Finally, springtime has come again to Minnesota! The temperature is barely in the 50’s most days, but that won’t stop us from breaking out our shorts! As cheerful as Minnesotans get this time of year, winter more than likely took a toll on our cars, both inside and out. Now is the time to get your car into tip top shape for the coming spring and summer months. Here are some spring cleaning tips to make this chore easier:
- Clear all trash - Remove all the trash that has been building up over the winter months and organize the things you do still need. Make sure you get all the way under and in-between the seats - you never know what is hiding.
- Clean and wipe down the interior - Get into every nook and cranny of the inside of your car. You can use either store-bought car cleaning items or, if you are on a budget, you can find a multitude of DIY car cleaning suggestions on sites like Pinterest. Be careful, though - some DIY solutions can be potentially harmful to your car if you aren’t familiar with the chemicals or the processes.
- Treat and scrubs spots on carpet and/or car mats - If the spot is stubborn, you’ll more than likely need a product that is deep cleaning and that you’ll leave on to soak for a longer amount of time. If your car mats are extremely dirty, you may want to power wash them.
- Vacuum the interior of the car - Shopvacs tend to work the best if you have one at your disposal. Otherwise, you can use a normal vacuum with attachments to get into tighter spaces. Another option is going to a gas station and using the vacuums available. Remember to remove your floor mats, shake them out, and vacuum them (and the floor underneath) before you return them to the car.
- Wash the exterior of the car - Most everyone has a preference to the solutions they use to wash their car - from the wacky to the tried and true. If you don’t like spending the energy to really scrub your vehicle clean (especially after a winter of salty roads and slush) simply take it to the car wash.
- Change out windshield wipers - If your wipers took on too much of the winter stress, you will want a new pair for spring and summer. Spring rainstorms behave very differently than heavy winter snow, and you’ll want to adjust accordingly.
- Change out winter tires - Your car performs differently in the winter months then spring and summer so it is wise to have two sets of tires if at all possible. Winter tires will wear down faster and do not perform as well in the warmer months (read more here).
- Clean the inside of windows - Over the winter months, the inside windows can get messy. Cleaning them is especially important for nighttime driving or when driving in the rain.
Now it is up to you to get your car fresh and clean for the spring and summer months. However, one lucky Kuehn fan might not have to lift a finger. We will be holding a contest giving away car detailing packages - so you can let the professionals do all the work! For more information, stay tuned to our Facebook and Twitter pages. Good luck and happy spring!
