Tag: car maintenance

Love your car today and every day!

Valentine’s Day is upon us; and while you may be focused on showing your significant other your appreciation, it’s important not to forget to show your car some love this holiday too!

Believe it or not, there are a lot of really nice ways you can take care of your car this February, and they don’t have to be overly expensive car service options.

Ways You Can Show Your Car Love This Valentine’s Day

Here are some of the best ways you can show your car love this Valentine’s Day.

Wash, Dry, and Wax the Exterior

If you haven’t done it in a while, it is vitally important to take care of the outside of the car. It’s a preventative measure to keeping yourself safe while driving – a dirty car could impair your sight or the efficiency of the vehicle. 

• Washing the Car

First things first, you will want to wash the car. Doing this will reduce the chance of rust and also remove any harmful debris from the vehicle.

Start by parking your car in a shady area, and fill a bucket with a few capfuls of concentrated car cleaning solution and water, wet down the car with a hose, then dip either a washing mitt or sponge into the solution and start cleaning from the roof of the car. By starting at the top of the car, you are ensuring that grime and dirty water are not being splashed onto clean areas.

Save the wheels and tires for last. Simply wet your wheels with the hose and then spray them with a wheel and tire cleaner. After letting the solution sit for a few minutes, wash it away with your sponge and soap and then rinse.

• Drying the Car

Once your car is fully washed, dry it with either a clean, soft towel or, ideally, microfiber towels.

• Apply Protectants

When your vehicle has completely dried, it’s also a good idea to apply protectants to it. Simply spray or pour a small amount of vinyl and rubber protectant onto a clean cloth and rub it onto any plastic, rubber, or vinyl parts of the car’s exterior.

Make sure to wire the protectant on with a circular motion and then wait for it to absorb. Once it has absorbed, wipe it down a final time with a new rag.

• Wax the Car

Lastly, you will want to wax the car.

Before applying the wax, it’s recommended that you either pour a small amount onto the pad (for liquid wax) or dip the applicator pad into the wax container (if it’s a cream or paste). Also, it’s a good idea to dampen the applicator and to shake up liquid wax beforehand as well.

Apply the wax to one panel of the car at a time. Start off by framing the section with wax to give you better control and avoid getting wax in unwanted areas. Once the section has been framed, simply fill in the rest of the area with the wax by using a circular motion.

As the wax dries, it will form a haze. Simply use a clean microfiber cloth to wipe that away.

The interior of your car should also be cleaned – here’s what you will need:

Cleaning Your Car’s Interior

• Microfiber cloths
• A vacuum cleaner
• All-purpose auto cleaner
• Window cleaner
• Vinyl cleaner
• Carpet cleaner
• Leather cleaner (if you have leather seats)

• Vacuum the Car’s Interior

First, you will want to vacuum the upholstery, carpet, and floor mats of the car. Continue by vacuuming out the pockets in the door, cup holders, and any other hard to reach places.

• Clean Hard Vinyl Areas

Then you will want to wipe down all of the hard vinyl in your car with a clean microfiber cloth that has been moistened with an all-purpose cleaning solution. These include the door handles, dashboard, instrument panel, glove box, parts of the doors, your shift, and steering wheel.

Follow up by wiping down all hard vinyl areas. Use another clean microfiber cloth, again dampened in an all-purpose cleaning solution. These areas include the dashboard, instrument panel, compartments, door handles, vinyl on doors, seat belt connections, glove box, side compartments, in doors, shift and steering wheel. Also, consider spraying and scrubbing out the cup holders as well.

• Clean Your Windows and Mirrors

Next, you will want to clean your windows and mirrors. Not only does it look better, but it also keeps you safe while driving as well.

To clean the windows, use a clean microfiber cloth, spray the window with an auto window cleaner, and then wipe it away.

• Clean Your Upholstery

Depending on the material of your upholstery, you will want to clean it appropriately. For leather, you want to use a specific lotion-based leather cleaner. For vinyl, you can use either leather or vinyl cleaner. 

If you have cloth seats, these can be spot-cleaned with water and a bleach alternative. Dampen a microfiber cloth with the solution and blot the spots that need to be cleaned. To rinse it off, just lightly spray the spots with clean water and then suction them dry with an attachment on your vacuum cleaner.

Car Care Maintenance

Oil Changes

Another really important step in taking care of your car this Valentine’s Day is by getting your oil changed. It’s preventative care for a lot of potential issues, and there are quite a few benefits to getting it done:

• It cools engine components
• Improves your gas mileage
• Removes dirt particles and sludge from the engine
• Promotes engine longevity

Tire Rotation

 Last but certainly not least, it’s important to get your tires rotated. It’s another preventative measure to ensure that your car is working efficiently and has a longer life. It’s also important to note that many tire mileage warranties will require rotation to keep your warranty valid.

This particular service should be scheduled based on the recommendations from your owner’s manual. Doing this will preserve traction and balanced handling, and will assist in even tread wear.

Our Final Thoughts on Taking Care of Your Car This Valentine’s Day

Taking these steps with your car these Valentine’s Day will have it looking better, performing better, and will keep you much safer.

So show some car love this Valentine’s Day and every day in Madison, Donelson, Old Hickory, Tennessee and the surrouning areas, and contact The Car Doctor!