Car spring cleaning tipsAlong with any routine maintenance (checking coolant, oil, breaks, etc…) you can include your car in spring cleaning by following these four steps.

Step 1: Tidy the front seats

  • Check under the seats for gloves, hats, and scarves that may have gone missing during the winter.
  • If your passenger seat has become a storage space, a front seat organizer, with space for maps, sunglasses, tissues, and a phone you can keep everything in reach and still tidy. The Swing-Away organizer from High Road can swing around to the back of the seat. It’s perfect for those times when you have a passenger.
  • If you usually have a passenger, or simply don’t have that much stuff, consider a smaller organizer that sits in the cup holder or clips on the vent and can hold your sunglasses, phone, and other smaller sundries.

Step 2: Clean out your glove box

  • Recycle any old (torn, dirty, out of date) maps and stop in to your local AAA service center for new ones! (You can also order maps online.)
  • Keep your vehicle manual, registration, and proof of insurance up to date and stored somewhere easily accessible.
  • If you keep a flashlight in your car (and you should!) check to make sure that the batteries are working. Consider replacing it with a hand crank powered light like the Eton Clipray Flashlight.
  • Check the expiration date on any first aid supplies or food you keep on hand.
  • Consider adding a backup phone charger to your just-in-case stash. The Eton Clipray has a USB port that can act as a phone charger, or you can get a portable backup battery.

Step 3: Tidy the back seats

  • If you find your car constantly gathering trash, consider a permanent trash can for your car. High Road makes one that is leak-proof and hangs from the back of the front seats.
  • If you or your kids use the back seat for storage consider getting an organizer for the trunk. High Road’s accordion organizer is a two-compartment, weighted tote for keeping your things from rolling around in your trunk.

Step 4: Clean up the trunk

  • Wash any emergency blankets or clothes stored in your trunk.
  • Check the air pressure in your spare tire (if you even still have one- many new cars do not)
  • If you had a break down this winter, replace anything you used from your emergency kit (especially if what you used was your spare tire.)

Bonus step: Make sure your AAA membership is up to date AND you have the coverage you need!

Car Spring Cleaning Tips

For the products mentioned above, more car spring cleaning tips and organizational ideas stop by your local AAA Travel Store.