As spring slowly makes its presence known, the increasing sunlight can quickly reveal the winter’s worth of road grime on your luxury car. In rainy Northwest cities such as Portland, Audi and Porsche cars often end up with a coating of dirt, de-icing fluid and other nastiness that gets splashed up from wet and mucky roads.
Spring is the time to do what you can do to remove those unwelcome deposits before the scorching sun bakes them onto your car. It’s also an opportunity for the owners of Audi or Porsche cars to shine up their babies in time for summer.
Interior Detailing
Winter can be tough on your car’s interior, with all the dirt and debris that gets tracked in. Portland Audi passengers often find themselves hustling to load the car in winter so they can duck out of the rain, which means they’re not always careful about what comes in with them.
Carpets: Begin by removing all loose items from your car, including the floor mats, so you can vacuum and dust thoroughly. Unclip the floor mats using the recommended method for your car. When vacuuming, try to get into as many tiny crevices as possible.
Windows: Next, use glass cleaner and a lint-free cloth to wipe the windows. Use the cleaner sparingly to avoid the solution running down the glass and behind panels and seams, and wipe with the cloth until streaks are no longer apparent. Streaks that seem minor now will magnify when direct sunlight hits your windows.
Dash and upholstery: Use a small brush to dust the vents and seams of the dash, then wipe down the interior with an approved interior cleaner. Doing this step after the windows will help prevent spots from sprayed cleaning solution.
Now that everything is cleaned, you can put the loose items back in your car. This is also a good time to go through your winter preparedness kit and swap in any important summer items, such as sunscreen.
Exterior Cleaning
The key to thoroughly cleaning the exterior of Audi and Porsche cars is to do things in the proper order. Use the harshest cleaners on the dirtiest parts of the car first, and work back from there to ensure the cleaners are isolated and fully rinsed off during each step of the cleaning process.
Wheels: Cleaning the wheels first may seem unconventional, but the last thing you want after washing your Audi or Porsche car is to accidentally spray wheel cleaner and brake grime onto your clean painted surfaces while rinsing with a hose. While cleaning your wheels, you should also use the appropriate cleaner on your inner fender liners to release the road grime built up there.
Painted surfaces: The painted surfaces on the lowest parts of Audi and Porsche cars typically have the heaviest buildup of grime and can even have small pieces of rock and gravel embedded in them. Be careful while cleaning these areas, as your wash mitt or towel can pick up small rocks and scratch the rest of your paint job. Clean the lowest areas first, and rinse out your mitt or towel before moving on to larger flat surfaces, such as doors and fenders. Once the painted surfaces are washed, finish with a protective coat of wax to make it easier to keep your car clean for the next couple of months.
When in doubt about what cleaners are recommended for your car, check with your Portland Audi dealership. Regular spring cleaning can go a long way toward keeping Audi or Porsche cars looking shiny and new. Or, if you happen to be too busy, you can always take your car in for a spa day and enjoy the amazing results without the time sacrifice.
