To make your car last longer and more efficient over time, it is necessary to dedicate some simple precautions, clean it constantly, and, from time to time, carry out small maintenance. Let’s see together how to take care of the car.
When you buy a car, especially if it is new, you spend some time taking care of it in the initial period. Over the years, this attention to cleaning and maintenance tends to decline. Instead, it is precisely over time that it is necessary to dedicate more time to car care, its maintenance (to be safer while driving and to enjoy a car in excellent condition even with the passing of the years), and regular cleaning.
This, not only to make sure that its life cycle is as long as possible but, above all, to make sure it is always a hygienic place to live in.
What precautions?
Let’s see together some basic precautions for a good seal of the car over time. These are simple actions that everyone can take to take care of the car.
For example, it is not recommended to drive when you are running out of fuel. Everyone, at least once in their life, will have had to postpone the “full tank” to the next day, driving with the warning light flashing or in reserve. Driving for many kilometers with the car almost dry can cause serious damage. As you can imagine, in fact, this is absolutely not good for the car. The reason is very simple: debris and sediment accumulated in the bottom of the tank could spread into the fuel system, damaging the engine.
Again, one of the first lessons to be taught when you get your driving license is to always and only start in first gear. Unfortunately, over the years, this teaching is often forgotten and there is a tendency to start in second and … sometimes even in third! Nothing could be more wrong because, in the long run, this behavior could damage the gearbox.
And also be careful to allow the engine to warm up! In particular, if the engine is still cold, it is advisable to leave the car running for a few minutes. In this way, the engine is allowed to warm up and reach the ideal temperature (which oscillates between 90 and 100 degrees).
Finally, it is good to adopt a responsible driving style, avoiding sudden braking and acceleration, and trying to maintain a constant pace.
Car cleaning: useful tips
One might think that to take care of the car it is enough to limit yourself to a pass with a vacuum cleaner or an external washing of the same. This is not enough. In fact, people often choose to personally try their hand at washing their car. However, we must know that there are mistakes not to be made ( in an old article we talk about DIY car washing ) and that, in general, it would be better to rely on professionals to avoid the risk of damaging the car.
In which places can germs and bacteria be deposited most?
- Do not underestimate the spaces between buttons, arrows, and various buttons. It is precisely in these small spaces that a large amount of dust tends to accumulate. To remove it accurately, you could use brushes or brushes.
- Beware of the mats: how many times after a rainy day or after a walk in the woods do we get into the car stepping on our beloved mats? This is the place where most dirt, dust, and dirt are hidden. For this reason, they should be removed periodically, vacuumed with the most evident dust, and then washed. Be careful, however, to reposition them in their place only when they are perfectly dry, under penalty of the possibility of the generation of molds.
- Always check the bottom of the seats: you often stretch and simply clean the seats on the surface, without paying too much attention to the dirt that can accumulate between the spaces where the backrest and seat meet and, above all, on the bottom. In the long run, it may be more and more difficult to remove dirt stuck in those tiny spaces.
- Dirt on the windshield must also be removed promptly, as it could impair a clear view of the roadway while driving. This is especially in the evening hours when the lights of other cars that intersect, help to reduce the sharpness. For this reason, it may be useful to use a special liquid with additives for your wipers that allows you to thoroughly remove the encrusted dirt.
Car care in winter: why is it important?
Especially after the winter, it is a good idea to subject your car to a deep cleaning that allows you to restore shine to the paint. This is because, in the winter season, other agents of no less importance are added to the classics responsible for damage to cars such as insects, tree resin, and bird droppings.
In particular, those who live in areas where very cold temperatures and subject to snowfalls are reached must pay more attention. The crushed stone and the salt used to melt the snow on the asphalt settle not only on the wheels but also on the bottom of the car and on the mudguard. Considering the corrosive power of sodium chloride, the paintwork and the bodywork could suffer irreparable damage if no immediate action is taken to remove the residues.
It is also recommended to change the engine oil after winter. This is because, with lower temperatures, cold starts can be repeated. And during the winter both the oil and the additives tend to lose some of their effectiveness.
Car care in the summer: why is it important?
In the warmer months, however, the car is subjected to high temperatures which can cause damage both inside and out.
The heat can damage the plastic parts, leather, upholstery, and rubber seals inside the passenger compartment. To avoid color loss, it is a good idea to use a sun visor be placed on the windshield and windows when the car is parked in the sun, at least during the hottest hours.
The sun’s rays tend to discolor the paint and harden the plastics. It is therefore advisable to never leave the car parked for too long in the sun. Better still is to look for a parking space in a shaded area, as can be, for example, the one created by a building.
When parking your car under trees, you must always be aware of the risk of pine cones, resin or bird droppings falling. So, although parking the car under a tree can ensure that it is not directly exposed to UV rays, there is still the risk that, due to all these different situations, the car may then present defects.
To maintain the gloss of the car body and protect the paint, a ceramic-based protective can be used two or three times a year. It is a product that is intended to protect the car from the harmful effects caused by UV rays.
Pollen, insects, resin, and bird droppings (the residues of which dry out due to the summer heat) can cause irreparable damage to the car. It should be noted that acids cause chemical corrosion of the paint, ruining it. It is therefore important to intervene immediately and not wait for too many days to pass and therefore to dry out excessively.
Beware of sand and salt
Those who go to the beach must always protect their car from sand and salt. The simplest solution is to cover the car with a tarp for the duration of the stop.
Even against sand and salt, the ceramic-based protective agent mentioned above can help. In fact, this product allows you to create a ceramic film that protects the bodywork and gives extreme shine.
The sand, as you can imagine, easily ends up in the car, hiding even in the most hidden corners. To prevent it from scratching the interior, after a day at the beach it is strongly recommended to clean the interior by removing the mats and vacuuming all the spaces, the trunk, and the seats.
Keep everything under control
Another very important aspect of car care is to repair any damage right away. The reason is very simple: when you choose to “wait a few days” you tend to procrastinate indefinitely. This happens especially in the case of negligible problems that do not compromise driving. It is therefore always better to solve even small problems immediately, so as not to regret them tomorrow.
Another important thing to always keep an eye on is the tires. Not only do they determine the right grip and grip on the road but allow the absorption of vibrations.
How? Always make sure they are in top condition by checking their pressure regularly. In this regard, it is possible to equip yourself with a portable car compressor that allows you to check the pressure of your tires in a few minutes. Eventually, a few minutes will be enough to bring them back to the right pressure without having to go to a body shop.
Conclusion
The state of health of the car is linked to the behavior one assumes while driving and to the regularity with which one dedicates to its cleaning.
And as for this last point, if you don’t have the time to devote to all the various operations and you don’t have the right products, it’s good to turn to car care professionals.
