As the gloom of winter ends, you might be thinking about embracing spring and getting out and about more often. The longer days, better weather, it’s an ideal time of year for day trips and reconnecting with nature. So you might want to give your car a good clean to get ready.

Here at Creditplus, we’re used to getting our cars in top condition for our customers. So we’ve collected together some of our best bits of car care advice for you. Here are our top tips for giving your car a spring clean.

Choose the right day

Giving your car a proper clean means taking your time. So you’ll need to ensure that you have good weather for it. You don’t want to be halfway through your work, only for it to start raining and ruin your progress.

Look at the forecast and find yourself a dry, bright day that’s not going to be too fresh. You’ll be working with water after all, so if it’s a chilly day, you’ll soon find yourself getting too cold to work.

Outside or inside – do the whole job

Whether you decide to do the outside or the interior of your car first, we recommend that you don’t go back and forth between the two. That way, if you do get interrupted, you won’t be left with half a job done. Even if the weather turns, you should be able to finish what you’re working on and the come back to the interior/exterior when you can.

Clean out the winter remnants

Over the winter months, all the leaves and branches that get blown onto the road can accumulate on your car, especially in the gap between the windshield and bonnet. Reach in and take out all the leaves and branches there.

You should have a look around the whole of your car and see if there are any bits of foliage caught anywhere. Add them to your compost pile for bonus green points.

Beat the carpets

It’s highly likely that, during the cold season, you have traipsed dirt and debris into your car. Not many of us have the wherewithal to wipe our feet at the best of times, never mind when it’s freezing cold and you just want to get inside and get the heater running.

So take out the carpets and give them a good beating. That way they should lose a lot of the dirt and dust that’s gathered there. Before you put them back, give the inside of the car a good vacuum to ensure the footwells and seats are also free of dirt.

Windows: the best technique

When it comes to cleaning your windows, there’s always the worry that you’ll be leaving streaks that leave them unusable when the sun is low. It can even be dangerous, especially if the windshield is obscured.

If you want to get creative, the best cleaning chemical for your car windows is a 50/50 mix of hot water and white vinegar. A glass cleaner is also a good alternative. Use a sponge and get it nice and soaked in the liquid. Then apply generously to the windows and wing mirrors, making sure you scrub hard to clean any bits stuck on.

Once you have soaked all the windows, use a clean wet cloth to rinse. You can then hose the car down to make sure all the cleaning agent is removed.

Wipe down the dashboard

Now is also a good time to clear some of the dust from the dashboard. You don’t need any special spray. Just a good clean dust cloth that you can rub over the interior plastic and leather.

If you’ve got any wipes made for electronics, then you can make sure the buttons are free from any grime or fingerprints. It will also make the buttons less sticky, making them easier and more satisfying to use.

The bird poo problem

No matter what time of year, there’s one thing that drives drivers mad. Bird mess. Whether its on the windows or the body work, it can be a real pain in the behind. Do not scrape dry bird mess. Instead, soak it with water and get it nice and soft. Then get a cloth and wipe away. Don’t leave any bird mess too long either, as it can sometimes erode the bodywork.