Spring detailing after winter.

Winter does its damage quietly. Salt and brine settle into seams, wheel wells and carpet, and as long as they stay damp, they keep working. A car that is simply rinsed in March and forgotten can still carry the residue into summer, where heat bakes it onto paint and surfaces.

Spring is also when the paint is most exposed. Whatever wax or sealant you put on in autumn has been through months of salt, scrapers and detergent, so it is probably thin or gone. Meanwhile pollen, tree sap, bugs and strong sun are about to arrive. A spring reset clears the old and puts protection back before the new threats show up.

The best time is when the last of the salt trucks have stopped and the weather is reliably above about 10 degrees, usually April in the Halton area. Earlier is better than later.

There is a practical reason to do it before the warm weather too. Damp carpets dry slowly in cold air, and as soon as spring humidity arrives they can turn musty. Getting salt and moisture out while the weather is still mild stops that smell before it starts.

1. Rinse thoroughly, starting with the underbody. Salt lives in the wheel wells, behind the bumpers and around the exhaust, so flush these first. Never wipe a dry salty car.
2. Clean the wheels and tires. Use a dedicated wheel cleaner and a soft brush. Brake dust mixed with salt can pit wheel finishes if left.
3. Hand wash. Two buckets, a clean mitt and a pH-balanced shampoo. Wash from top to bottom.
4. Decontaminate. An iron remover dissolves metal particles from brake dust and rail dust, and tar remover takes off road tar. Then a clay bar lifts what is left. Run your hand over the paint in a plastic bag; if it feels gritty, it needs it.
5. Inspect the paint. Look for stone chips, which can start rusting, and for dull or swirled areas. Touch up chips promptly.
6. Protect. Apply a sealant or ceramic coating. Do not skip this, since it is what makes summer washing easy.
7. Finish the details. Dress the tires, restore faded trim and clean the glass inside and out.

If the paint looks dull or marred after winter, a machine polish can bring back clarity by reducing light swirls. Jay's calls this paint enhancement.

Do not forget the less obvious places

Open the doors, hood and trunk and wipe the jambs and sills, where a grey salt film collects. Clean the fuel door and the gaps around the hood and trunk lid. Check the rubber seals for cracking, and condition them. Inspect the lower edges of the doors and the rocker panels for any bubbling paint, which is early rust and worth dealing with right away.

If your headlights have gone cloudy from winter grit and UV, wipe them clean first and see whether they need more. Headlight restoration is quoted with your vehicle.

Winter interiors usually have three problems: salt in the carpet, stained or dried-out seats and a stale smell from trapped moisture.

Floors and mats

Remove the mats and vacuum. Rubber mats can be hosed and scrubbed. Carpet needs more: spray a dilute mix of white vinegar and warm water on salt tide marks, agitate with a soft brush and extract with a wet vac. See the salt stains in carpet guide.

Seats and leather

Clean fabric with a suitable cleaner. For leather, clean first and then condition, since heated seats and dry air leave it parched.

Hard surfaces and glass

Wipe the dash, console and door cards. The inside of the windshield collects a film from heater use and fogging, so give it a thorough clean.

Air and smell

Replace the cabin air filter and air the car out on a warm day with every door open. Damp carpets that have not fully dried are the usual source of a musty smell.

Ventilation and the cabin filter

If the car smells when you switch the fan on, the culprit is often the cabin air filter or a damp vent system. Change the filter, run the air conditioning for a few minutes with the fan high, and leave the car in sun with the windows cracked. It is a small job with a large effect on how the car feels to sit in.

• Pollen: a yellow-green dust coats paint and glass, especially in leafy neighbourhoods. Rinse it off before wiping, and do not dry-wipe it. It is mildly abrasive.
• Tree sap and buds: sticky residue lands on cars parked under trees. Soften it with a quick detailer and wipe gently, and avoid scraping.
• Bird droppings: acidic, and etch clear coat in sun. Remove promptly.
• Bugs: highway bug splatter becomes more common in warmer weather. Soak and wipe, rather than scrub.
• Rain and mud: April showers throw road film and mud back onto clean paint. A coating makes this much easier to rinse.

Our guide to protecting paint from tree sap and bird droppings covers these in more depth.

Spring is also a good moment to check wiper blades and rinse the washer system. Winter grit tears wipers apart, and a streaky windshield in April rain is both annoying and unsafe. Wipe the blades with a damp cloth, replace them if they chatter or smear, and top up the washer fluid.

A spring reset is a good DIY job if you have a free Saturday, a hose, a clay bar, protection product and a wet vac. The hardest parts are the underbody, the carpet extraction and the machine polishing.

If you would rather not spend the weekend on it, Jay's does the whole reset at your home or workplace. The Full Detail starts at from $176 $220 and covers a complete interior, a complete exterior and sealant protection, ending with a walk-around. For salt-damaged cars, add the winter salt removal at +$40. If you want the strongest protection going into summer, the ceramic coating starts at from $399 $499.

Book early. April and May fill up as everyone gets the same idea at once. The quickest way is the online quote form, and our service area covers Burlington, Oakville, Milton, Hamilton and Waterdown among others.