Just bitterly cold, now warm as spring: The temperature profile of this year's winter weather leaves no time for transition jackets. Car owners can dedicate themselves to the care of their vehicle. But one point should be left aside.
The first warm rays of sunshine delight people, but also quickly make it clear where no cleaning was done in winter. Just as in the house the window panes mercilessly show dirt and streaks in the sunlight, you can now see dirt and salt on the body and dust in the interior particularly well on the vehicle. A little cleaning and tidying up does not do any harm and in Corona times maybe also brings a little variety to everyday life.
Before the actual cleaning of the vehicle can be started, the vehicle must be cleaned out. You remove the rubbish that has accumulated inside the vehicle - don't forget the shelves and compartments - and in the trunk. This is properly disposed of in a garbage can. Smokers still empty the ashtray, of course also in a trash can and not just on the street. The typical winter accessories such as gloves, ice scrapers or windshield deicers are better left in the vehicle for as long as night frosts or snowfall cannot be ruled out. Until then, you also wait to change to summer tires. The opportunity is good to check the summer tires. Are they okay and do they still have sufficient tread depth? If not, you can order new ones in good time.
Snow and black ice in this weather meant that the road maintenance authorities had to sprinkle a lot of salt on the streets. The salt sticks to the body, among other things. Anyone who wants to counteract the formation of rust caused by prolonged exposure to road salt on the body must remove it. This works best in a car wash. These have reopened after the severe frost phase. Special washing programs take care of problem areas such as the underbody of the vehicle. Ideally, the car wash operator also offers pre-cleaning by employees. These not only remove the coarsest dirt in advance, they also make sure that the antennas are dismantled so that they cannot be torn off the brushes or washcloths.
When the washing-drying program is over, you park in one of the designated parking spaces in the system and open the doors and the hood so that everything can dry properly. In the meantime, you can use water and car shampoo to clean areas such as the door sills that the car wash cannot reach.
The vacuum cleaner stations at washing systems are mostly powerful devices that have no problems with heavily soiled floor mats and carpets. Then you vacuum the upholstery, it is advisable to move the seats and fold down the backrests in order to get to hidden places.
After that, dusting and cleaning the plastic parts are part of the spring cleaning program. The dashboard, shelves and other plastic parts in the interior are best wiped with a damp cloth. The ventilation slots of the air conditioning can be cleaned easily with a feather duster.
Clean windows are also important for the right perspective. Windshields and other glass surfaces get dirty not only on the outside, but also on the inside. The best and cheapest way to clean them is with household products - such as glass cleaner or washing-up liquid. In the case of the side windows, the finishing edges should not be forgotten, which normally lie under the rubber seals on the body.
People suffering from hay fever should now have their vehicle's cabin air filter checked. This sifts, among other things, pollen, dust and dirt from the air before they get into the passenger compartment. It is best to change the cabin filter annually, at the latest every 15.000 to 30.000 kilometers. If the filter no longer cleans, it can become a breeding ground for mold and bacteria - a problem that also affects occupants who are not affected by hay fever.
