Archive for April, 2014
As the days get longer and warmer, it feels like a great time to brush off the cobwebs and clean things out. Doing a deep spring cleaning of your vehicle will not only help resale value, but help you feel good about your car, as well! Here are a few simple steps to cleaning your car’s interior and under the hood this spring:
Step One: Clean the big stuff
Clear out large debris like leaves and litter regularly. This ensures they don’t get ground into floors or slide into hard-to-reach spots.
Step Two: Shake it out!
Shake your floor mats out to remove dust and smaller debris. Then, vacuum the mats and the interior floors to pull up anything left behind.
Step Three: Hard surface shining
Wipe down your windows, dashboard and other hard surfaces with a damp cloth. Use a window cleaner on the windows, but be sure you spray the solution onto the cloth outside of the car so you don’t get any on your leather or cloth interiors.
Step Four: Cloth sections
Always clean any spills with a damp cloth immediately to avoid staining. When it is time for a deep clean, vacuum the seat with an upholstery attachment and make sure to get in the folds and creases. You can also buy dry foam or other specialized cleaning agent to brush in and wipe off to pull deeper dirt from within the fabric.
Step Five: Leather interiors
As with cloth interiors, always wipe up spills promptly using a moist cotton or wool cloth. Then, vacuum the seat with a light brush attachment. Be sure you go over sections that have pores, as dirt can get caught in the perforations and wear the leather down.
If you have leather seats, you know the sun shining through your windows can cause some discoloration to leather seats. Using special leather treatment solutions every six months will help keep your leather interior from fading in the sun and keep the leather soft. However, it does require some caution. Always follow the directions on your particular brand of leather care solution.
To clean a heavily soiled area, mix up a mild soap solution (using two teaspoons of dye and fragrance-free soap and one quart of water) and apply to the area with a cloth. Take care not to completely saturate any area of the leather or stitching. Dry the area with a fresh cloth.
Step Six: Get a tune-up
Of course, you’ll be scheduling routine maintenance such as tire rotation and oil changes for your car throughout the year at Chapman Arizona service centers. When it comes time for that spring oil change, our techs will also be looking at air filters and other mechanical systems to be sure your car is ready for warmer weather.
