subject: Cleaning And Maintaining Your Car [print this page] A car is one of your most valuable possessions. Thus it is essential to regularly clean and maintain your car. You should also occasionally check whether all the car parts are OK and in working conditions. If you do not have adequate knowledge about how to take care of your car, here are some guides:
Cleaning car interior
A clean car interior not only looks good but also keeps you healthy by improving the air quality inside your car. Use these ways for cleaning the interiors:
Vacuuming- Remove the car floor mats. Vacuum the carpets and the seats. Use the proper vacuum attachment and reach under the seats, the area between the centre console and the front seats, around the pedals and all other possible areas where dust may gather. Vacuum the floor mat separately. Use a soft brush attachment to clean the centre console, the dashboards and the doors. Be careful with the vents, knobs and sticking parts while vacuuming. If your car has leather seats, be extra careful with your vacuum hose while cleaning them.
Cleaning car leather
Leather is very prone to damage. Use only specially formulated products to clean them. Different products have different effects on the leather. While some make the leather more shiny or slippery, others might make them sticky or tacky. Test the cleaner on a small portion of the leather to see the effect and apply or discard accordingly. Do not use paper towels on leather as they can scratch the leather. Use a soft clean towel instead. Spray the cleaner on the soft towel and wipe the seat gently with it, reaching into the edges and crevices. You can apply a conditioner later to protect the leather. You can skip applying cleaner on the leather wrapping the steering wheel or the shifter knob. Instead clean them simply with a clean and barely moist cotton towel. If using any product on the steering wheel, make sure that the wheel is not slippery after the cleaning process.
Washing your car
Wash your car regularly. Things like limestone drippings, bird droppings can leave permanent marks on your car if not washed away in time. When the car is clean, moisture dries up faster. Whereas if car is unclean, moisture gathers in dirty areas, causing corrosion. Dont forget the windshield. The sand left on the windshield will be dragged by the wipers when operation, causing scratches.
Basic car maintenance tips
Read the cars manual. It has all information relating cars maintenance and safety.
Follow your maintenance schedules. There are a number of things that need to be regularly checked and serviced (example- air filter, spark plugs, brakes, timing belts, etc.
Change the windshield wipers if they are not operating properly.
Repair problems as soon as they arise. Any delay can lead to expensive repairs.
Keep all the fluids (like the transmission fluid, engine oil, coolant, etc) topped up.
Check the tire pressure regularly.
Wash and wax your car at regular intervals to maintain its shine and resist corrosion.
In case of repair or parts exchange, use only original parts.
Have a thorough car check up at least once in a car garage. The William Elliott Garage is your best destination.
