It’s springtime, which means it is time for the annual spring cleaning. Now, most people will take a quick trip around the house and clean places they usually avoid, or even cleaning up the yard. But, most often forget to look at their car when it comes time for spring cleaning. In my opinion, your car takes the biggest beating during the winter. From cold and wet weather to salt, and even the occasional pothole. So, let’s go over what you should make sure to check every spring!

The first thing you want to do is wash the exterior. Even though the rain has washed away the dirt, there is a good chance there is still grime and even salt lingering on your paint and undercarriage. I could go into explaining how to wash your car, or I could show you in this video below.

After you wash the exterior, it is time to give the inside some love as well. The reason why we want to clean the car first is to be able to have a clean surface to check for damage or wear. To clean the interior, start by cleaning out any trash, even under the seat. After that, quickly vacuum out the car, making sure to get all the dirt and junk in the hard to reach areas. If you have floor mats that are covered in salt and dirt, you can take them out and hose them off. Just make sure to let them dry in the sun completely before returning them back in the car.

Once your car is completely clean, take a quick walk around and look for any damage. The most important thing is to look for rust, bubbling in the paint, and even spots for future rust. If you spot any rust, it is best to take care of them early, as rust spreads quickly. It’s also a good time to look at the wheels, tires, and brakes. If you see any damage to the wheel and tire or you feel a thumping when driving, chances are one or more of your wheels are out of balance. This could have been caused by hitting a pothole on the winter roads. This is a problem you will want to correct right away, it is important because it can not only affect the handling but cause premature wear on other items.

Spring is also a good time to make sure your car’s fluids are in good shape. First is to make sure your tires and spare tire are properly inflated. The springtime is always a good time to check on that spare tire as well. You may wanna go deeper and replace your air filter along with your cabin air filter. Each car is different, so I would suggest doing a quick search on where your filter is located and which filter you need.

If you need help doing so, or would like any of our sales staff to do a 360 sweep through your vehicle give us a call at   (617) 773-8000 or click here.

If you want to learn more tips and tricks about cars, check out our other videos based on car care here or below!

Before we talk about how to keep your car clean, let’s talk about why leaving pollen of your vehicle on your is bad. For some background, have you ever walked by a car and noticed tiny scratches all over the paint? This is caused by either improper cleaning or any abrasive material on the paint causing scratches. This is where the pollen comes into play. Even though it may seem small and soft, on a microscopic level, pollen is actually extremely sharp. By washing your car, you risk rubbing the pollen into your paint causing damage and scratches to the paint.

If you want to wash your car, there are some measures you can take to help prevent damage. The first is to wash your car, even if this goes against what I just stated above. The first step to take is to thoroughly rinse your car. The more pollen and debris you get off the paint before you apply any pressure to the paint, the less chance of damage. After you rinse the car, take a fresh soapy wash mit and extremely gently wipe soap over the paint and let it drip down the car. After the soap washes down the car, give it a quick and gentle final wipe down with a soapy mit again then rinse the car off.

Once your car is perfectly clean, it is time to add some protection to prevent damage to the paint, not only from scratches but also from solar damage as well. The best way to prevent damage is by properly adding a layer of wax to your car. Now, this may seem hard, but it is really actually simple with the right tools. To start, head over to the store and pick up some microfiber towels, a good quality car wax, and a few applicator pads. After you wash and dry your car, bring it into a shady location, where the paint is cool to the touch. You do not want to wax the car when the paint is in direct sunlight or hot as you can do more to the paint then good. Start with one section at a time and take the wipe the application pad in the wax and slowly apply the wax in a swirling motion on a panel of the car. Do not apply too much pressure to the panel. After about 3-5 minutes, take a clean microfiber cloth and wipe the wax off the surface and lightly buff the panel. Continue this process around the entire car. It is important to note to keep the wax off any plastic trim and windows as it will leave unsightly marks that are difficult to remove.

Once your car is waxed, step back and enjoy the shine the wax just restored to the paint on your car. The nice part about wax is that it forms a hydrophobic surface on the paint of your car making future washes easy. When the pollen settles on your car again, and you want to wash it again, it will be far easier. Simply rinse your car and lightly wipe it down with a soapy mit. The reason why we can wash it with ease is the wax creates a second layer above your paint that will protect your paint.