Getting Your Car “Summer Ready”

This post is part of a sponsored series. All opinions are mine.

Oh I love this time of year! I think it’s one of my favorite times, and the anticipation of future sunshine holds a new candle of hope to the summer. As I was cleaning out the back of my Jeep and getting rid of the inevitable snow items (you know, ice scrapers, spare mittens and hats, and the like) when I realized it would make for great thing to share. Getting your car summer ready; there’s more to it than you might initially think. I asked my friends at the Illinois Dodge dealer, and we covered all our bases.

How to Prep Your Car for Summer

Cleaning Up

Let’s start with the basics, the comfort of your vehicle. This might include washing your floor mats of all the salt and residue from winter. I love my WeatherTech floor mats for this, because you can wash them down easy as pie and you’re set. For your typical floor mats, a secret trick is that you can run them through the dishwasher or washing machine (on cold). Don’t underestimate the impact of clean floor mats, they make a big difference!

Next, go ahead and clean up those seats. How in depth you want to go with this is up to you, but even a small vacuum job or washing down with soap and water can make a big impact.

Prepping for Summer

Now that your vehicle is clean, it’s time to prep for your summer fun and emergencies all at once. What I like to do for this is fill a small container in the back with sunscreen, bug spray, an umbrella, a first aid kit, and anything else that you think you might want on hand throughout the summer.

If you have kids, that might include a couple extra diapers or a change of clothes for them. Maybe it’s antibacterial wipes or a picnic blanket! Just think of the activities you’ll likely be doing and go with that.

Another thing I like to do in the summer is carry around a small empty cooler. Sometimes when you’re out grabbing groceries, you realize you have other errands to run and the milk or eggs will end up sitting in the car. Luckily you’ll be prepared. You’d be surprised at how often you find the use for small cooler.

What else do you find use for in your car during the summer? Comment below with what you make sure you carry along with you.