- Bottoms Up Rinse
The first and most important step in undoing Old Man Winter is to remove all of the road salt from your vehicle’s undercarriage. Do your best to get underneath and give a heavy rinse to every inch of your vehicle’s underside. Take your time. If you can’t or simply don’t want to get down on your hands and knees, then a brushless drive-through car wash will work in a pinch.
- Top Down Wash and Wax
Washing your vehicle on a lovely day can be great medicine from those of us suffering from Wintertime cabin fever. Just be sure not to wash your vehicle on a scorching hot day, or if it is really hot, try to find a spot in the shade so that you can avoid having soap and wax dry before you are finished. You’ll also want to “soak” your vehicle first to soften bugs or crusty dirt before scrubbing.
Do not use dish soap! It may be liquid, but it contains abrasives that will damage the painted surfaces.
Divide your vehicle into sections from top to bottom and go around the entire vehicle to complete each section before moving down to the next: roof first, then all the glass and roof pillars. Next is from the bottom of the glass to about halfway down the body. Then finally the lowest parts of the body – which will be the worst to clean. When done, spend some time cleaning your wash mitt or sponge so that any of the worst debris left on them doesn’t scratch your vehicle next time you wash it.
- Check Your Tires
While you’re cleaning, have a good look at your tires. Inspect for any damage, nails or screws stuck in them, and also look at the tread left. Is a repair or replacement in order?
Cleaning wheels and tires will require different cleaners or at the very least, a good stiff brush. A bottle or toilet bowl brush can help get between the spokes of alloy wheels. Just do not use something too stiff – like a barbeque brush! It will certainly clean your wheels, but it will also seriously damage them (this has happened)!
- Replace the Wiper Blades
It’s good to get into the routine of replacing your blades each spring as many get damaged by ice and salt. Ask your dealership service staff to help if you aren’t sure how.
- Clean the Interior
This is the area that really makes the biggest difference for any driver. It’s a tough job to reverse the effects of winter on your vehicle’s interior, but it’s so worth the effort.
Do not use chemical cleaners like Armor All because they actually accelerate ageing and can promote cracks and shrink of dashboard areas. Gentle, soap-based cleaners are best. Keep a micro-fibre cloth in your vehicle and give the dash area a quick wipe as soon as it looks dusty.
Leather will require a special cleaner that won’t dry it out and promote cracks and discolouration, so ask your service centre for help identifying what to use.
Of course, if detailing is not your thing, click the SERVICE REQUEST button below and speak to one of our friendly customer service representatives about how we can help you keep your vehicle looking new year after year.
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