When you think of spring-cleaning, you probably think of your home. But what about your car? It's served you well all winter long. It's been through the mud -- and snow, sleet, sand and salt. It needs a good cleaning, too!

You could take your car to a professional car detailer and spend $150 or more to get it cleaned up for spring. Or you can keep the cash and do it yourself.

Open up all the doors of the vehicle. Empty everything from every nook and cranny. Put all of the safety equipment needed for changing a tire and other emergencies in one area of the lawn or driveway. Take an inventory, and make sure that spare tire is in good working order.

Limit the items you will keep in the glove box to the owner's manual, vehicle registration (required to be kept in the vehicle), service records and other pertinent information to the operation of the car. Everything else should go into the trash (if not needed) or in a safe place in the house.

Now for the biggie: Remove the seats. This is quite doable, however newer models may have seats that are easier to remove. Be careful removing the front seats because they may be connected to electrical systems. The owner's manual may give you instructions here.

Then start vacuuming the inside of the car like you never have vacuumed before. Take time to get all of the sand, salt and grit out of that carpet.

Using your favorite carpet cleaner, scrub the carpet clean. Allow it to dry, and follow that with another good vacuuming job.

With the seats out, use your favorite all-purpose cleaner (use the window cleaner below if you like) to clean the vinyl walls, doors and dashboard -- all but the headliner ("ceiling").

Get into all the cracks, grooves and crevices. Use a cotton swab around knobs and handles.

Clean the windows inside and out with paper towels or newspaper and a fifty-fifty mixture of rubbing alcohol and household ammonia. It's strong stuff, both in smell and in cleaning power.

While the inside is drying, tackle the upholstered seats by vacuuming them thoroughly. If your seats are leather, use a leather cleaner or conditioner recommended by the manufacturer. If they're cloth, use a good upholstery cleaner, or make your own:

Upholstery cleaner: Place six tablespoons of grated Fels-Naptha laundry bar soap (found at the supermarket or at www.SoapsGoneBuy.com), one pint of boiling water, and two tablespoons of borax in a saucepan or bowl. Stir it until the soap melts and becomes smooth. Allow it to cool until it gels. Whisk it or beat it until it foams. Use the foam on a rough cloth or brush to scrub the upholstery, making sure not to soak the fabric. Re-whisk the soap as necessary to get more homemade scrubbing bubbles. As you work, use a clean, damp cloth to wipe away the soiled suds.

Replace the seats, emergency equipment and instructional books. Spray your favorite air freshener, and close the doors and windows.

Wash the outside of the car with a bucket of warm water and a tablespoon or two of liquid dishwashing soap. Rinse it well, wipe it dry, and wax it using your favorite brand of car wax.

There you go. A fresh, spring-clean car.

Mary Hunt is the founder of www.DebtProofLiving.com and author of 17 books, including "Debt-Proof Living." You can e-mail her at mary@everydaycheapskate.com, or write to Everyday Cheapskate, P.O. Box 2135, Paramount, CA 90723. To find out more about Mary Hunt and read her past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.
COPYRIGHT 2008 CREATORS SYNDICATE INC.