Prepare your Car for April Showers

Spring is here and most of us who live in cold climates have had about enough of snow, ice, and freezing temperatures. Our focus turns from cleaning salt and snow to worrying about pollen, bird droppings, and lots and lots of those spring showers. If you’re not careful, these seasonal offerings can severely damage the exterior of your car. Thankfully, we've got some great ideas to tackle springtime’s threats to your car.

Pollen, one of spring’s most prevalent participants, not only causes harm to your respiratory system, but can damage your car as well. Microscopically, pollen is a sharp pronged form of grit. When it touches the exterior of your car, it can settle and become very difficult to remove. If you try to wipe it off with a rag or towel, pollen can cause swirls in the paint. To remove pollen with minimal damage to your paint, try cleaning it off with a micro-porous cloth.

We can thank spring for another auto enemy, bird droppings. If parked outside for an extended period of time, it’s not uncommon to find your car covered in it. Bird droppings are highly acidic and can erode paint. Especially if left in the sun, your car can suffer from these avian deposits. No-salt seltzer water, which is basically water and carbon dioxide, is an easy and effective way to clean bird droppings off your car.

Spring cleaning, whether you like it or not, isn’t just for your house. Deep cleaning your car every spring helps it to run longer and increases its resale value. Both the interior and exterior take a beating during the winter months when salt, ice, mud, and snow cover the roads. The following are some of the things you can do to freshen up your ride this spring.

First, clear away any clutter that that built up over the year. Make sure you get the hard to reach places like under and between the seats, door panels, and trunk. Next, clean the interior with a vacuum and wipe down all hard surfaces like the dashboard, cup holders, and steering wheel. (Hint: Keep a dry dust cloth in your glove box to keep your dashboard dust and dirt free!) When you’re done with the inside, move to the exterior by washing it down with soap (make sure it’s specifically designed to clean vehicles) and water. Scrub down tires, front grille, and license plate. When you’re done, apply a coat of wax to maximize your cars shine.

One of the most important things you can do is clean your windows, which should be done regularly. Make sure they are unobstructed and streak free so you can see traffic clearly. When finished cleaning, organize your car so that it’s neat and clutter free. Only keep things in your car that are necessary. Buy a cd organizer or book for all those loose cds, and bind up charging cords with colorful rubber bands or Velcro strips. Another thing you can do is make sure your paper work such as registration and insurance information are up to date. If your car came with a specially designed portfolio with your owner’s manual and user guide, this would be a good place to keep important documents.

All this cleaning seems like hard work, but it’s worth it for you and your car in the long run. At Empirecovers.com we have a number of low price covers that will protect your car this spring. Whether it’s dirt, sun, rain, pollen, or bird droppings, our covers will provide the top protection. Call us today and learn about our special discounts.