How to Care for a Car?

Regardless of the age, the car can be maintained in decent condition both by the hands of professionals (whom the conditions and means allow) and by one's own efforts. Taking care of the car will not only allow you to maintain an attractive appearance but also reduce the costs of its maintenance. For example, repainting a car is very expensive, so it is better to monitor the paint from the moment you buy the car. Let's talk about how to take care of your car and look at some simple tips to help keep your vehicle looking good and in good technical condition.

How to properly care for the body?
A small layer of road dust for a car that is constantly in use is a natural state, but with some periodicity to see your vehicle washed off everything in its original form, it brings aesthetic pleasure to a loving owner. The body is the most expensive and most vulnerable part of the car. Since the bodies of passenger cars became frameless (bearing, that is, all other components and units are attached to them, and not to the frame, as in the past), it has also become the most important. Irresponsible behavior may require expensive body repairs.

Keeping it in decent condition for as long as possible is a simple task, but it requires a systematic approach and regular repetition of certain actions. For this you need:
- Carry out regular washing of the body at least once a week using special means
- Polish the body with cosmetic products selected according to the type of coating and its age
- Remove detected stains of technical liquids – fuel, oil, road bitumen, etc. – as soon as possible

In addition, if possible, try to eliminate any defects in the paint coating immediately. If the paint has "fired" somewhere, it is better to eliminate this defect immediately than to wait for corrosion to begin. Clean the area, carefully paint it, and polish it.

Bird droppings are the enemy of the body
Speaking about how to monitor the car properly, it is important to mention bird droppings. If left on the body for a long time, the droppings leave stains that cannot be removed. You can get rid of them only if you decide to repaint the body. In order not to face such financial losses, follow simple tips for car care:
- Remove droppings immediately
- Do not park the car under trees and power lines, on which birds often sit

Timely control of droppings will help eliminate the risks of stains that don’t wash off, allowing your car to retain its attractive appearance.

Be careful with sunlight
Sunlight also doesn’t add stability and long service life to the paintwork of the body. Long and regular exposure to the sun makes the cars of residents of the southern regions easily recognizable. However, in the middle lane and closer to the northern part, this is not so relevant.

If you have your own garage, this problem is not so significant. However, if it is not there, there are only two ways out:
- Parking cars in places with a strong shadow (for example, under visors or on the north side of high-rise buildings);
- Using the cover

Thanks to this, the paint on the car will not burn, and the varnish will not lick off, which will preserve the attractive appearance of the car. Moreover, you can consider car paint protection to prolong the color and shine of your car. 

How to take care of a car in winter?
The winter period creates a unique problem for car owners. Salt, sand, reagents on the roads, ice, hard chests of snow - all this can leave unattractive scratches on the body, and a focus of corrosion can start in the place of damage. To avoid these problems, it is essential to know how to take care of your car in winter. The tips here are pretty simple.

- Wax the car before the start of the winter season. Wax polish will protect the paint coating from minor scratches.
- Be careful when brushing snow. Their bristles are quite stiff and can scratch the varnish.
- Wipe the moisture from the door seals. If it freezes, it will be difficult to open the door.
- Use de-icing compounds for glass. If you don't have time to wait for the ice to melt while the car warms up, there's no need to peel it off. The defrosting composition will quickly remove the ice and keep the glass intact.

It is also important to know that corrosion processes on metal stop at temperatures of 14°F and below. Therefore, if there are any traces of salt or reagent on the car, you can postpone the washing for a while. But if it's warm, you must wash it as soon as possible.

Caring for headlights
Glass and headlights also lose their properties over time. It is best to refresh them with the hands of professionals. Polishing their surfaces requires skill and special care with appropriate tools. Often, it is not needed; with the normal operation of a car, it is enough to perform it once every 3-5 years.

Interior care
The interior and trunk should also experience normal wear and tear with normal use. With regular care—cleaning, vacuuming, wiping the interior panels of the dust that inevitably accumulates—it is easy to maintain decent condition.

Caring for seats depends on their finish. It is better to either pick up care products on the advice of car shop salespeople or entrust the cleaning of the seats to professionals at the car wash. Well, it is not needed as often as washing the body.

Rubbing the interior panels of the car to a shine using auto cosmetics is an amateur activity. At least one minus can be noted: the highly shiny front panel will disturb the driver with its glare on a sunny day and create an unnecessary danger.

Wash your hands after refueling
After filling up with fuel (especially diesel), don’t touch the steering wheel and gear lever without washing or at least wiping your hands if you feel that there are traces of fuel on them. Modern materials with which the steering wheel and gear shift lever are processed are not resistant to chemical influences. Therefore, after you have refueled, be sure to wash and dry your hands thoroughly.

A good habit for car owners is to use gloves when refueling the car yourself. In this case, the fuel will not get on the skin, which will not only save the interior of the car but also reduce risks for the skin of the hands.

Use covers for the steering wheel and gear lever
As we mentioned above, the original materials from which the steering wheel and the upper part of the gearbox lever are made are not resistant to chemical influences. However, they can be negatively affected not only by fuel but also by other pollutants, especially sweat.

To prevent this, it is recommended to use covers for the steering wheel and gear lever. The absence of direct contact will keep the material intact and without traces. The covers are easy to remove and wash, and while washing, you can wipe the steering wheel and lever simultaneously.

Car care contains many nuances. However, there are no complicated operations, and most actions can be performed independently. By taking care of the car, you will be able to keep it in excellent aesthetic and cosmetic condition even after years of operation.