15 Spring Cleaning Tips for Your Garage & Luxury Car

Although we don’t have a typical winter in South Florida, we still follow the four-season calendar for the sake of simplicity. So, now that it’s officially spring in Miami, that means it’s time to prepare for the upcoming hurricane season, buy deodorant in bulk, and start spring cleaning tasks. If you need assistance with the latter, follow these 15 cleaning tips for your garage and vehicle.

How to Clean Your Garage

Back in the day, garages were meant to protect cars from the elements and even guard against possible theft. But over the years, most garages become gigantic storage lockers for lots and lots and lots of stuff.

Sound familiar? Time to be brutally honest and ask yourself: “Do I really need to keep that old treadmill (aka. Cobweb attractor)?” Probably not. So, as a public service to all of you nice readers, we’re giving our tips to help you get going—because the lack of motivation to start is how we all obtain cobweb attractors in the first place. Let’s turn that messy storage locker back into a garage for your luxury car.

1. Take everything out

This is probably the most labor-intensive step, but you simply must do it. Take everything out of your garage so you can actually see what you’ve got. This also allows you to start sorting things and making some decisions, which takes us to the second step in the process.

2. Select what to get rid of and what you want to keep

This will probably be the most time-consuming and difficult thing to do. From holding on to seemingly lost treasures to pitching obvious junk, it’s time to let it go. Have a garage sale or donate unwanted items to a local charity. And be sure to properly dispose of anything that might be hazardous, like old paint or chemicals. (No, you can’t just toss them in the garbage!)

3. Sweep it clean

Now that your garage is mostly empty, you can give it a good cleaning. Maybe even a fresh coat of paint. It will inspire you to keep it looking that way.

4. Consider a new garage floor

If you are often working in your garage, you may notice it’s collected lots of… stains. From paint spills to oil splashes, garage floors unsurprisingly take a lot of abuse.  You can help protect your garage floor from picking up those unsightly stains by applying a special nonpermeable coating, like epoxy, to the top. This will not only add an impenetrable layer of protection, but it will also be easier to sweep clean, increase traction/grip, and beautify your whole garage space.

5. Space: The Final Frontier

Make effective use of all the space in your garage by hanging things like garden tools on wall hooks, or putting things away in cabinets with doors on them. They will look nicer than open shelving, which is also an option. If you’re really serious, you can install ceiling-mounted shelving to free up even more room for your collection of authentic Star Trek uniforms. (It’s okay. You can keep those.)

6. Organization is key

As the Sesame Street song goes: “One of These Things [Is Not Like the Others].” Putting similar items together in the same areas — such as cleaning supplies, garden tools, etc. — makes them easier to find. (Okay, now you’ve got THAT song playing over and over again in your head. Sorry.)

7. Think outside the box (or inside the garage)

You don’t necessarily have to park your luxury car in your newly cleaned garage. You might want to use it for various other things, like setting up a workbench for arts and crafts or other hobbies. Use your imagination.

8. Make your mark

Whether you use a combination of stackable banker boxes (great for storing paperwork) and versatile plastic bins, the key here is to clearly label everything.

How to Clean Your Car

But wait, there’s more…

Like we said earlier, now that you’ve got the garage cleaned and organized, it’s time to turn your attention to giving your BMW a thorough spring cleaning, as well. (If you don’t have a BMW, no worries—this applies to all cars, but they won’t end up looking as nice as that luscious new X3, with its fully sculpted kidney grille and Icon Adaptive LED lights. Yum.)

We digress. Grease those elbows for the final act of this spring cleaning show, just in time for National Car Care Month (April).

9. Clean under the hood

Over time, the dirt and grime that builds up on the engine block itself can actually make it run hotter and less efficiently, causing it to die sooner than expected. But you can be your car’s superhero with a pressure washer (light pressure!) or a simple hose.

With the power washer set to a wide-angle to prevent damage, start spraying from front to back. Get into all the little nooks and crannies. Rinse and repeat the water is running (mostly) clear. Just be sure all fluid reservoirs and any exposed electrical parts, like the battery and fuse box, are properly sealed.

Don’t have a pressure washer? There are plenty of self-serve car washes throughout South Florida where you can clean your car’s engine.

