Do Luxury Cars Need Special Treatment? Spring does not only motivate us to do a basic cleaning at home. After a long winter, our car also enjoys special treatment. In this article we therefore explain to you what the optimal car care looks like in spring. Because the wet and cold weather is getting to your vehicle. The splashing dirt and road salt are noticeable on rims and paint. It’s time to make your car fit again for spring!
We will inform you what you should pay attention to when cleaning your car in spring, in addition to changing from winter to summer tyres.
Spring cleaning for your car: When should you start?
Winter inevitably leaves its mark on vehicles. Road salt penetrates to the last corner and split can cause minor damage to paint, headlights and windows. The wiper blades may also have suffered from the winter conditions. It is therefore understandable that you want to quickly get your car back in shape as soon as spring starts to rebel.
However, an early start to spring cleaning is not recommended. It’s not just about the fact that on the first warm day of the year all car washes are traditionally overcrowded. Rather, you must bear in mind that even in April a new onset of winter cannot be ruled out. It is extremely annoying to confront a cleaned vehicle with road salt again within a very short time.
Wait with the spring cleaning for the car, until really no more frost is to be expected. Easter serves as a rough orientation – i.e. the period during which a change to summer tyres also takes place.
Mounting the summer tyres
At Easter you normally don’t have to reckon with snow and ice anymore – with the spring cleaning for your car, it’s best to change the tyres at the same time.
But before you mount the tyres or have them mounted, check the tread depth of the summer tyres. 1.6 mm tread depth is the minimum tread depth required by law. However, for safety reasons, the ADAC recommends a tread depth of three or better four millimetres. If you do not wish to change the tyres yourself, contact your local workshop. Most garages set appointments, so you don’t have to wait long.
Tip: The winter tyres should be thoroughly cleaned before storage, which works particularly well with aluminium rims with a rim cleaning agent. Check the tread depth at the same time. If this is too low, now is a good time to buy new winter tyres. Because you might be able to get a bargain outside the season! You can find more information about changing tyres here.
Car care in spring: You should carry out these measures
Remove road salt and dirt
The most important task in car care in spring is a thorough cleaning from the outside. However, before you go into a car wash, you should first remove coarse dirt with a high-pressure cleaner in order to avoid scratches. In this case, it is also advisable to clean the wheel arches as well, since car washes usually leave this area out.
Experts also advise against underbody washing, as underbody cleaning takes place automatically on wet roads. Excessive pressure could even lead to damage.
Take your time after washing and check your paint for stone chips. You can repair minor damage yourself with a paint stick in the same colour as the car to prevent rust. Stone chips in the windscreen should be repaired professionally. It also does no harm to preserve the paintwork. This protects against sunlight and pollen.
Cleaning windows and interior
To make your car fit for spring, you should clean all windows from the inside, as a film of dirt has certainly formed due to damp air. Also check that the wiper blades are still working properly. The wiper rubbers will quickly crack due to ice and snow, causing streaks to form when wiping. If this is the case, replace the windscreen wipers.
The moisture that penetrates also creates a film of lubricant on the cockpit. It is best to clean the plastic surfaces with a special cockpit cleaner. Afterwards it is polished dry and shines like new again.
Since a sunny day is the perfect spring cleaning day for your car, you should also thoroughly ventilate the car once in a while.
Surely the footwell of your car has not been spared from split, salt and other impurities. To clean the interior, it is best to remove all floor mats and carpets. If you used rubber floor mats in winter, they can now be replaced with the summer version.
The interior of the car is damp?
Here’s a little tip: the day before the basic cleaning, fill several old socks with sand for the litter tray and distribute them in the interior. The cat sand absorbs the moisture. As an alternative, you can also lay out newspaper. Before you then begin with the cleaning action, you should let the heating still run a few minutes, which drives away the remainder humidity. Only then vacuum the interior of the car.