Spring! Time to pack up your winter clothes, do some spring cleaning, and swap from winter tires to summer tires. But if you think that’s all it takes to prep your car for spring, think again. Your car likely isn’t ready for spring rainstorms or hotter, muggier weather. Here are three simple maintenance tasks that’ll have you ready to spring into a new season.

Replace old windshield wiper blades

Cold winter weather can leave the rubber on your windshield wipers brittle. Scraping ice and snow off your windshield can tear up the leading edge of your wipers. Heavy spring thunderstorms make driving dangerous enough, don’t do it with bad wiper blades!

Some windshield wiper blades are actually a series of thin rubber strips. You can slice last year’s rubber off and you’re left with a fresh wiper blade. This is a great solution, and can save you some cash. So before you toss your old blades, see if you can just slice off a layer. 

But if not, consider new blades. You can order wiper blades on Amazon. But remember that most chain auto parts stores will install your blades for you if you buy them there.

“Rain-X” your windshield to be ready for spring

While we’re on the topic of spring thunderstorms, consider applying a coat of Rain-X or a similar product to your windshield. This coating breaks up the surface tension of water. The result is much smaller droplets on your windshield. That alone improves visibility. But that’s not all.

The slick Ran-X coating also keeps the droplets rolling off your windshield as you drive. This means your new wiper blades have a much easier time keeping your windshield clear. No, Rain-X didn’t pay me to write this–I just hate driving in the rain and love anything that makes it safer.

Give your air conditioning system a spring cleaning

Finally, spring is a great time to go over your HVAC system. This won’t just keep you cooler all summer. An HVAC refresh can keep you and your passengers from breathing in toxic mold. You see, you haven’t fired up the A/C part of your HVAC system for months. So there could be some funky stuff growing in there. Time for a cleanup.

Here are the three basic steps: Firstly, buy some HVAC system disinfectant, turn your A/C on full blast, and spray the cleaner into your HVAC intake vents (often at the base of your windshield). This helps kill any mold or fungus in the system. Second, double-check check the condenser is venting water. If you shut off your A/C on a hot day and the rubber tube under the passenger’s feet doesn’t drip some water, it may be clogged. Finally, if you’re A/C blows warm, wet air on hot days you might need a freon recharge. You can buy a can of freon at your local auto parts store, along with a hose to recharge the system yourself.

It’s important to keep up on your car’s maintenance. Taking care of your windshield wipers, applying a windshield coating, and maintaining your A/C will keep you safe and comfortable this spring. You can even make it an annual tradition.