Spring cleaning guide for your car

New season, new mindset – to really let that in, you might wanna start with cleaning your space. Start by cleaning the place that you travel with the most – your car. We, Toyota of Clermont, understand that not knowing where to begin spring cleaning your car can be very frustrating. With this, we are here to share the tips and tricks, that we’ve personally used, to spring-clean your car from top to bottom and bumper to bumper. To better help spring clean your car, Clermont Toyota parts store can help you find the perfect car detailing supplies.

Spring cleaning your car’s interior

Get the hardest part out of the way – start with the interior. Grab a trash bag and get rid of all the straw wrappers and ‘missing’ items that have been sitting between your chair and center console. Definitely go through your glove compartment, backseat pockets, trunk or cargo space, and under your seats. After that, you’re going to want to:

• Use a paintbrush to dust in cracks and crevices, like inside your A/C vents.

• Wipe everything down thoroughly using the proper car detailing supplies, like your center console, steering wheel, dash, and anything else plastic in the car, including buttons and knobs.

• Clean all of your windows. Trust us when we say it is dirty, even if it might look clean. Clean the back, windshield, outside, and inside windows with the appropriate cleaner – using the wrong cleaner may damage your tinted windows.

• Thoroughly vacuum the interior. Make sure to get in the backseat pockets, seat cracks, cupholders, trunk or cargo area, and center console – and don’t forget under your seats, too. 

• If you have fabric seats, definitely consider shampooing them and spot-treat any stains leftover from the holiday season. If you have SofTex or leather seats, clean them up and condition them so they’re ready for the heat of summer.

• Shampoo and spot treat any tough stains in your floor mats and cargo mats.

• Stick dryer sheets under the seats for that new car smell (one of our favorite life hacks).

• Once you’re finally done with that, invest in a sunshade – it prolongs your car and you won't have to worry about a scorching steering wheel or putting your seatbelt on.

Spring cleaning your car’s exterior

The exterior of your car needs a little bit of love after the past two seasons, with all the leaves and rain coming down, you’re going to want to give your car’s exterior a little more love. To best effectively clean your car’s exterior, we asked our experts at the Clermont Toyota service center to give some tips.

• Start by washing your car thoroughly – our service center techs can help you pick the right soap. Rinse and dry with a microfiber cloth to make sure no water stains remain when you’re done.

• Don’t forget to wash your tires well, and scrub the road dust and grime off of your wheels and rims. Apply tire shine afterward to get them nice and shiny.

• Clay bar your car.  If you’ve never done so, you’re going to see a brand-new car looking at the shine you have afterward – clay bars will pull contaminants and debris out of your paint. 

• Clean the exterior glass with the right cleaner.

• Make sure you’re parked in the shade and apply a coat or two of quality wax. Car wax not only protects your car from the harsh summer sun but also helps to repel moisture (and we get plenty of that here in Clermont in the summer).

• Clean your taillights and headlights. Make sure you replace any burnt-out bulbs to avoid tickets and potential accidents.

• Check out your windshield wiper blades. How did they fare over the fall and winter seasons? Now might be the time to replace them with a fresh set before spring and summer rain starts.

• Definitely observe your tires, while you are washing and shining them, and see if they have any notable concerns — including sidewall separation, bulges, and blisters. If it looks like there are some concerns, it may be time for a new set of tires for your Clermont Toyota. 

And don’t forget to make sure you are up to date on all of your seasonal auto services – oil changes, brake service, tire rotations, battery service, and coolant. Hot weather is coming soon, and you want your car to be ready to handle it.

Get everything you need for car spring cleaning at Toyota of Clermont

Need auto service, car detailing, or detailing supplies? Call Toyota of Clermont today. You can find us at 16851 State Road 50, just off the Florida Turnpike. If you have any questions you can reach us at (352) 404-7001.