Maintaining your vehicle is essential to keeping it running at top efficiency, and that in turn will help you be a safer driver. Remember: the best way to save money on car insurance in Calgary is to remain claims-free, and proper car care is an essential means to that end.
There are loads of simple ways to care for both the exterior and interior of your car. Most of these tips require a relatively low financial investment and a little regular attention that will pay dividends down the road. A well-maintained vehicle holds its value much better than a car that hasn’t been properly cared for.
Car Insurance Calgary: Maintaining Your Vehicle’s Exterior
To clean your vehicle’s exterior, it is recommended that you use a specially formulated product rather than a generic cleanser. Many household cleaning products, such as liquid dish detergent, may seem like a cost-effective alternative, but these can remove the wax polish from your paint. Avoid them. Instead, combine a car cleaning solution with the recommended amount of warm water in a clean bucket, as directed on the label of the cleaning product.
Here’s a quick and easy step-by-step guide to exterior car cleaning:
- Prepare your car cleaning solution in a bucket as directed by the label.
- Use a hose to spray off residual dirt and grime from the exterior of your car.
- Use a soft sponge to apply the cleaning solution from your car. Ensure the solution is environmentally-friendly and safe for our groundwater. Work from the roof down, cleaning one side of the car before rinsing with a hose, then repeating this process on the other side of the car.
- Don’t forget bumpers and license plates.
- Rinse the car thoroughly with the hose.
- Use a squeegee with an intact rubber edge to remove the rinsing water.
- Dry off the car with a clean chamois to prevent streaking.
If you don’t have a garden hose to use in the initial and final stages, fill a separate bucket with clean water and apply it with a separate sponge
You have several options to remove stains. If they are oil- or grease-based stains, you can use liquid dish detergent as a spot remover, but do not apply these cleansers over the body of the car. It may take several attempts to remove these stains. Alternately, and as a treatment for other types of stains, you can use a clay bar kit purchased from an auto maintenance retailer.
Car Insurance Calgary: Care for the Interior of Your Car
Caring for the interior of your car will inhibit depreciation and make your vehicle more comfortable for the driver and all passengers. Apart from vacuuming and keeping your dashboard free of dust, you may have to remove stains from the upholstery and interior finishes.
Here’s a quick guide to removing specific types of stains from upholstery:
- Liquid stains. Use paper towels or a dry, clean cloth to soak up as much of the liquid as you can. Then, use a foaming fabric cleaner or a specially formulated car upholstery cleaner, both of which you can purchase from auto care retailers. Start with small amounts of cleanser, then increase them as needed to get the stain out. Use a toothbrush to scrape them away; the bristles help dig into the fabric to vanquish stains.
- Food stains. Again, start by removing as much of the stain as possible before applying cleansers. Use a serrated knife or the edge of a spoon to lift away as much of the food as you can. Greasy food stains are best removed with a solvent-based product, while non-greasy stains can be lifted away with everyday hydrogen peroxide.
- Caring for leather upholstery. Leather upholstery is generally easier to care for, since it resists saturation. In most cases, a clean, damp cloth will lift away stains. Be sure to wipe the leather dry when you’re through. Failing that, visit your local auto care retailer to get a specially formulated leather upholstery cleaner.
In all cases, you should treat interior stains as quickly as possible. They’ll be much easier to remove before they’ve had a chance to set in.
Car Insurance Calgary: Trust Lane’s for Complete Coverage at Excellent Rates
Lane’s Insurance is an Alberta-based brokerage offering comprehensive resources and outstanding rates on all types of insurance products. Visit Lane’s online to get a fast, free quote for car insurance in Calgary, or contact a Lane’s customer service representative for personalized service.
