Challenge #8: Spring Cleaning Your Vehicle

I just got home from running an errand and I realized what the new Spring Cleaning Challenge for this week would be: our vehicles!

Yes, it has been a tough winter on our cars, vans, and trucks. They've been covered in sand, salt, and other grit. The kids have stomped in slush, dirt, and other mysterious substances (what is that glob of bright blue stuff on the front of the seat?). The dogs have lined the seats with a layer of fine hair. And piles of papers, wrappers, potato chips, and kiddie toys have collected under the seats, behind the seats, and in between the seats. YIKES, is that a long-lost library book under there? Sheesk!

This is a great project for the weekend. I usually get the kids to help. Even if the weather is kind of blaughy out there, you can still spring-clean the insides of your vehicles. In fact, keeping the INSIDE of your vehicles clean (and clutter-free) is more important than keeping the outside shiny. The last thing you want is a water bottle, pair of sunglasses, or a library book turning into a flying missile during an accident. When air-borne clutter hits a person, serious injuries can result. A friend of mine is a mechanical engineer who does accident scene reconstruction. She told me that it is incredible to see the amount of damage that a can of juice or a briefcase can do to the insides of a vehicle during an accident. Can you imagine what it could do to a person? Let's get rid of the air- borne clutter in our cars and vans!

The Inside:

Are you ready? Spring-cleaning a vehicle is just like spring-cleaning any other part of your home. You start with the NOT-ME FIVE! Get a big basket or cardboard box – we are going in!

1. Laundry – gather up all the winter mitts, bunny-hugs, toques, team shirts, socks, and shoes that have gathered in your vehicle. Remember to look in the trunk as well.
   
   
2. Dirty dishes – how do dishes end up the in car? I found two water bottles and a spoon! Get them out of there. Load them up directly into the dishwasher or beside the sink so you don't mess up your kitchen
   
   
3. Trash – Use a trash bag and pick up all the wayward French fries, fast food wrappers, parking passes, and other bits of stuff that found their way in and decided to stay awhile.
   
   
4. Papers – I always keep a couple magazines in the back of my seat pocket in case we get stuck in traffic. It gives the kids something to read while we are waiting. During the winter, all the magazines get read and need to be replaced. (I bought a huge stack of them for a $1.00 at a garage sale). Gather up any other papers, mail, newspapers, envelopes, and yes, even that parking ticket you picked up last month (that needs to be paid!) Remember to look in the glove compartment as well.
   
   
5. Other stuff – YIKES! It amazes me how much stuff finds its way into our vehicles. If hockey season is over, take out the skates, pads, and helmets. If you are still carting around a couple bags of stuff to drop off at the donation place, then set these bags outside for a few minutes. When you are done with the car, your first road trip can be to get rid of the bags. I haul EVERYTHING out my van when I am spring-cleaning. This includes everything from under the seats, in the glove compartment, and behind the back seat. Remember to empty out the trunk as well.

Voila! One naked vehicle LOL! Onto the next step – wash and vacuum!

1. Remove all the mats from the driver and passenger sides and from the back seats. Set those to the side for now.
   
   
2. The guys out there are probably not going to like I how "deep- clean" the inside of my van because I don't use any of those fancy car cleaners. I just take a little dish soap and mix it in a pail with some warm water. Then I use a damp terry cloth and wipe down the dash, the steering wheel and all the vinyl parts in my van. If you have vinyl floor mats, also wash them with the hot soapy water.
   
   
3. Once all the vinyl bits are done, I dump out my hot soapy water in the kitchen sink. The next step is to vacuum and I don't like to have a pail of water near my vacuum power cord.
   
   
4. The vacuuming part may take a while. Start with the seats. Remember to drop the seats back (and forward) to suck up all the crumbs that settled into the cracks of the seats. If you have cloth on the interior walls or doors of your vehicle, vacuum them next. Finally, vacuum the floors. Use the skinny attachment on your vacuum hose to get into all the nooks and crannies. Remember to vacuum UNDER the seats as well (that's where you are going to find the missing library book!)
   
   
5. If you have stubborn pet hair that won't come off the sides of the van or the backs of the chairs, use that damp terry cloth and rub the hairs. They will ball up and gather into a line that the vacuum can suck up.
   
   
6. If you have carpeted floor mats, vacuum them next. I also take my floor mats and bang them against the bricks on the front of my house. Yes, I look silly standing there beating the mats on my house, but you should see the CLOUDS of dust that come flying out! Then I vacuum the mats one more time. They look like new when they are done.
   
