Give Your Car a Spring Clean

Now that winter is behind us with the first day of Spring coming earlier this week it is time to ensure your car is ready for this time of year and what better way to do this than to stick with tradition and have a “Spring Clean”.

• First things first; If you took the precaution over the winter of placing winter tires on your vehicle then we would recommend as the temperatures rise to swap back to all weather tires. Winter tires are made of specific rubber compounds which allow traction in colder, icy weather. During the warmer months this is not the case and milder temperatures can damage these tyres. This means that you could not only do major damage to your wheels and chassis but it means your car may not be as safe on the road as it should be.
  

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• With the weather in the winter months in Scotland you will find few people brave enough to get outside and wash their car. This neglect through these months is understandable however now is the time to get the exterior of your car washed. This can be done at your local car was or (weather permitting) by hand. During the winter dirt, road salt, debris and grime will build up. The combination of these can eat away at the cars paint so the best thing to do is wash your car thoroughly. The way to finish this off is by adding a coat of wax to your car. This will seal the paintwork and stop water from reaching the paint surface reducing the chance of water spots on your car.
  

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• The next part is of course cleaning the interior. Not only will salt and dirt have gathered on the exterior of your vehicle but it will also have been brought inside the car as you walk from elements into your vehicle. Make sure the interior of your car is vacuumed, the mats are washed down with a power washer to reduce build-up. Next is time to move onto the upholstery. Use quality upholstery cleaning products to remove any dirt and stains efficiently. Use a wet wipe or dashboard cleaner to also remove any dust that has gathered here.
  

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• If you have stored any winter essentials in the boot of the car it is time to get these back into the garage. We knew its an arduous task but clearing out unneeded winter items from your car not only frees up storage space but leaves your car lighter and more fuel efficient.
  

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• Bring your car down to Carmasters for a quick service. Spring is a great time to perform a quick inspection and general maintenance on your vehicle. Test to see if your headlights and taillights are in working order, change window wipers if they have been worn out due to winter conditions, and most importantly make sure to check your axis alignment since wintery bumpy roads and pot holes can throw alignment off and cause premature ware.

With these measures in place you’ll feel great back on the road with a clean, smooth running car for those days when the sun does come out!