It never fails: Whenever I jump on the parkway during the winter, my car gets totally covered in road salt. Gross.
Driving around on regular streets has a similar effect, but it’s not quite as severe.
Today I took it to the automatic car wash for a little maintenance. During the summer, I like to wash it myself, but when it’s cold out, I prefer to have a machine do it for me, ya know?
Washing your car can be a frugal thing.
Road salt can help your paint chip off and can contribute to rust. Not so good.
It’s better to keep your car looking good. Much cheaper than a new paint job.
I hope to drive my car until it can’t go any further (hopefully after it reaches 200,000+ miles. But if I choose to sell it someday, I’ll be glad that I kept it maintained, both under the hood and on the outside.
So, if you haven’t done these things in awhile, I’d like to encourage you to:
- Wash your car! Get all that dirt and salt off!
- Clean out all of the trash inside your car and in your trunk. I had a whole bag full–yuck!
- Get rid of all unnecessary items you’re lugging around. Extra weight = worse fuel economy
- Check your tire pressure. How many psi do your tires need to be happy? Mine need 35. Some gas stations charge for air. See if you can find "free" air locations–they’re still out there!
I totally agree to this. I put the extra effort to keeping my car clean, both inside and out. I want it to last a really long time! One thing we’ve decided to do is every year we get a deep clean of the upholstery. I am hoping this keeps the car smelling nice, and will keep the upholstery in great condition. I think that’s especially a good idea if you have pets that ride in your car.
I would wash my car myself but currently all the outdoor water faucets are turned off in my complex due to the drought.
Just a heads-up, I tagged you for a meme if you’d like to play with us :)
I need to do this to my car - it is looking yucky with the road salt. And you are making me realize I should do it if I want to protect the paint, which I do.
I blogged about how we changed an air filter in my husbands car today - it was so easy to do! The auto place wanted $39.99 to do it and we did it in five minutes for $14 bucks!
My husband is great about washing his truck everyweekend, and mine gets washed about every few months in the winter but more often in the nice months. Oh yeah my husbands truck is his Semi. He washes it every weekend no matter what the wheather is. Even if he is headed into snow he washes it. If he would only wash the family vehicle that would be awesome. Maybe i will take mine to car wash tomorrow. Sounds like a really good idea.
Luckily I don’t have a car yet..
But honestly, when I decide to get one, I’ll try my best to get it second hand from a female user (they tend to take care of their car more than male :))
Indeed. Taking care of your property is critical.