Cleaning The Car: Keeping Your Car Clean
Posted by admin at 22 February 2015, at 16 : 56 PM
Just like a home, cars require cleaning. And keeping your car clean is not a difficult task to do. First of all, remove all soda cans, papers, empty cigarette packages, and anything else which happens to be cluttering the interior. Remove the floor mats and clean them and vacuum the floor and upholstery. If the upholstery is dirty or stained, upholstery cleaner, which you can purchase in the supermarket, will do the job. Usually though the upholstery is chemically treated to resist dirt. If you locate stubborn stains, it is a good idea to consult someone who can tell you how to remove them. If someone using the car smokes, clean the inside of all windows with a glass cleaner to remove the film. This should be done weekly. The carpeting in the car can also be cleaned with a commercial carpet cleaner.
You can fix small tears or holes in the upholstery with a patch kit you can purchase. For leather seats use a leather cleaner or Neatsfoot to preserve them. Do not use water or any other cleaner. Dust the dashboard and wipe it. Clean the ashtray and wipe off the glove department and the steering wheel. Those “wipes” you can buy are very good for that.
There are other parts of the car which should be examined as well to see if they need to be cleaned. These include the receptacle for the window washing fluid, mirrors, and latch for the trunk. It is particularly important to see nothing is in the trunk latch or it may prevent the trunk from opening. The floor of the trunk should also be vacuumed and cleaned as was the carpeting in the car. If perchance you bring your trash to the dump in your car, it is also advisable to spray the interior with a fragrant spray to remove any odor.
It is important to check the weatherstripping, especially around the windows, while you are cleaning, as it sometimes tends to become dry and brittle. Water can then seep into the automobile and cause a lot of damage. If a piece of weatherstripping is coming loose, you can purchase adhesive for it, but just use a little. If you need to replace it, you can have a piece custom made for your make and model at your dealership. Clean out the compartment containing the windshield wipers, as leaves and other material can collect there. You can also gently wipe off the blades after you have washed the outside of the windshield and the rest of the windows.
To clean the outside of the car, you have the choice of washing it yourself or taking it to a commercial car wash. If you do it yourself, clean it carefully to remove dirt, old wax, salt from the streets, and any rust if possible. Get a flashlight and check behind the bumpers, in the wheel wells, and in the area of the fenders to see if salt and dirt have accumulated. It is also a good idea to check where the molding attaches to the car for the same reason.
Most people do not clean the engine as they can’t see it. “Out of sight, out of mind” as they say. If you wish to, you can wipe all the dirty areas you can see, and if you are determined to have it clean, get it steamed clean professionally.