It’s spring – well, almost, this winter storm would beg to differ – and what better activity is there than spring cleaning? You don’t even have to constrain it to your house! A great thing to add to your list is to clean out your air vents so that your vehicle smells daisy fresh all season, and into the future. We’ve got some tips on how to make the process easy and quick while still being thorough! Take a look.

Your first task is cleaning the physical vents that are in your vehicle, the ones you see and adjust every day. You’ll need cleaning solution, white vinegar, a vacuum, Q-tips and… that’s it! Give your vents a vacuum to get any loose dust out. Then you want to take a Q-tip that’s been dipped in cleaning solution and really work it into the crevices and hard-to-reach spots. When the Q-tips you’re using come back clean, you know you’ve gotten all the grime. Then, take another Q-tip dipped in white vinegar and just go over it all again to get rid of any lingering odors. The vinegar smell doesn’t last long, and when it disappears it takes odors with it. Give the vents one last vacuum and you’re done! Make sure you’ve gotten them ALL, including the one that’s right up next to your windshield and the ones at your feet and the rear seats’ feet.

The next step is to take a look at your cabin air filter. Your owner’s manual should cover how to access it, and if not there’s always YouTube. The cabin air filter is your barrier against everything that’s floating through the air that you drive your car through – pollen, dust, smells, stenches – and it’s often a forgotten part of the vehicle. Take a look, and if you think it needs changing then schedule an appointment with us to have our service department take care of it!

Finally, if you still smell a little something-something in the car when you run the air, you might have mildew in your A/C evaporator. It’s easy to dry that up! Just drive about a mile away from home (that’s enough time to warm up your engine, you see) and then roll down all your windows and turn the air on full blast. Don’t use the A/C! Just regular old air will do. Keep it running for a minute or two, and that should be enough time to circulate air through the evaporator and dry up any residual moisture.

With these tips, you can keep your vehicle smelling great all year round! However, we can’t account for stinky sports equipment, pets, or fast food… those you’ll have to deal with on your own!