Last Updated on October 10, 2022 by Jason Nguyen
In this fast-paced world, everyone is trying to cut short expenses as much as possible. It’s because of the high competition for resources due to increased population, which is hyping inflation. Let’s face, to deal with these consequences; almost all of us have to be thrifty!
Owning and maintaining a car is not less expensive than getting a brand-new one. With high fuel prices and monthly car insurance expenditures, most people overlook spending amount on car maintenance.
Are you one of them? Don’t worry; understanding the circumstances each of us has to face to strive to live a happy and placid life, we are here to help you out with how you can care for your car while staying within budget. Let’s begin exploring!
Tips for Cost-Effective Car Maintenance
Here is how you can cost-effectively ensure your car care.
Start from Fixing Trifling Scrapes
Use a touch-up paint kit to fix the minor scratches of your car has. This is the easiest task, and you can do it on your own easily.
Follow Up with Washing the Car
The next step is to wash your car. No need for any special car cleaner; just mix a bit of hair conditioner in clean water, and your inexpensive car cleaner is ready! It has the same effect as any other renowned cleaner, leaves a shine on the vehicle, repels water, and seems like you have waxed your car. You can also opt for using an optimum no-rinse car wash.
Let’s Revamp the Car’s Luster!
Besides washing the car, some of the stains, like bird droppings, remain intact. To clear them, mostly bug or tar removers are used, but if you don’t want to spend money on them, get your hands on lubricant, degreaser, etc. Use a clean piece of cloth and gently rub on the tough stains to remove them.
Replace Windscreen Wipers
It’s optimal to replace windscreen wipers after every six months. However, this time period may also vary depending on how much you have used them. If they are damaged, make noise when moving, folks; it’s time to replace them!
Clean the Windows
Crumbled newspapers are the best options to clean your car’s glass windows with. These are the cheapest and most effective in wiping off all the dirt and leaving no streaks or marks.
It’s Time to Scrub the Interior Surface and Get Rid of That Irritating Smell
Now it’s time to clean the interior! Usually, gums and greases on the car’s fabric are really hard to remove, but with any cleanser, it becomes a bit easier.
The next step is getting rid of that irritating smell you feel when getting into the car. One of the easiest things you can do is mix up a herb with baking soda and spray it on your seat in the entire car. Let it stay overnight, and vacuum it afterward.
Dry Your Car, and That’s It!
Dry your car using a vacuum, and that’s it! You are done with washing your car and ensuring its ideal maintenance. Though this process is effective, it’s too time-consuming. Not everyone has enough space in their schedule to take 2-3 hours and follow the whole process mentioned above. However, we are here with a time-saving alternative that isn’t costly. Let’s get to know about it!
Self-Service Car-Wash – A Time-Saving Alternative!
A self service car wash is where you can wash your car, spending little and saving lots of money! It’s much time-saving than manually doing everything and following each step, mentioned above. What makes it more acceptable is its affordability.
Here we will make sure to help you learn how you can wash your car, focusing on minor details at the self-service car wash.
Park your Car and Set Settings
Park your car in the self-service car wash, hang the floor mats on the designated metal clips, add coins or credit cards into the machine, set the machine settings according to your requirements, and follow the steps below! If your car is filthy, it’s better to go with Pre-Soak settings; otherwise, the wash setting will be best to opt for.
Wash Your Car
Step back almost three to five feet and start washing your car. If you stand closer, there is the risk of car damage due to extreme water pressure. However, to ensure safety, keep a safe distance from the car.
When rinsing the entire car, ensure none of the areas are left. It’s suggested to take a complete lap around your car when holding the handle to release water with high pressure. Taking one lap with the Pre-Wash setting and the other with Wash settings is suggested to ensure none of the dirt and debris particle is left on the car surface.
Apply Soap and Rinse
Turn the machine dial from Washing to Soap and pull the handle to give off a soapy stream from the wand. It’s time to pay special attention to the dirtiest car parts. These include the cervices under the car doors and some other car parts.
Rinse your car mats first and let them dry until you are done with the rest of the car maintenance process. Thoroughly rinse the soapy foam on the entire car using the spray wand. If you want, you can bring your own sponge to rinse the car with soap. What you must not skip is flick the brush or sponge after every minute. Start rinsing from the car top and end up on the wheels, i.e., from top to down. For more effective car washing, use tire cleaners.
Wax Your Car
Want to revamp your car’s luster? You can do so if your self-service station has the option of wax setting. Waxing will leave a shiny protective layer over your car that’s beneficial in protecting against dirt and quick drying of the car after rain.
Wrap Up with Drying Your Car
It’s time to wrap up by drying your car. Use the air dry nozzle to do so and follow the same pattern you opted for washing the car, i.e., from top to bottom! If the self-service car wash doesn’t have a Drying facility, you can just wait for your car to air dry or manually dry it with a microfiber towel.
Wrapping Up
That was all about how you can thriftily maintain your car. Farm Food Family knows how each and every penny counts when you are supporting a family. This is the reason why we are here to help you out in finding ways for cutting short on expenditures involved in car maintenance.
