Caring For Your Vehicle’s Interior

The cleanliness of your vehicle’s interior is as important as its exterior. A well kept interior adds quality to your driving ability and provides the ultimate in comfort and safety. Cleansing the exterior can be as simple as an easy trip through the car wash or hand-applying car wash, wax, detailer, and other car exterior cleaning products. The interior of your automobile is a different story because if you would like to keep it clean, you really need to work at it. Here are some ideas from CARSTAR Arnold in Arnold, Missouri for keeping your vehicle’s interior clean and neat.

Vacuuming

The vacuum might just be the single best tool for keeping your car’s interior clean and sanitized. It's not only an effective way to remove the dirt and debris from under your floor mats to the surface of your seats, it is a fantastic way to get rid of the filth that has accumulated in all the various nooks and crannies of your vehicle. For ideal results, get in there with a high-powered vacuum which has a hose and attachments so you can clean out each crack. A coin operated vacuum at a car wash is a good place to begin. A quick note about vacuuming car floor mats: take them out from the car and shake them out to get rid of surplus dirt before vacuuming.

Fabric Upholstery

While a vacuum cleaner does a great job of removing dirt in the carpeting, floor mats, and seats, sometimes these spots need some extra TLC. After all, grime can frequently get ground into the upholstery leading to discoloration that remains even once you run the vacuum. Beat those blemishes by using a carpet and upholstery cleaner. These cleaning solutions are specially formulated to deep clean your seats and carpets without saturating them with moisture. You'll want to stay away from significant amounts of moisture as this actually promotes mold growth). For rubber floor mats, a good power wash will get the dirt, sludge, and grossness out of your vehicle.

Leather Upholstery

If your car or truck has leather seating, try to keep them looking their best because stained, ripped, and/or cracked seats, aside from being unappealing, might also hurt the resale value of your automobile. A vacuum can, and should, be employed to remove the surface dirt on any sort of seat. For a much deeper clean, a special leather cleaner ought to be used on leather seats (followed by a leather conditioner to protect them).

Dashboard

While you might not notice it all that frequently because you are busy looking at the road when you drive around Arnold, Oakville, Imperial, or Jefferson County, MO, the dashboard can gather its fair share of grit and dust. In addition to vacuum-cleaning, using a microfiber dust cloth on the dashboard is a fantastic way to get it looking great again. Once it’s been cleaned, utilizing a protectant on the dashboard can help you to stop fading, cracking, and peeling. These protectants also aid in retaining the color of your interior against the sun and its ultra violet rays. The steering wheel counts as a part of the dashboard so you ought to put some protectant thereon too. If you have passed the point of no return as it pertains to fading, cracking, and peeling dash, seats, or steering wheel, it might make sense to get a dash cover, steering wheel cover, or seat cover.

Windows

The windows of your car are possibly the most crucial part of your interior to keep clean. After all, clean windows make for better visibility. Eliminating all the smudges, fingerprints, and even paw prints – if you have an animal who often rides along with you – will allow you to see much better while making your car simply look nice. Some glass cleaners even offer a water repellent formula that beads and wisps away water, enabling better visibility. Just make sure you utilize something that won’t leave behind streaks. Newspaper can come in handy in this case. It is important to know that some glass cleaners do not work well with tinted windows and can also harm the heating elements that de-frost and de-fog your windshield. Household glass cleaners contain ammonia, which over time will break down the heating element on your auto glass making your windshield defrosters ineffective.

Trunk

You may be thinking, the trunk? What does it make a difference if the trunk is dirty? Nobody sits in there. From an absolutely aesthetic point of view, having a dirty trunk is not a problem. Nevertheless, did you know that having a messy trunk may affect your vehicle’s gas mileage? Keeping items in there when you are driving all around Arnold, Missouri can add weight to your vehicle, which causes the engine to work harder when you drive, hence burning up more fuel. If you do not absolutely have to carry something around in your trunk on a certain day, it ought to be empty. Your pocketbook will thank you. Obviously we understand that there are situations where trunk storage is required. When this takes place, CARSTAR Arnold advocates keeping your vehicle’s trunk organized, granting you quick access to the items you need.

Organize

Now that you are squeaky clean, ensure that your car is orderly. Organizing your vehicle keeps out the clutter, making interior upkeep much easier. Car organization items are designed with function in mind and are best for those of us who bring items with us while traveling. If you store items in your trunk, a trunk organizer might be the best option for you. Items like visor organizers, dash caddies, and seat organizers keep the mess from exploding while enabling you to simply and efficiently vacuum up debris.

If you've got any other questions on car maintenance, auto body repair, or driving safety, come to CARSTAR Arnold in Arnold, MO and we’d be glad to help get you back on the right track.

Emergency Numbers You Want To Have On The Road

These days, you can keep basically all of your computer information on your cellular phone – from all your music collection to the latest dog-riding-a-skateboard video. You can also utilize your smart phone as a safety net in case there is an emergency. Because CARSTAR Arnold in Arnold, Missouri is concerned about your safety on the road, we'd like for you to take five minutes right this moment to tap these crucial numbers into your contact list so you'll be ready if something happens.

ICE − This number, which is short for "in case of emergency," ought to be your emergency contact – a parent, spouse, close friend or anyone who you want alerted if something happens to you. Many emergency responders and hospital personnel know to look for this number.

Home − Your home phone number, if you've got one. If somebody locates your misplaced mobile phone, he or she can call this number to tell you your phone is intact. Emergency personnel may also try it as an alternative number if there's no answer at the ICE number if you are in a car wreck.

Police − Should you have an emergency or witness somebody else who needs help, you can notify your local police station about the problem more rapidly if you already have the number stored in your phone.

State Highway Patrol − Notice a motorist marooned by the side of the road? Be a Good Samaritan and contact the state highway patrol for assistance.

Auto Body Shop − If you require auto body collision repair, it is best to have a shop picked out ahead of the fact. Take the time to research auto body shops and find the one that you wish to use. If you are living in Arnold, Oakville, Imperial, Festus, or St. Louis, MO, think about choosing CARSTAR Arnold.

A Remark About 911 and Cellphones

While technology continues to improve, many wireless cell phones do not offer a way to ascertain a caller's location. If you call 911 in an emergency, be sure to mention your location, your telephone number, and what has taken place.

CARSTAR Arnold in Arnold, Missouri hopes that you'll keep these tips in mind as you get ready for the next time you are driving. If you've got any questions regarding driving safety, auto body repair, or collision repair services, check out their website today to get more information.