10 Simple and Frugal Tips for Maintaining your Car
Aside from regularly cleaning the interior and exterior of your car, there are a lot more things to learn in maintaining your car. A well-maintained car will definitely perform better, and when continuously done, it will last for a longer time. Checking your car regularly will also prevent serious damages to develop over time. Every car owner should know about this, and you can learn proper car maintenance tips right here in this article.
1. Designate separate microfibre cloths for drying and wiping off dirt, and separate sponges for the car body and the wheels. Using the same cloth for the same purpose minimises damages to both the cloth and the car body. As for the sponges, you wouldn't want to bring the dirt collected from your tires to the body of your car, would you?
2. Familiarise yourself to the ingredients found in the cleaning products you intend to use. It is better that you research the best cleaning solutions for each part of your car before you buy something.
3. Make sure that you've rinsed your car thoroughly before shampooing it to help remove the dirt faster. Dirt that are still on the car's surface may spread when applied with shampoo, making it harder to clean.
4. Don't forget to apply wax on your car after cleaning it. Wax serves as the car's sunscreen that protects its paint and prevents water spots from building up. Polymer wax is easier to clean that carnauba wax, but it is more expensive than the latter.
5. Have an accessible all-around cleaner wax for cleaning emergencies to prevent further damages
6. Vacuum the air vents as well as the hard to reach areas of your car interior. Hang the floor mats to air dry and shake off its dust. Do these once or twice a week.
7. Cloudy headlights can be prevented when you use some toothpaste and water in wiping it.
8. Aside from placing a car air purifier, you can keep a jar of baking soda mixed with drops of essential oil to keep your car smelling fresh.
9. Keep a small trash bin inside your car and don't forget to clear it after every use of the car.
10. Avoid using generic home glass cleaners as they may have unfavourable effects on the car exterior. Stick with car glass cleaners or homemade options.