As I sit here writing this, we have just had our first warm days of spring here in Bel Air Maryland. I have three daffodils in full blook with more on the way. The trees are all budding up with new growth. I can’t say this winter has been as bad as in the past, (well except for that major snow storm we had), but we did have enough winter weather to shorten the lifespan of your car if not properly handled. Here are some tips for Bel Air drivers to do this week without delay!
- WASH YOUR CAR! You simply have to remove salt from your vehicle as soon as possible. Salt is notorious for prematurely degrading and damaging waxes and sealants. And even if your car isn’t coated in a white crust like it was just in a snow storm because rainstorms rainstorms washed enough off for your car to at least look clean, trust me it is not. Get that car washed with soap and water right now and include the undercarriage!
- Hot Water– Use hot water in your wash bucket to help loosen salt and dirt. The warm water also won’t instantly freeze on your vehicle in the colder temperatures and it will help to keep your hands warmer while washing.
- Seal the paint– Use a spray wax or sealant after your wash to help refortify your wax or sealant previously applied. A better option if you have the time would be to re-wax and buff the whole car.
- Clean the carpets-If you have salt stain on your carpets, floor mats or seats, use a solution of half water and half distilled vinegar to remove them. It could take multiple scrubbing sessions and applications to completely remove some salt stains. You can also use a carpet cleaning spray foam and a good vacuuming. Salt and grime that has been tracked into your car will continue to reacht with the carpet fibers long after the winter is gone and especially in the high heat and humidity coming our way in a few months. Clean those carpets really well.
- Buff out headlights and tail lights– Chances are that your headlights now have some pitting and scratches both from road salt in the air, coming off of the cars in front of you, but also from using your scraper to clean the ice and snow from the car. Now is a great time to get the plastic headlights buffed out to restore new car like headlight output. Cloudy headlight covers will significantly reduce your night time vision.
Don’t forget the wheels– If you want to keep your wheels looking their best, be sure to completely clean them with a rag and wheel cleaner or better yet, use one of theos econe shaped wheel sponges that attach to a drill. Also be sure to wax the wheelsafter polishing them at least once a year to keep them protected. As a bonus, they wil be easier to rinse the brake dust off of in subsequent washings.
Of course, if all of this seems like too mush work for you, or if you are looking for a complete and thorough auto detail service in Bel Air Maryland, click below for one of our Spring cleaning offers at Ward Automotive.