Provide Your Vehicle With A Proper Fall Cleaning

The change of seasons is a great time to take some time to clean your vehicle and give it a proper cleaning before the fall season gets into full swing. Here is the best way to make sure that your vehicle looks great for the fall.

Empty Out Your Vehicle

Over time, it is easy to accumulate a lot of stuff inside of your vehicle. One day you leave a water bottle in the back, then the next day you put some baby wipes in the compartment behind your seat, and over time you add additional stuff until you have first aid supplies, reading material, extra outfits, party supplies and a whole lot more in your vehicle.

Just like when you move, create three piles as you sort through the items in your vehicle: throw away, recycle and donate. You are also going to want to create an additional pile for items that you need to put away in their proper place.

Make sure that you go through your entire vehicle, include the compartments in the doors and behind the seats, as well under the trunk.

You should only keep items that you really need in your vehicle, such as a first aid kit, emergency supplies for your vehicle, and any health supplies you may need for yourself and your kids.

Remove The Floor Mats

Next, take the floor mats out of your vehicle. Over time, dust and dirt can get under your floor mats and your floor mats can become caked with dirt and spills. If your floor mats are pretty clean, just vacuum them. However, if your floor mats are dirty, you may want to take some soap and a scrub brush to the floor mats and really scrub and clean them off. If you take this step, be sure to let your floor mats dry out before you put them back in your vehicle; you don't want to put them back in when they are wet and allow mold and mildew to develop.

Wipe Down All Surfaces

Now you need to wipe down all the surfaces in your vehicle. Do this before you vacuum so that any loose dirt you dislodge can be vacuumed up later. Start at the top of your vehicle and work your way down so that dust falls down as you work. For example, start by wiping down the visors and the lights on the ceiling of your vehicle, then wipe down the dashboard and consoles, followed by the doors and lower compartments. Don't forget to clean the area where the door meets the vehicle; this area is often overlooked and can be quite dirty.

Clean Your Seats

How to clean your seats depends on what types of seats you have. If you have leather seats, you'll want to treat the leather with leather treatment and cleaner. If you have cloth seats, you'll want to clean any spills or stain with carpet cleaner and vacuum the seats. If you have seats with any plastic or fake leather on them, you'll want to wipe down with the same wipes you used to clean the other surfaces.

Wash Your Windows

It is easy to clean the outside of your windows when you wash your vehicle; however the inside of your windows may be overlooked. Washing your vehicle's windows is just like washing the windows inside of your home. Spray on some window washing fluid, scrub away any dirt with a sponge window attachment, and wipe away the remaining residue with a squeegee or rolled up newspapers for a streak-free clean. Check your cleaning job before you get on the job and make sure that there are not streaks that impede your driving view; if there are, repeat the cleaning process.

Vacuum

Finally, you'll want vacuum your vehicle. Start by vacuuming your roof if it is made of cloth; it can get dirty too. Then, vacuum off your seats, the inside of any compartments and finally the floor of your vehicle. Remember to get out your smaller vacuum attachments so you can effectively clean between the numerous little cracks and crevices in your vehicle.

Take a few hours this weekend to get your vehicle ready for fall and a new season; a clean vehicle will make you feel better. For additional info, contact an auto shop.

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