Spring cleaning guide for your car

Spring cleaning your car’s interior

When it comes to your car’s interior, start by decluttering. Get rid of all the junk that accumulated before and during the holidays, being sure to go through your center console, glovebox, seatback pockets, and trunk or cargo space. Once you’re done with that, get to cleaning, being sure to:

• Thoroughly vacuum the interior. Be sure to get under the seats, in the seatback pockets, in the cupholders, in seat cracks, in your trunk or cargo area, and in your center console.
• 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 dash, center console, steering wheel, and anything else plastic in the car, including knobs and buttons.
• If you have fabric seats, now’s the time to shampoo 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 stains in your floor mats and cargo mats.
• Clean the glass – you’d be surprised how dirty it is. Clean the insides of your windows, back window, and windshield with the appropriate cleaner (using the wrong cleaner can damage your tint).
• Stick dryer sheets under the seats for cheap air fresheners and get your sunshade out – things are about to heat up, and you want to keep your car interior in the best shape possible.

Spring cleaning your car’s exterior

The exterior of your car probably didn’t take too much of a beating (we don’t get much snow and ice in Clermont), but you can still give it some TLC to get it ready for the heat of the summer. Here are some tips from our Clermont Toyota service center:

• Start by washing your car thoroughly – our service center techs can help you pick the right soap for your car. 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. Apply tire shine afterward to get them glossy.
• Clay bar your car. If you never have, you’ll be amazed at the shine you have afterward – clay bars will pull contaminants and debris out of your paint, leaving it looking like new.
• 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 spring and summer).
• Clean your headlights and taillights and replace any burnt-out bulbs to avoid tickets.
• 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.
• While you’re washing and shining your tires, take note of how they look. Do they still have enough traction? Do you see any bulges or blisters? What about sidewall separation? If so, it may be time for a new set of shoes for your Clermont Toyota.

And don’t forget to make sure your up to date on all of your typical auto services – oil changes, brake service, tire rotations, battery service, and coolant. Hot weather is coming (pretty much here), 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. We’re open seven days a week at (352) 404-7001 and we’re conveniently located just off the Florida Turnpike at 16851 State Road 50.