by Angela V 
The cold winter is behind us and there is no better time than now to spring clean your vehicle! Perfect time to get it all cleaned up and ready for the summer ahead.
So get your rubber gloves out; here are some helpful tips for car spring cleaning:
1) Say goodbye to salt-stained carpets: After a long winter, your car’s carpets are likely to have white stains from road salt. Remove them by using water mixed with white vinegar and scrub the tough stains with an old rag or brush.
2) Wax every season: Each winter season, your car’s paint colour is dulled by the elements and picks up scratches, so keep it looking clean and new with a liquid spray wax.
3) Out with the dirt in with the clean: Get out your vacuum to suck up all the dirt and dust in the small corners of your vehicle. Remember to put your seats down to get between the cracks and also vacuum all the cup holders throughout your vehicle as these areas collect dirt, too!
4) It’s called washing your car, not your dishes: Never use dish soap to clean your vehicle as it will dull and scratch the protective clear coat off your car. Try using Meguiar’s Gold Class Car Wash Shampoo and Conditioner.
5) Put a break on your brake dust: Get rid of that reddish, brown coloured powder on your wheels caused by normal brake wear. Wipe down your wheels with a cleaning solution safe for alloy wheels (available at any hardware store) and address those hard-to-reach places in between the wheel’s spokes with a scrub brush or rag.
6) Take a load off: Do you use your car as a storage unit? Be sure to empty out your trunk and back seats of all your winter build up. Removing unnecessary weight also improves fuel efficiency and your car’s handling!
7) What’s happening under the hood? Cars need a ‘medical’ check-up, too! Every spring, it is a good idea to take your vehicle in for a quick under-the-hood inspection and get an oil change, filter replacement and tire rotation.
8) Freshen up: After you are finished cleaning your car, add your favourite smelling air freshener to keep your car smelling clean and fresh all spring and summer!
Do you spring clean your car every year?
THE GIVEAWAY
To kick start your vehicle spring cleaning, Hyundai Canada is offering a fun giveaway (valued at over $50) for my Canadian readers –
The ultimate spring cleaning kit for your car, including:
- Scrub brushes
- Turtle Wax ICE Synthetic Spray Wax
- Meguiar’s Hot Rims Wheel Cleaner
- Meguiar’s Gold Class Car Wash
- Air Fresheners
Disclosure: “I am part of the Hyundai Drive Squad program, a program that offers the chance to test drive Hyundai vehicles, and provide vehicle tips and tricks for the road, as well as the inside scoop to some of Hyundai’s amazing initiatives. From cleaning, to safety, to fun activities, and giving back to the community.” @HyundaiCanada #HyundaiDriveSquad
117 Comments on “Tips For Spring Cleaning Your Car {Gift Basket Giveaway}”
As often as the kids want to wash it!
Not often enough. I find it hard over the winter, as I am worried the doors will freeze shut. So, it looks like it is due for a good cleaning.
In the summer my husband normally cleans his truck every week.
I go to carwash every 2-3 wks
As soon as it gets dirty. About once a week in the summer.
When I can’t stand the mess anymore:0
When the weather co-operates usually once a week.
my husband as a rule washes my vehicle, probably once a week
Not very often as I’d like to put usually once a month on average.
I try to clean the inside of my car at least once a week. I transport my grandchildren to and from school and things pile up quickly. As for washing the outside, my husband takes care of that approximately once a week
My car usually gets cleaned 6-8 per year.
Probably a few times in the winter and once a month in the summer.
Hubby does 🙂
Once a month during the winter and every week in the warmer months.
I do wash it in spring and fall
Very occasionally
Honestly, we don’t clean our car very often. Maybe every few months, but usually more during the summer.
once every four months!
My husband does a thorough cleaning of our truck every two weeks…it almost always sparkles both inside and out!
not often enough
In the nice weather every few weeks, in the winter it doesn’t get done.
Hardly ever in winter and about once a week in nice weather
My truck is my baby so literally once a week at a minimum I make sure to clean my truck. In the winter though it is more like every 2 weeks.
I clean my vehicle every other month and to be honest i only deep clean it once every six months.
Not often enough!!
As soon as the snow goes away I am all over it . 🙂 I am always cleaning my car. I vacumn every couple of weeks or more. I am always cleaning dash and inside of the doors.
I wash my truck twice a week but give it a really good cleaning every month or so
every 6 months.
Twice a year in spring and fall
Every 3 months or so!
Once a month but in winter time doesn’t get vacuum. Come spring I do a big clean up.
We usually clean our cars every month.
Spring and fall and when I need to in between.
Every couple of weeks it gets cleaned.
every few months.
I clean my car when it gets dirty and I can’t stand it any more. I don’t drive it as much during the winter so it goes longer between cleans than in the summer.
I just bought my very first car ever and i am going to be cleaning it this weekend!
I rarely clean my vehicle ‘cos my housing does not have such facilities, which is a shame
Not often enough
I usually go to the carwash because I’m too leazy.
usually once a week
We try for a total clean, inside and out, twice a year.
honestly I don’t do it enough, but my husband looks after the outside and does a pretty good job
Whenever it’s needed. Thank you!