   
7. Wow! How is you car/van/truck starting to look? It is time for the windows. Again, all I use is my generic window cleaner from the home. If you have special vehicle window cleaners in your garage already, then use them. Wipe down the insides of all the windows. Remember to wipe the rear-view mirror as well. I have some clear plastic on my dash, so I use the window cleaner on this as well.
   
   
8. Do you have any stubborn coffee stains or other stains on the seats or mats? I use a little carpet shampoo and scrub those out.
   
   
9. Almost done. Let's put back the things that MUST go into your vehicle. Here's what we keep in the glove compartment of my van (it has a large glove compartment – I keep all the "little" things inside a small plastic container):
   
   - Insurance/registration papers: (Take a quick peek at these. Make sure nothing is expired).
   
   - Service manual and records: (my husband likes to keep records of ALL the maintenance done on our vehicles)
   
   - Safety stuff (flashlight, tire pressure gauge, extra fuses, cell phone charger cord, band-aids, pocketknife with screwdriver, a few empty plastic Ziploc bags, and matches).
   
   - Roll of toilet paper, dental floss, hair brush, plastic fork, spoon, and knife, a spare dog leash, extra plastic bags, an empty plastic dish (to fill with dog water), sun block, and a deck of cards (you never know what you will need when you go hiking LOL)
   
   - As well, I keep my tire changing tools tucked under the passenger seat and a set of jumper cables tucked under the middle seat.
   
   - During the course of the summer, as we spend more time at the beach, an umbrella, picnic blanket, extra set of towels and bathing suits, and a beach chair will find their way into the back of the van. I tie them down to ensure they do not become air-borne clutter (sometimes I wish I had a trunk!).
   
   - Quick note: in the winter, I add a few more "essentials" such as warm winter clothes, a blanket, a candle, and an extra flashlight.
   
   
10. YIKES! I almost forgot something! Child seats! If you have kids under 80 pounds you still have child seats (check your local regulations for what the upper weight limit is in your area). Ensure all car seats are installed properly (including the anchor bolt!). If you are not sure if your child seats are installed properly, call up your local paramedics, ambulance, fire department, or sheriff's office. They will direct you to the right people. Where I live, the fire department gives regular clinics where you can drive your vehicle in and they will check that the children's car seats are properly installed. ALSO, if you have a toddler that sits beside a baby, ensure the toddler hasn't accidentally undone the safety belt on the infant car seat (my kids always did that!). I had to check all the belts EVERY time I buckled my kids in!

Whew! Great job! Now, the inside of your vehicle is shiny and crunchy- free. You got rid of all the clutter and made it safe for you and your passengers.

The Outside

This is the point where you get to choose. You can either grab the outside water hose and some more hot soapy water and wash the outside of your vehicle while still at home, or you can drive to a car wash (not the drive through automatic kind, but the power wash kind) and do it there. I usually make ONE trip to the car wash so that I can use the high-pressure hose and the power brush to really get all the winter grime, salt, sand and grit from the outside and under parts of my van. This keeps a lot of the rust down. The car wash costs about $4.00 and it is worth it. My van is 13 years old and it still looks like new!

Remember to wash under the wheel wells, bumpers, and side panels. Use a chamois or dry terry towel to wipe off the water spots.

When you are done, use your window cleaner to wash the outside windows and side mirrors.

If you are really ambitious, wax the car. I used to drive a 1966 red beetle VW (with a sunroof!) and after I was done waxing it, it looked incredible! Today's vehicle paints don't need the same kind of waxing as those older models.

A few more comments about spring-cleaning your vehicle(s):

1. Remember to check your insurance and registration. When we first moved into our new home it was in a different part of the country and we were not familiar with the new rules. Where we used to live, we were sent renewal forms for the insurance in the mail. They do not do that here. Of course, we got caught with expired plates (they were three days overdue). The fine - $500.00 YIKES! Now I have RENEW PLATES in big letters on my calendar for the month of June. We will never forget again.
   
   
2. Are you still driving around with winter tires? Is the snow gone? Then it is time to put the summer tires back on. My appointment is for next Monday.
   
   
3. Check all the headlights, brake lights, parking lights, and turn signals on your vehicle. Ensure they are all working. Also check the wiper blades. We replaced the rubber on my wiper blades. It only cost about $3.00 per blade and they work like new again.
   
   
4. Right now, as I look out my window, there is a police officer sitting at the corner of our street. He is looking for speeders in the school zone. Follow the proper speed limits and obey the stop signs. Let someone else pay the fine.
   
   
5. Lastly, wear your seatbelts!

Take care of you and drive safe!
Cindy

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