out door and body drain holes, we have discovered that the best method is to repurpose a plug-installation tool utilized in tire repair. Cut up an old shop rag or sock and place it into the slot of the tool exactly the way you would a tire plug. The setup will make dragging out dirt and plant matter very easy, and the fabric scrap is quite easily swapped out when it gets grimy.

Ditch Winter Windshield Wipers

Wipers get beaten up pretty bad in winter, and torn-up old wipers in a summer downpour will leave you blind.

Lube the Hinges

Hit each and every door, trunk, and hood hinge with white lithium grease to prevent squeaks and rapid wear.

Clean the Windows

Ever notice how your windows fog up really bad during wet spring weather? A part of that is because of how filthy the interior of your windshield is, but you are able to take steps to avoid this. First, wash your windows with a good car-window cleaner; the ammonia in household stuff will make the clouding even worse. Fog has a much harder time clinging to a clean surface, and you can go one step further by wiping down the interior of the glass with an antifogging agent.

Wash the Vehicle

This would seem clear, but there are several subtleties. Just like the interior, you should wash the automobile from the top down, rinsing often. Do not begin at the rocker panels and proceed to the roof—it drags dirt around and scrapes the clear coat. Whenever the body is clean, invest a few bucks at your neighborhood automatic car wash and get the underbody flushed. This will dislodge the road salt that is doing its best to transform the underbody into Swiss cheese.

Switch out the Cabin Air Filter

This filter keeps dirt, pollen, and plant matter from penetrating the ventilation system. It gets dirtiest during fall, when falling leaves work their way into the cabin-intake system.

Do Not Forget the Trunk

Add a bag of sand, gravel, or kitty litter to the trunk as ballast to improve traction in slippery conditions and to have something to throw underneath the tires when the car or truck's stuck in the winter. But come spring, get rid of the bag and other winter gear to improve fuel economy and free up space.

Wipe Down the Entry

Scrub door sills to keep your pants clean, and dust off any nooks overlooked during a car wash. Rub door seals with mineral oil or utilize silicone spray to keep them supple.

The qualified technicians at CARSTAR Arnold can give a detailed “spring cleaning” plan for any car or truck in Arnold, Imperial, Oakville, and Jefferson County, Missouri, incorporating paint touch-up, dent and scratch repair, and much more, all at reasonable prices.