We clean it approximately once a week.
My car doesn’t get washed as often as it should. We live on a gravel road and the car is always dusty and muddy after rain.
In the summer I try to keep it cleaned up every few weeks, because I like to rollerblade and hike, which can lead to lots of dirt inside my car! On top of drive-in nights that leave popcorn in there everywhere!
We clean the outside more often than the inside. The inside only gets a real good cleaning 2-3 times a year.
Once every month I clean the car.
I clean out the garbage regularly, but I only usually wash inside once at the beginning of Spring when it warms up outside and once at the end of Fall before it starts to freeze outside. The outside of the car usually gets washed once or twice a month depending on the weather.
We clean our truck at least once a week
Every 2 months or so.
I wash it about 4 times a year
I clean my car once every 2 weeks
twice a year
I clean out the interior about once a month. As for the exterior…once every 6 months?? really need to stop doing that
I don’t own a car, but I help clean others’ cars occasionally. Maybe once or twice a year. 🙂
Every two months
I usually only clean my vehicle a couple times a year. It should be done more often but that’s how often it gets a really good cleaning.
In the winter none but summer every week
Once every 2-3 months
Hardly ever… More often in the spring and summer that’s for sure (every few weeks?), and almost never in the fall and winter.
My husband clean the car few times a year.
Monthly 🙂
once or twice a year
Totally not enough but my husband fortunately did it for me the other day!
Definitely not enough. It needs a good cleaning now!
Usually a thorough cleaning in the Spring and Fall. But I do basic car cleaning a few times throughout the summer as well.
My hubby is the vehicle cleaner in our household. Usually every couple of weeks or so they get shone up.
Not nearly often enough… it needs some serious cleaning on the inside. I think only the outside’s been done several times, maybe once every 4-6 weeks.
My husband gives a great clean in the spring and usually sometime in the summer again and right before it gets cold.
Not enough, that’s for sure!!! Maybe a through cleaning once or twice a year.
Certainly not often enough; it gets a general wipe down usually before we embark on a long trip. And then maybe one or two deeper cleanings per year. We go through the car wash more often, but that doesn’t take care of the inside.
Not very often now that I have a 5 month old!
usually once a month in the spring and summer
Every week when it isn’t snowing!
my wife is a cleaning nut a couple times a week at least
always before I go on a long trip and after winter has ended.
Not nearly enough…. I probably clean my car a couple times a year
I clean the inside probably every two months. I take it to a car wash at least twice a year and more in the summer. The car is easy to clean.
We clean our vehicle every 2-3 weeks!
nitty gritty grimey breakout the q-tips type cleaning = not enough
Not often enough! 😉 Just whenever I feel like it!
If my family is lucky, it will get cleaned once a year. LOL! No, seriously! We got our car over 2 years ago and it hasn’t been cleaned yet.
I wish I did it more than once a season!
once every few weeks
My car isn’t even a year old yet so I still clean it quite often.
I do a spring and fall cleanup!
I clean my vehicle about once a month in the summer.
I don’t do a thorough clean often enough but I do pick up the litter and stuff as we go.
Once every two or three months.
About as often as it takes the wife to get mad at me for not cleaning it.
Not often enough =/
I clean my vehicle about once a month.
I don’t have a car, entering to win for my bf!
We do a deep clean once a year before passover
Probably only a couple of times a year, we work out of town so it gets minimal use!
Not as often as i should. Probably once every few months.
Once a year – if we are lucky!
Not very often, only about once or twice a year.
Every month or so
/only a few times.year. will do it more with the right tools/products.
We clean the car top to bottom at least spring and fall. Since the beach is close by it means lots of spot cleaning also as between kids and dogs we end up with a lot of sand during spring summer and fall.
I try to clean it at least once a month!
Usually seasonally – depends what’s going on!
Once a month
once every quarter, mayyyybe?
My van dose not get cleaned often enough. 2 or 3 times a year.
great article!
Not that often in the winter, but more in the spring/summer (might be once per one and a half weeks).
Cheers.
We clean out our car every month or so.
Not very often. Maybe a couple of times in the summer
I don’t clean my car enough,But try to clean the inside at least once and the outside once a month.
I rarely wash my SUV, maybe every few months if I’m lucky. It’s silver gray, so hides the dirt until it’s really bad. Tree sap gathers on the roof and it’s hard to reach. I used some bug cleaner spray a month or so ago when I washed it, all over the roof to loosen that stuff and it was easier to clean, but I am not a fan of using chemicals like that. The insides really needs a good vacuuming, from my dog riding in the back seat. I really hate having to do that job!
not as often as i should, like once a month
Our old car we only washed once or twice a year! We just got a new car, so I think we will be washing it maybe once a month when it is warmer out.
Normally I do not read article on blogs, but I wish
to say that this write-up very forced me to take a
look at and do it! Your writing taste has been surprised me.
Thank you, quite nice article.