Spring-Cleaning

Take me for a ride in your Car-Car
Take me for a ride in your Car-Car
Take me for a ride, Take me for a ride,
Take me for a ride in your Car-Car
- song by Peter, Paul and Mary

At the vernal equinox on March 20 in New York, there was great hope that Spring had sprung and vanquished Winter. But alas Winter returned and hung around for several weeks afterwards. So depending upon where you live, you may or may not be ready to begin spring-cleaning.

One item that does not readily come to my mind during spring-cleaning is the car. But the interior is quite dusty and I’m sure the exterior could use some elbow grease too. Consumer Reports has the following advice for “How to wash away winter and get your car looking like new”.

The interior

- Throw out the trash. Remove unneeded items.
- Organize what remains into side pockets or compartments.
- Use a mild spray and a microfiber cloth to remove dust and grime off the dash and consoles.
- Vacuum the seats, floor mats, rugs, and trunk. (personally I’d do this before dusting, not afterwards)
- Try a spray-on carpet cleaner to remove any seat stains. For leather trim, use a leather cleaner.
- Clean the inside windows with glass cleaner, but spray directly on a cloth to avoid streaking.

The exterior

- Never wash or wax a car in direct sunlight or if the paint is hot to the touch. The sun softens the paint and makes it easier to scratch.
- Use a dedicated car-wash soap designed not to scratch automotive paint.
- Apply the suds with a large, soft natural sponge or a lamb's-wool mitt (anti-scratch)
- Make sure your sponge is 100% clean (grit in the sponge may – you guessed it – scratch the paint)
- Wash the car from the roof down.
- Use a different sponge to wash the grittiest parts of the car – the tires.
- Don’t let the car air dry when done--use a soft towel to dry.

- Waxing a car provides a shine and some protection for the paint. Consumer Reports found that paste waxes are easier to use than liquid waxes; liquid waxes cleaned the best; and spray waxes were easiest to use and left the fewest stains on plastic parts, but they didn’t last as long as other waxes.
- A wax finish will last about five weeks.

Maintenance checks

- Check your windshield wipers for wear and tear from winter ice. Replace if they are leaving streaks of water.
- Check the treads of your tires for wear and check for proper inflation/

Bottom Line

For more on maintaining your car inside and out, see the Consumer Report guide to car maintenance.