Keeping your car in the best possible condition is the best way to maximize your investment. That way, when you’re ready to part with it, you can sell your vehicle for the highest possible price. Buyers are willing to pay a lot more for a car in pristine condition.
Below are ten steps that can help maintain your car and keep it looking just like new if you perform them consistently.
Give Your Car a Wash Regularly washing your vehicle will help maintain the color of the paint and help protect it against dirt and toxins that might otherwise eat away and gradually erode your paint job. When you wash your car, use microfiber towels and separate buckets for washing and rinsing; this will help you avoid swirl marks.
Don’t Forget the Undercarriage How to keep your car clean varies if you live or work in a rural area where there are dirt roads or in a cold region where salt roads are common. For example, it’s important to have your car’s undercarriage cleaned to prevent corrosion. Bring your vehicle to a professional car wash that can perform a good undercarriage cleaning. If you’re concerned about rust, apply a preventative coating to the underbody of your car.
Wax the Exterior Paint For additional protection, apply a protective layer of wax to your car every six months.
Fix Scratches and Dents If you find rust, scratches, or dents on your car, don’t delay – have them fixed as soon as you can. If left untreated, they could expand into a worse, much more extensive problem.
Windows, Mirrors, and Windshield Give a little TLC and extra cleaning to your mirrors, windshield, and windows.
Wash Tires and Wheel Rims Regularly Be careful when cleaning your wheels since many wheel finishes and coatings are easy to scratch or stain if you use the wrong product or chemical. While you’re at it, check your tire pressure every two weeks and rotate your tires every six months. Some drivers, depending on where they live, will change from summer tires to winter tires as well.
Protect Your Car from Extreme Weather Rain, hail, snow, extreme sun, you name it – the weather can cause lots of problems like nicks, scratches, and dents and make the luster of your paint job fade more quickly. To help avoid these scenarios, try to keep your car covered – whether you keep it in a garage, under a cover, or under a carport. Don’t just cover it during winter, but year-round if possible. Also, try to park in the shade whenever you can since sun damage can make your car appear older than it is.
Schedule It To integrate car cleaning and maintenance into your routine, create a schedule so that you can get everything done on a timely basis.
Interior Maintenance Regular detailing will help maintain the cleanliness of your vehicle. It’s important to vacuum and remove any carpet or seat stains as soon as possible, as well as sand, dirt, and grime.
Get the Perfect Cleaner Select a cleaner and/or conditioner designed to clean the specific kind of upholstery in your car, whether it’s cloth, vinyl, or leather. Using the wrong type of cleaner risks significant damage to your carpet and seats. Also, make sure to clean your dashboard and hard plastic surfaces. Don’t use a cleaner on the steering wheel and brake pedal, as it will make them slippery and hard to control. Over the long term, regularly washing your interior will make a big difference and help prevent your leather seats from cracking or fading.
To recap: keep the body and underbody of your car clean, keep dirt out of the carpet and stains off interior surfaces so they don’t age prematurely. Fix any dents, scratches, and rust as it occurs before it becomes a bigger problem. This is what it takes to maintain a vehicle in pristine condition.
To fix any minor or major body issues with your vehicle, contact us at Finney Auto Body. We can help your car or truck look like new!
