Car maintenance and why it matters

Taking care of and maintaining your car is the most important factor in ensuring a long and healthy life.

Some repairs to your car are unavoidable as it ages due to normal wear and tears. However, with proper care and maintenance of your car, many repairs can be minimized or even eliminated.

Car maintenance and why it matters

Caring and maintaining your car

The outer body of your car is attacked daily by many contaminants such as insect debris, dust, and chemicals from the road surface.

These contaminants can be corrosive to your car's paint, and by leaving your car unwashed for a long time, they will begin to break down the clear protective layer of your paint.

Left unchecked, these areas can become susceptible to both discoloration and corrosion.

By washing your car's exterior regularly, you stop the buildup of these contaminants in your car's paintwork, helping it stay stain and corrosion-free. Rust and corrosion aren't as common a problem as they used to be, but they can still affect your car, so it's important to keep your car's paint job to a high standard.

Some car manufacturers offer additional rust protection on new vehicles, and this is an option you may want to investigate further.

Interior cleaning

• It is also important to maintain and take care of the interior of your car. 
• Dust can contain sand and chemicals that can eat away at surfaces inside your car.
• As with your car's exterior, with regular cleaning you can stop the buildup of dust, helping your car's interior stay in pristine condition.
• Regularly vacuuming the footrests and seats will prevent dust accumulation. 
• Dust will also accumulate in areas like the dashboard, but can be easily cleaned with warm soapy water and a cloth.
• If your vehicle has leather upholstery, be sure to treat the leather regularly to maintain its condition.

Under body cleaning and protection

It's also important to clean the underside of your car, as this is where most contaminants collect, primarily sand and road salt.

The underside of your car can easily go unnoticed when cleaning, but it's important to remember to clean this area. There are several cleaning tools on the market to help you get the job done, such as lances that you can attach to your hose and slide under your car to clean underneath.

There are also specific cleaning formulas for the underside of your car that help break down contaminants and dirt. New cars come with a bottom seal applied to the bottom that will last for several months. There are several sealants that you can buy and apply to the underside of your car that can help stop the buildup of contaminants.

Cleaning the underside of your car isn't necessary as often as cleaning the exterior of your car, but it's important to make it part of your car's care and maintenance routine.

Engine cleaning

Cleaning your car's engine might seem like a daunting idea, but with the right materials and the right preparation, it can be a worthwhile task.

By cleaning your engine regularly, you can ensure that it doesn't build up grease and debris, which can lead to problems like corrosion, which in turn can lead to expensive repair bills. There are several cleaning products available to clean your engine, and it is important to ensure that you have thoroughly researched how to prepare and clean your car's engine.

Your car's engine contains several components that water should not touch or enter, so you must take the time and research carefully how to prepare it and how to perform an engine flush.