Some days it may not look like it, but spring really is just around the corner, and it’s a perfect time to give your car some much-needed TLC. Winters are tough on cars, especially in New England, but before you just dive into this project, get organized and follow an outside-in approach.

Outside: Cosmetics

Start with a good car wash. That should only be the start, however. After you drive home, get out the wheel cleaner and bug & tar remover, and go over the sheet metal carefully. If you spot any serious nicks in the paint, you’ll need to take a trip to your dealer or an auto-parts store for touch-up paint.

Cleaning the wheels is important for several reasons. First, you want to stop any corrosive action in its tracks. But it’s also a good way to check for loose or missing wheel-balancing weights, as well as the condition of the tires. Remember the old penny trick? Stick a penny – with Lincoln’s head down – into the grooves of the tires. If you can see all of Abe’s hair, your tires need to be replaced.

While you’re cleaning the glass (you were going to clean the glass, weren’t you?), take a look at the windshield wiper blades. It wouldn’t hurt to wipe them clean as well, but if you haven’t replaced them since the fall, you’ll really benefit from getting new ones.

Inside: Cosmetics

Even the few car washes that clean the inside of your car do a very cursory job. Get in there with a vacuum cleaner and get out the gunk from the folds of the upholstery, under the seats, etc. Remove the floor mats and clean the carpet well. And make sure that when you reinstall the floor mats, you hook the driver’s mat into place so it won’t interfere with the gas pedal.

Speaking of safety, you should also clean out any debris that may have fallen into the seatbelt latches or the parking-brake mechanism. You don’t actually eat sesame-seed bagels when you drive, do you?

Under The Hood

If you’re like most drivers, you probably haven’t checked under the hood in a while. Now’s a good time. Check the oil, and top up if necessary. The windshield washer reservoir probably needs to be topped off as well. Check for any twigs or leaves or other debris lodged in the engine compartment, and wipe off the engine cover and other cosmetic covers. If you have a turbocharged Subaru model, it’s a good idea to run the vacuum cleaner hose over the intercooler fins to make sure nothing gets in the way of top performance.

A lot of other items should be checked under the hood as well – coolant and brake fluid levels, battery terminal corrosion, serpentine belt condition, air filter, automatic transmission fluid, etc. Most of these service checks should probably be left to professional technicians. So schedule an appointment at Evergreen Subaru and give your car’s engine a good spring cleaning as well!