Do you drive around in style or in a sty? Do you take pride in your automobile or are you going to wait for it to fall apart and then purchase a new one? Of course it is your car, you do what you want but a clean car is safer than a filthy one.
If you have cold drink cans and empty crisp packets rolling around the floor, they could interfere with your feet. If you do not keep the exterior clean, rust will set in and your car will be less structurally safe - less able to withstand a collision.
So here are seven suggestions to help you valet your car. They might not all be life-savers, but they ought to all relieve some frustration and make your driving experience a bit more enjoyable.
1] Keep your windows clean and clear. You need as much forward, rear and peripheral vision as you can. Remove anything dangling from the rear view mirror and swap big speakers on the rear shelf for low, flat ones.
Remove all decals from the windows particularly the dopey one that says: 'Drive Safely - Baby On Board'. No one is going to drive more safely because you have a child with you, that is your job!
2] If your antenna jams, it is better to rub it with graphite powder than to squirt oil into it. The oil will merely leak out and what stays will soon have dust sticking to it, which will cause it to jam more.
3] You get better results whilst cleaning, waxing or polishing, if you spray the liquid onto your cloth rather than onto the car. Spraying directly onto the car causes puddles in some patches which normally result in streaks and plenty of extra rubbing, meanwhile abrasive dust can be getting stuck on this excess and the motion of your cleaning might cause scratches. You also lose less spray to the wind.
4] Whilst cleaning the glass, clean up and down on one side of the glass and side-to-side on the other so that you can see where the smears are. It could save you half the work.
5] Clean bird droppings from your car as soon as you can. This is because they are very acidic and will damage your paintwork every time they become wet. Never park under a tree because of this and because the rain dripping through the tree, particularly in warm weather, will bring sap or oil from the tree and it is quite difficult to get rid of when it is dry.
6] While washing the exterior with a bucket of soapy water, start on the roof, the bonnet and the boot; change the water and do one side of the car, change the water and do the other. Never throw the residue dirty water in the bucket onto the car or its wheels. This water is filthy, but you frequently see people do it.
7] Wash the engine from time to time. You will be happy you did if ever you have to get under the bonnet. The same goes for the spare wheel and keep an old pair of gloves in the wheel well for if you have to change a wheel.
If you have cold drink cans and empty crisp packets rolling around the floor, they could interfere with your feet. If you do not keep the exterior clean, rust will set in and your car will be less structurally safe - less able to withstand a collision.
So here are seven suggestions to help you valet your car. They might not all be life-savers, but they ought to all relieve some frustration and make your driving experience a bit more enjoyable.
1] Keep your windows clean and clear. You need as much forward, rear and peripheral vision as you can. Remove anything dangling from the rear view mirror and swap big speakers on the rear shelf for low, flat ones.
Remove all decals from the windows particularly the dopey one that says: 'Drive Safely - Baby On Board'. No one is going to drive more safely because you have a child with you, that is your job!
2] If your antenna jams, it is better to rub it with graphite powder than to squirt oil into it. The oil will merely leak out and what stays will soon have dust sticking to it, which will cause it to jam more.
3] You get better results whilst cleaning, waxing or polishing, if you spray the liquid onto your cloth rather than onto the car. Spraying directly onto the car causes puddles in some patches which normally result in streaks and plenty of extra rubbing, meanwhile abrasive dust can be getting stuck on this excess and the motion of your cleaning might cause scratches. You also lose less spray to the wind.
4] Whilst cleaning the glass, clean up and down on one side of the glass and side-to-side on the other so that you can see where the smears are. It could save you half the work.
5] Clean bird droppings from your car as soon as you can. This is because they are very acidic and will damage your paintwork every time they become wet. Never park under a tree because of this and because the rain dripping through the tree, particularly in warm weather, will bring sap or oil from the tree and it is quite difficult to get rid of when it is dry.
6] While washing the exterior with a bucket of soapy water, start on the roof, the bonnet and the boot; change the water and do one side of the car, change the water and do the other. Never throw the residue dirty water in the bucket onto the car or its wheels. This water is filthy, but you frequently see people do it.
7] Wash the engine from time to time. You will be happy you did if ever you have to get under the bonnet. The same goes for the spare wheel and keep an old pair of gloves in the wheel well for if you have to change a wheel.
About the Author:
Owen Jones, the author of this piece, writes on many subjects, but is now involved with auto interior detailing. If you want some suggestions on detailing cars come over to our website now at Detailing Car Interiors.
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