As we leave the dark days of winter behind, now is a good time to freshen up your car in preparation for spring. Here are five tips to help get your car spring ready!
1. Windows
The winter months can play havoc with car windows, making them quite dirty as they battle mud, bird droppings and debris. The inside glass can also become quite greasy and fog up faster. To ensure that you have the best visibility possible when driving this spring, spruce up your car windows, both on the inside and outside.
Tackle the inside of your car windows first. Arm yourself with a glass cleaner and a soft microfibre cloth. Spray the glass cleaner onto the cloth and then wipe the windows.
Wash the car before you start cleaning the outside windows to help remove most of the dirt. Then, get to work with your window cleaner and a little bit of elbow grease. Shine your windows with a dry cloth or towel and don’t forget your side mirrors!
2. Windscreen wipers
Now that your car windows are sparkling, check that your wiper blades are in good working order – this is something we can often forget about. It’s important to replace your wiper blades when they start to make that annoying noise or when they leave smears across your windscreen. You’ll be glad of your wipers during our lovely Irish summer rain showers.
3. The Boot
Just as you spring clean your home at this time of year, take some time to tidy up your car boot. Like a spare room, car boots can often become a dumping place for items, including old clothes that you keep meaning to bring to a charity shop, or glass for recycling. Make a to-do list to free up your car boot space; it will make you feel more organised, not to mention carrying unnecessary weight can increase your car's fuel consumption! Now, in your clutter free boot, don’t forget to check that your spare tyre is in good condition.
4. Under the bonnet
Remove any leaves or debris that may have lodged under the edge of the bonnet area during the cold and dark winter months.
Next up, check your engine oil - you should only do this when the engine is cold. Consult your owner’s manual for information on the type of oil that is suitable for your car and opt for an engine oil with lower viscosity (i.e. thinner oil) to reduce fuel consumption and to make cold starting easier. Remember to top up your oil regularly.
Assess whether your engine needs coolant, power steering fluid, or washer fluid for the windscreen and top up each gauge, respectively.
5. The Interior
As with the outside of your car, the inside will be equally dirty after the winter months. Clean from top to bottom, removing any rubbish or unnecessary items from seats to the floor. Gently clean the dashboard, the centre console and the inside of the doors using a soft cloth. Clean leather seats with a damp cloth or vacuum upholstered seats to remove dust and dirt. Remove floor mats and vacuum them, as well as the floor of the car.
Finally, treat your car to a new air freshener, so that it looks and smells like new!
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