Spring cleaning brings to mind blooming tulips, fresh rain, and dusting out the cobwebs from the corners of our house. Our vehicles are other spaces that need a good clean too. We’ve lived in them all winter long and they could use a spruce up too.

Here are some ways to give your vehicle the spring cleaning it deserves.

1. Clean your interiors like the upholstery,floorboards, windows, and dashboard. We’ve all been driving around town Christmas shopping, sipping our coffee and BAM we hit a pothole and the coffee goes flying. Take this time to get those stubborn stains out of your floorboard and vacuum up the crusty Christmas cookie crumbles from between the seats. Your passengers will thank you.

2. Clean out all the trash. Get rid of all those nasty tissues. They need to go. Make sure your trash goes into the appropriate receptacle, not outside on the ground!

3. Get a car wash. During the winter, your dedicated DPW crew ensured that the roads were safe enough to drive on, mainly by applying brine and salt. As you’re driving on those roads, residue sticks to your car allowing that material to start corroding essential parts to your vehicle. Stop this chemical romance between your car and this salt by washing it down, especially on the underside and around the wheel wells.

4. Check the tire pressure and have them rotated. During the cold season, tires can lose their pressure so you’ll want to make sure that they’re back to the appropriate levels before taking that summer road trip (check your manual if you’re not sure what PSI your tires should be at)! You’ll also want to have a mechanic rotate those bad boys so that the wear and tear on them are relatively even, maximizing their lifetime. Tires are expensive! Take care of them now and they’ll last you forever (just kidding, they won’t last you forever, when they’re worn replace them).

5. Change the oil if needed. Know how often to change your oil by cracking open that magic little book that sits in your glovebox. If you’re due for a change, take that opportunity to have your mechanic give your car a look over and make sure it is in tip top shape.

6. Replenish your emergency kit. If you read the last blog, you’ll know how important it is to have an emergency kit. Although you probably won’t need the extra blankets and an ice scraper, go ahead and replenish your windshield wiper fluid or add the band aids to the first aid kit. Remember, better to be over prepared than underprepared.

We made it through winter! Make sure your vehicle is ready to handle your summer adventures and ride off into the sunset.

Jimmy Hanson, Lead Mechanic, DPW