Enthusiast

2020 DIY Spring Car Cleaning Tips

2020 DIY Spring Car Cleaning Tips

Spring has finally arrived. The temperature outside is incredible, the snow has melted, the sun is out, and your car looks like garbage. ‘Tis the season for car cleaning! If you want your vehicle to bloom into beauty like your new flowers or the trees down your block, then read over these DIY spring car cleaning tips to see how you can optimize your on-road image.

Polishing your headlights

Nighttime visibility and the stylish clarity of your headlights are one of the most important components of your vehicle’s operational integrity. Over time, especially after a harsh winter, your headlamps can become foggy or moist from the inside and out.

If you want to optimize your vehicle’s style as well as practicality when it comes to illuminating the highways when driving at night, you can hand buff or machine buff the outside of your headlights with topical solutions that are designed to take the cloudiness off.

Also, you can pop the hood to access the screws and wire harnessing behind your headlights. Once you pop the headlights out, you can wipe down any condensation or mildew that has formed behind the lenses. Spring is a great time to consider headlights or bulb replacements and if you’ve noticed a burnt out bulb or a cracked headlamp, order the perfect fit for your year, make, and model online! See how you can revitalize and restore your headlamps in this DIY run down.

Detailing your car’s interior

Tired of the crumbs and hair stuck between the crevices of your car’s interior? Maybe your door panels, glovebox, and center console have become grimy and gross over the past few months, and you’re craving that new car look and smell that you once had. Here’s how you detail your interior.

Find a soft bristle brush or an old toothbrush to scrub out the nitty-gritty from the tiny spaces between your vehicle’s interior panels and while doing this, have a vacuum handy so you can immediately take up whatever comes out.

After you have vacuumed the crud and grime from the hard-to-reach spaces, take an Armor All protective wipe, or cloth with an Armor All solution, and wipe down the plastic and other hard surfaces in your vehicle.

These moist napkins remove excess dirt and tree leaves behind a protective coating that reduces any potential sun damage. If you haven’t purchased a sunshade for your windshield, it’s wise to do so to reduce heat inside your vehicle as well as any cracking on the dashboard.

How to clean car mats and leather seats

Your car’s carpet, floor mats, and seats are what make your car comfortable and smelling fresh. When cloth carpets or seats are dirty, your vehicle may begin to emit a foul odor. After an in-depth vacuuming of your floors and seats, consider scrubbing the floor mats and cloth seats with handheld car carpet cleaners or rent a steam cleaner which will fully clean the through the layers of fabric.

If you have rubber floor mats and leather seats you may find it easier to clean them with a variety of leather and rubber surface cleaners. Take your rubber floor mats out of your vehicle and scrub them with soap and water in your driveway, or at a car wash stall. After you have removed the dirt, hang them out to dry and if there are any smudges or spots left after the scrub down, use a floor mat cleaning solution that will revitalize the dark color it once had.

There are so many leather seat cleaning compounds online and once you find the solution for your leather interior, it’s wise to vacuum first, wipe down your seats with a damp cloth, then add the cleaning solution afterward.

Let the covered area sit for as long as the directions on the bottle recommend, then wipe clean. Most leather cleaning products have protective additives that will preserve your leather seating from cracking or tearing over time so look out for which cleaning products promote the best protective coating for longevity.

Waxing & buffing your car’s exterior

Nobody wants to drive around town in a car that looks faded, dirty or impractical. If your car is the current eyesore in the neighborhood, a solid wash, wax, and buffing can do wonders for your car’s exterior.

After you have thoroughly washed and dried your car, find the wax and buffing compounds that work best for your wallet or car make, and gently add it to the paint of your car. It’s best to pay attention to certain areas at a time, so you don’t miss any spots. You can hand buff your vehicle after applying wax, however, this takes some time and a little bit of elbow grease. Save the time and hassle by renting or purchasing a car buffer, and get the job done in a short amount of time, while also saving your arms from the pain. Once the wax disappears, your car will look brand new.

Under the hood cleaning

Most car owners neglect their engine space and strangely it’s the part of your vehicle that tends to be the dirtiest. You don’t have to scrub beneath the hood every time you wash your car, but spring is a great starting point to detail your engine and pull out the leaves, sticks, and sludge that has built up in the corners. Cleaning beneath the hood is simple, and once you’ve removed the debris, take a wet cloth, with,  or without soap and wipe the grease from the top of the engine and other components.

Don’t waste any time. Detail your car this spring season!

Utilize the amazing weather outside to bring your car back to life with a thorough cleaning inside-and-out. Nothing beats driving a car that’s pristine and new, and if you have headlight issues or need a replacement, be sure to scope out new headlight and bulb products for your car. Travel through the night with a clean-look, superior style and with additional clarity and visibility with fresh new lighting for the spring.

 

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Patrick Kirk
I am a full-time copywriter from Naples, FL and living in Austin, TX. I have written for the automotive industry for three years, and enjoy other hobbies such as camping and mountain biking. I received my Bachelors from Florida Gulf Coast University, and served in the U.S Coast Guard.

    5 Comments

    1. These are good tips for the aesthetic maintenance of your car.

    2. I never even thought to clean under the hood. I may remove leaves under the hood, but never thought to wipe anything down. I would definitely be careful when it comes to anything that may be too abrasive on your headlights, including buffing. Always spot test a new cleaner or method to make sure it will not harm the lens or even the body of the car.

    3. I really enjoyed this article! Especially the part about the sunshade for your windshield. It’s the little things that help the car last overtime, as well as keeping up with your headlights of course. Under the hood also got my attention because I never really think about that section.

    4. I am not too sure about the part about removing your headlights to wipe down the inside of your lens. Most headlights are sealed you can wipe the moisture off the inside of the lens.

    5. OK, I’m calling this one out. This seems to imply you can clean behind the lenses of the headlight, which is very much not true. I’m guessing the writer was talking about cleaning behind the housing of the light for an under the hood detail maybe??

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