Get some handy tips and tricks to help you give your car a really good spring clean, ready for many summer adventures!

When we work to improve the way we live ready for the warmer months, the house and garden gets such a big focus of our time and money. Compost, seeds, carpet cleaning, window cleaning - we're all about the place we live, which is great. However, there's often one aspect of living that regularly gets left behind when it comes to doing a freshen up in the warmer months, and that is the car. The vehicle that gets you from A to B, the vehicle that takes you on many a summer adventure - left behind. It's a sad story, but one that is easily fixed! Let's take a look at how to give your car a really good spring clean:

Pay Somebody, Or DIY?

When it comes to spring cleaning your car, it is so important to remember that anything mechanical should of course be done by a professional. However, in such challenging economical times, it also makes sense to do whatever you can yourself, for free or on a budget. For that reason, try skipping the car wash and the expensive service this time and burn the calories doing a DIY. Your bank account will thank you for it!

How To Spring Clean Your Car

Here are our top tips to help you spring clean your car so that it is fresh and vibrant, ready for all those exciting summer adventures:

Take Out All The Hobby Items

The car can accidentally become a cheap storage unit for all your favourite hobby items. Wetsuits, camping gear, kites - cars can become a dumping ground for all your hobby items. Instead, it's a great idea to pack those items into , your garage or shed, so that you make the most of the room in your car and those items are safe and protected until you get them out for your next holiday.

Get The Bin Bags Out

Cars can collect a lot of trash and rubbish over time. Crisp packets shoved into the glove box of the side of the door, empty anti-bacterial gel bottles, dried up wet wipes - it's easy to collect rubbish from day to day life in a car that gets a lot of use. Place all the rubbish into a bin bag, setting aside anything recyclable so you can avoid sending as much to landfill as possible.

Switch Your Tyres

In some parts of the world it is relevant to switch your tires over with a season change. For example, switching the tires from snow tires to summer tires means that your car operates as well as possible at the correct time of year. This is because winter tires can wear down across summer, becoming useless when they are needed in winter, so it makes no sense to spend money on using these kinds of tires when they aren't needed.

Get Any Messy Work Done Next

Before you go ahead giving your car a clean, it is important to have any messy work done first so that you don't end up cleaning twice. This includes things like oil changes, tyre work, mechanical adjustments and more. Even if professionals are doing the work, they could end up leaving greasy hand marks and other mess by accident. Hold off on any cleaning before you get the marigolds on.

Now Is The Time To Clean!

Cleaning your cat properly protects both the inside and outside from damage and debris, so it's worth doing regularly, but especially as you freshen it up for the summer months. Here's how to clean your car thoroughly:

Outside

When you wash your car externally, cleaning the tires and wheels first is a really great start. You'll want to focus on each tire one at a time, washing it, rinsing it and drying it. Air drying is the best option but you can blot a lot of the water off using an old towel. To wash the tires make sure you only use a suitable washing solutions along with a scrubbing brush that won't scratch the tire and alloy. Once the wheels and tires are dry you can then polish them up with a suitable protective wax, which will help keep them in great condition until the next clean.

You'll then want to move on to the rest of the vehicle, rinsing it first to get rid of large debris, then cleaning it with a cleaning solution using a soft and suitable sponge. It is also handy to have a clean water bucket nearby for rinsing. As a general rule, working from the top to the bottom prevents you having to go over different areas. You'll then want to rinse and if desired, wipe down and buff to finish the job. Some people also like to add wax to the car surface to protect it day to day.

Inside

To clean inside your vehicle you can split it into two sections - vacuuming and spraying. You can use a general surface cleaner to spray down all the windows and plastic surfaces, whilst using a strong vacuum to then deal with the upholstery and matting. For material areas that need a little more work, consider using a firm brush to remove hair and other debris. Lint rollers can also be helpful for the same job. For plastic areas that are unreachable by the vacuum you can use a cleaning putty. It is like a play dough or blue tack that picks up all the tiny crumbs, debris and dirt and it is also mouldable to different spaces, making it really handy for those deeper car cleans.

Once it is clean it is really helpful to add tubs and baskets in the boot and to hang off the back of the seats, which gives you more chance of keeping bits and bobs like antibacterial gel, tissues, recycling bags, and more nice and organized moving forward.

Now You're Ready To Spring Clean Your Car!

The processes above can help you to spring clean your car so that whether you are on the way to school, or driving off on your next big adventure, you're traveling in the cleanest, freshest, and tidiest environment.