Car Care Tips
Some helpful hints and tips to keep your car's interior and exterior
in tip-top condition.
TIPS
- Washing Your Car (click to show)
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1. Wash your vehicle in a shaded area. Your vehicle's surface should be cool. If the car's hot, the soap suds will dry too quickly, staining the surface and requiring
another wash.
2. Pre-soak your vehicle to remove heavy contaminants.
3. Rather than using pricey automotive cleaners, use a mild, liquid soap that's well-diluted in warm water. That will do everything you need (removing dirt, grease, and films) without damaging plastics or other materials. Plus, it's a lot cheaper than the aggressively marketed, fancy products. Use a soft terrycloth towel or car-wash mitt.
4. Wash one section at a time, and then rinse. Start with the roof of the car, then proceed to the hood and the rear. Next, clean the upper sections of the sides, and then, finally, clean the lower areas, including the rocker panels, which invariably have the most dirt. Why this sequence? If you clean the lower sections first, you'll wash the dirt from the top of the car back down onto the lower parts. But, more importantly, you run the risk of having small pieces of debris adhere to the mitt or towel, and could scratch the vehicle.
5. Always hose off your mitt or towel before putting it back in the wash bucket to re-soap. In other words, start with a bucket of clean soap - and end with a bucket of clean soap.
6. Rinse your vehicle thoroughly. When you think you're done rinsing - that's when you give it a final rinse!
7. Use a different mitt to clean the tires and rims. Using a separate mitt for the wheels will reduce the chance that you'll scratch the car's paint with brake dust and dirt you pick up from the wheels.
8. Be very cautious when cleaning wheels, especially if you're using a spray-on wheel cleaner. This is not just for your car's health, but for yours as well. Wheels can be extremely hot if the car has just been driven. This is especially likely with wheels that use high-performance brakes. When you spray wheel cleaning chemicals on hot metal, the chemicals will vaporize - and you'll inhale them.
9. Cleaning headlights or foglamps with plastic cleaner and polish will help protect lenses and make for easier cleaning in the future.
- Drying Your Car (click to show)
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Dry your vehicle immediately to prevent water spots. Use a chamois cloth or a soft terrycloth towel to avoid scratching the vehicle.
- Waxing Your Car (click to show)
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Waxing not only protects the finish but also makes subsequent washing easier. Before proceeding, look for foreign particles on the paint. Use a car cleaner,
available at auto supply stores, to remove contaminants imbedded in the paint. Once the surface is clean, apply the wax, following the manufacturer's instructions
for application of the product. Avoid using the product in direct sunlight.
- Cleaning the Interior of Your Car (click to show)
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1. Refer to the owner's manual before attempting to clean the interior of your vehicle. Many of today's auto components are very sensitive to cleaners. Before
you start, test each of the interior materials in small, out-of-the-way locations.
2. Don't vacuum hard to reach places-instead, blow it out by connecting your vacuum hose to the vacuum outlet. It is most effective to rapidly toggle the power switch on your vacuum between "on" and "off". Here's why. If you blow the debris out at full speed, it's going to fly all over the vehicle. Doing it at a reduced power, however, will move the debris just far enough so you can access it, then easily vacuum it up.
3. Get a paint brush and a toothbrush. These are the two best tools for accessing hard-to-reach cracks, crevices and corners. The paint brush is great for reaching into deep locations. Vacuum with one hand as you brush those hard-to-reach locations, and you'll quickly clean up tricky spots. Leave both brushes in your glove compartment, so you'll have them when you stop by your local car wash to vacuum. (or in case you ever need to brush your teeth or paint a house on during a road-trip, you've got them handy)
4. To thoroughly remove debris from carpets and mats, use a sturdy brush and run a vacuum right behind it. Don't get too aggressive with the brush. Mats and carpets are vulnerable to fraying or other damage if too much force is used.
5. For gum, wax and other materials use chewing gum remover. It actually freezes the gum, so that it can easily be scraped off. Use a dull paint scraper to remove the gum once it's frozen.
6. Be very cautious cleaning the transparent plastic on your vehicle's instrument cluster. A lot of these plastics are extremely soft, and will scratch easily.
7. The dirtiest spots in a car's interior are the locations you touch, meaning the steering wheel, seat belt, the shifting knob and the driver's side door panel. Locate these components and spend a few extra minutes cleaning them.
8. When you're cleaning seat belts, only use a diluted, mild laundry soap. This will protect the integrity of the belt fabric.
9. Windows should be cleaned inside and out with glass cleaner and paper towels. Then, lightly buff the windows with a 100% cotton towel.
10. The dashboard and vehicle panels should be wiped with a dampened cloth with water. To remove grime, use an all-purpose cleaner, diluted with water. Use the mildest soap possible.
11. Need to get rid of smells? Vinegar works very well, and it's much cheaper than commercial products. Start with a 20:1 water-to-vinegar concentration, and scrub thoroughly. If that doesn't work, slowly increase the ratio until you have success.
12. No matter what you're doing to your car, be gentle. Because of manufacturers' interest in saving money, and the desire to increase the EPA fuel economy, a lot of manufacturers are using less durable materials. So, whether you're working on the inside or the outside, be gentle, or you may permanently damage your vehicle.