With spring now well underway, many of us will be busy decluttering and cleansing our homes, but it’s not just inside our properties where cleanliness counts for many vehicle owners, cars are like second homes, and as a result they attract just as much dirt and clutter. Giving your car a good detail at the start of spring sets you in good stead for what’s on the horizon. Spring is a time for change, after all. And there’s no change quite as satisfying as cleaning away the remanence of the cold season.
What Are The Benefits Of Spring Cleaning Your Car?
Protect your vehicle from early onset of corrosion caused by ignoring winter grime
Dirt, like mud, salt and road grit which builds up in winter, is bad for your paintwork and will cause rust and corrosion, so it’s important to get rid of it in spring. Don’t forget to rinse the undercarriage.
Makes driving safer
Smudged windows decrease visibility, and dirt on headlights and tail lights makes the vehicle less visible to other drivers. A complete car wash will leave windows pristine, reducing sun glare and eye strain while on the road. This makes the vehicle safer for the driver and any passengers.
Clear Out the Clutter to Save on Fuel
Over winter you might put in a spare coat, cans of de-icer, heavy shoes and other extras which you don’t need to be carrying when it’s warmer. If you drive around with lots of bags, luggage and general rubbish in your car it could be costing you money.
Keeping Bugs Off
When bugs splatter on the front end of vehicles, they cause acidic damage. Have the car washed and waxed before summer arrives to add a protective barrier against bugs. The barrier will also guard the paint against UV rays and road-trip dirt.
It’ll Be Good for Your Health and Wellbeing, Too
Spring clean the interior of your car, and we guarantee you’ll feel better the next time you drive it, even if you’re stuck in traffic. We’d recommend investing in a good-quality car freshener, and giving your air conditioning a clean to get rid of any stale smells before the hot weather kicks in.
Steps to Spring Cleaning Your Car
ENGINE BAY
It’s a stage that many forget or simply choose to ignore, which is something of a shame because transforming your engine bay, especially on a relatively modern car, couldn’t be simpler if done right. Over winter you’ll find significantly more salt and road grime being flung up into engine bays, along with other organic debris like dead leaves, mud and mulch finding its way through scuttle panels, in some cases even blocking the factory drain holes. Cleaning this away is not only a matter of aesthetics, it can actually prolong the life of vital components… basically stopping contaminants from rotting some of the more sensitive parts of your engine bay.
On a cool engine give the whole engine bay a pre-rinse, This is safe as long as you avoid spraying directly at alternators and exposed electrics. After your pre-rinse, use a APC (all purpose cleaner ) we recommend Gtechniq W5 APC, can be applied and brushed into surfaces with a Detailing Brush. You can keep applying your cleaning product as you work, just don’t let it fully dry. Once you’ve brushed your cleaner into all areas, simply rinse away the dirt with your pressure washer or a garden hose.
Pre-Wash And Contact Wash
Proper hand car wash is a great way to bring your vehicle back to its glory. We recommend a three buckets method, You have a wash bucket filled with your favorite car shampoo, a rinse bucket with clean water, and a third bucket dedicated for your wheels, tires and other grimy parts of your car.
Start with a thorough pre-wash, it is the only way to remove heavy soiling without inflicting swirl marks. Start rinsing down the vehicle from the top to bottom to remove any loose, heavy soiling. Don’t forget door jambs, trunk jamb, wheels and wheel arches.
After you have completed your pre-wash, Wash your wheels and tires first. Start by rinsing your wheels and tires with water and then spray them down with your favorite wheel cleaner. Let the wheel cleaner sit as directed and then begin agitating with a wheel brush, detail brush, and wheel woolie. Once your wheels have been scrubbed clean you will want to rinse them with clean water. Your tires can be cleaned the same way by using your favorite cleaner. You will want to scrub your tires until there is no brown foam remaining on the tire.
Now comes the fun part, use a foam cannon to spray shampoo on the vehicle, This allows the soap to begin breaking down dirt and lifting it off of the paint Once the foam has dwelled on the paint for a few minutes rinse it off and then do a contact wash with our dedicated wash buckets starting with the roof and upper sides, and finishing with the lower sides and rear end. This will avoid any transfer of grime to cleaner areas. Make sure to rinse your wash mitt in the rinse bucket after washing each panel.
Paint Decontamination And Protection
After drying the car with high quality drying towel, its time to decontaminate the paint. This is where we remove embedded contaminants that could have built up over the winter season. Here we tackle the sort of nasties that can’t be eradicated by washing alone.
you can use a Clay Bar, along with Clay Lube. It’s a really simple process that makes a huge amount of difference, some even say this is where a “wash’ meets a “detail’! In any case, it’s as simple as lubricating the clay and the surface with clay lube, and then gently running the clay back and forth until the contaminants have been removed and wipe off the panel with high quality microfiber – you can actually feel the difference in how your clay glides when the surface is smooth.
Now, it is a good time to protect your vehicle’s finish with some form of protection. There are endless options to choose from and we feel you should at the very least use a paint sealant on the vehicle’s finish. Many spray sealants can last as long as 6 months and are extremely easy to use. It will last till you need another coat for the following winter. If you have a ceramic coating on your car this will help protect your investment as a sacrificial layer on your paint that will help maintain your coating.
Now is a great time to start tackling the interior, Vacuum the seats and carpets first, to remove the worst of the loose grime and then you can start scrubbing your dashboard and cleaning the entire interior including the center console, door panels, door handles, and seat belt plastics and buttons using your APC, a soft detailing brush and a clean microfiber. Do not use anything on your vehicle’s video screens that could damage it. Always read the labels and directions on the products you are using to make sure nothing will harm your screens or plastics. You can also use your APC over fabrics, agitating the stains and grime away with an Upholstery Brush. Grab your best automotive glass cleaner and waffle weave towels and clean the glass of your windows, sunroof, and interior mirrors. A final wipe over and your cabin will be as fresh as the day it left the factory.
One last interior product to consider is GTECHNIQ I2 TRI-CLEAN, which has been developed to kill 99.99% of all bacteria and viruses. A simple spray and wipe application is the key here, and as well as being devastatingly effective on areas like steering wheels and shifters that suffer from the most human contact, it’s also great for spraying into heater vents. It may sound strange, but this is an important tip because air conditioning systems are notorious for bacteria build-up when they’re unused over winter. And, what’s the first thing you do as soon as the weather heats up? That’s right, blow the whole lot in your face! Spraying Wipe Out into the vents eliminates the problem, making this product a must have, especially in the current climate.
After all of your hard work you will be glad you spent the time as your vehicle will look outstanding inside and out. Remember we are here to help protect your vehicle. Contact us if you have any question regarding detailing and protecting your vehicle.