Spring Cleaning for Your Car

Winter is definitely the toughest season for automobiles, thanks to salted streets, harsh temperature shifts, potholes, ice, and neglect. Since springtime is here, Jungerman CARSTAR in St. Peters, MO is here to tell you that it is time for you to wipe away the filth and make your vehicle look like new.

Clear Out The Trash

When you are cleaning any car, much less a winter-weather-beaten one, begin by removing all of the junk you have been neglecting. Have a trash bag and a "keep" box handy, because you'll want to hold on to some of the things. Be thorough: Get underneath and beside the seats and in the trunk.

Vacuum the Interior

You'll want to work from the top down, because the law of gravity dictates that stuff stirred up works its way floorward. Also, yank out the salt-caked floor mats for a quick pass with the vacuum cleaner. Then use a house or shop vac and a stiff tool like a screwdriver to work dirt out from the creases.

Scrub Carpet and Upholstery

This step is optional but really worth the gratifying results. Grab a spray bottle of automotive-upholstery-and-carpet cleaner and a heavy-duty scrub brush to clean the soft parts of the interior. Spray the seats or anything cloth covered; scrub, then wipe down. Repeat a minimum of one more time, moving to the carpet for the same task. Being comprehensive with the carpet is vital, since it can work like a dirty, salty, damp rag that accelerates rusting. When you're done, pull the drain plugs under the floor and let things air out for several days. You'll be astonished at how much better the car smells.

Power-Wash the Floor Mats

The floor mats are unquestionably the areas of the inside that take wintertime abuse the hardest. If you've got all-rubber floor mats, they will not take very long to clean up, but carpeted mats probably will need a couple of passes with a power washer in order to get all the salt and dirt out. If you don't have a power washer, Jungerman CARSTAR recommends that you use one at a self service car wash. Let the mats dry thoroughly before putting them back into the vehicle or you could be begging for mold growth in the carpet.

Tip: Old Tool, New Trick

Whenever cleaning out door and body drain holes, we've found 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 just the way you would a tire plug. The set-up makes dragging out dirt and plant matter very easy, and the fabric scrap is very easily swapped out when it gets grimy.

Ditch Winter Windshield Wipers

Wipers get beaten up pretty bad during the cold months, and torn-up old wipers in a summertime downpour will leave you blind.

Lube the Hinges

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

Clean the Windows

Ever notice how your windows haze up really bad during the course of damp springtime weather? A part of that has to do with how filthy the interior of your windscreen is, but you are able to take measures to prevent this. First, wash your windows with a good car-window cleanser; the ammonia in household stuff will make the fogging even worse. Fog has a 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 sounds clear, but there are some intricacies. Just like the inside, you need to wash the automobile from the top down, rinsing often. Don't start at the rocker panels and move to the roof—it drags dirt around and scratches the clear coat. When the body is clean, spend a few dollars at your neighborhood automated car wash and get the underbody flushed. This will dislodge the road salt that's doing everything it can to turn the underbody into Swiss cheese.

Swap the Cabin Air Filter

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

Don't Forget the Trunk

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

Wipe Down the Entry

Scrub door sills to help keep your pants clean, and dust off any nooks skipped in a car wash. Wipe door seals with mineral oil or use silicone spray to ensure that they're supple.

The certified technicians at Jungerman CARSTAR can offer a detailed “spring cleaning” program for any automobile in St. Peters, St. Charles, O'Fallon, and Lake St. Louis, Missouri, including paint touch-up, dent and scratch repair, and more, all at a reasonable cost.