And wait until the engine is completely dry before starting it up.

10. Protect your paint job

The humid Miami weather (and sea air) can take its toll on your car’s exterior paint job, as well as rubber and plastic. Take the time to wax your car with a paste or liquid wax for an added layer of protection. You may also want to use a rubber/vinyl/plastic protectant on all exterior and interior surfaces.

For the future, you should consider investing in a car cover to keep it safeguarded from UV rays, corrosion/rust, and even bird poop. (Cleaning bird poop off your car is harder than you might imagine!) If you own a BMW, ask our Braman BMW Parts Department in about ordering an OEM car cover for your specific model. We’ll get it shipped straight to our Miami parts store for pick-up.

11. Clean the cabin

Don’t forget about inside your luxury car! Cleaning the cabin is just as crucial a task as any, and it will go further than you’d suspect in boosting your vehicle’s resale value. (People don’t like stains, soils, and smells, apparently.)

• Get rid of the trash. This includes old receipts, gum wrappers, and four-year-old French fry remnants found in seat cracks and underneath the seats.
• Remove the floormats. Spray and scrub them down, then let them dry naturally. You can apply some baking powder when dry to cover up and gross smells.
• Vacuum the carpets. Easy enough.
• Deep clean the carpets and seats. Ok, now we’re talking. You’ll want a steam cleaner for most cloth fabric, as it will better penetrate the fibers to loosen up gunk. If you have leather seats, you’ll need a special leather cleaner and conditioner (ask us for product advice).
• Clean the cupholders with alcohol wipes or cotton swabs.
• Wipe down the dash with microfiber cloths. Don’t use alcohol as this can dry out plastic, especially when exposed to sun.
• Clean the interior windshield and windows. Windex is your friend, as are clean, lint-free cloths (like microfiber).
• Marvel at your handy work.

12. Clean the underbody

Although you don’t have ice-melt to worry about here in South Florida, you do still have all that road gunk—oil, mud, sand, coolant, etc.—which can collect under your car. It’s best to get that off right away, as they can cause some long-term damage to even the most protected vehicle.

A pressure washer works well here if you’re Stretch Armstrong or have a modulating power washer handle. A plain sprinkler, attached to a hose, could work in a pinch, though you won’t get a lot of pressure. A professional carwash or auto detailer is your best bet to get the best underbody cleaning for cars.

13. No pressure here

Not all “spring cleaning” tasks are solely about cleaning; sometimes you need to mix things up with proper car maintenance to get the most out of your elbow grease. Start with your tires.

Tire pressure fluctuates when the temperature changes. That’s why it’s important to check your tire pressure at least once a season. The wrong tire pressure can lead to lower gas mileage, reduce your tires’ lifespan, or maybe even cause a blowout.

Check your owner’s manual for proper tire pressure and when to rotate your tires. You can also find the correct tire pressure on the inside of the driver’s door.

While you’re at it, inspect your tires for signs of uneven tread wear, or cracks/gouges in the sidewalls. Any sort of issue may indicate that you need to buy a new set of tires.

14. Time for some new blades

No, we are not referring to shaving products. Rather, we’re talking about checking your windshield wiper blades for any signs of wear and tear. Change them out if you notice streaking, cracking, or skipping.  You should be replacing your wiper blades at least once a year. (We stock the right BMW wiper blades for your vehicle here, FYI.)

15. Stay on the level

The fluids that run through your vehicle are its lifeblood. Whether it’s power steering and brake fluid, engine oil, coolant, or transmission fluid, it’s vitally important to keep these up to proper levels.

Clear plastic reservoirs for brake, power steering and windshield washer fluids in today’s luxury vehicles make it simple for you to check them. Our BMW-certified service professionals in Miami will be happy to perform these maintenance tasks for you.

Spring into Spring with Braman BMW Miami

It’s spring and everything is blooming anew, including the latest crop of 2021-22 BMW models. Now that your garage is clean, you have space to shop for the perfect new luxury vehicle at Braman BMW Miami today! Visit our South Florida BMW dealership at 2060 Biscayne Blvd or call our sales team at (786) 577-5220 to get a quote.