Car Care Tips - Spray Nine Canada

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Tips for a Longer Lasting Finish How to Clean the Inside of Your Car Keeping the Exterior of Your Car Clean Car Maintenance Checklist Car Care for All Seasons More Tips... Tips for a Longer Lasting Finish Avoid washing your car in direct sunlight. Before washing, rinse off as much dirt as possible . Clean tires first. Clean wheels to get rid of brake dust and road salt corrosion. Us only automotive approved products. Do not use household soaps or detergents on your finish. Don't place grocery bags, luggage or other objects on the car top or trunk. Wash your car, after driving in salty conditions, to prevent corrosion, fading and rust. Get a complete detail once a year. Do not "dry wipe" your car as it may cause scratching. To avoid extreme heat and cold, park your car in the shade or a garage. Avoid gravel roads which can cause chipping in the first 30 days. Do not park under trees because they can drip sap onto your car. Immediately rinse gasoline, oil, anti-freeze, transmission fluid and windshield solvent spills off your finish, but do not wipe. [back to top] How to Clean the Inside of Your Car Avoid spraying directly onto the dash - apply protectant with a rag. Use a vinyl protectant regularly to prevent fading and cracking. Re-apply vinyl protectant regularly to prevent drying and cracking. Vacuum regularly to remove dirt, salt, leaves and other items that can damage carpets and mats. Leather interiors should be cleaned with products that are designed to penetrate the porous material. Use only upholstery cleaners that are designed for cars. Household cleaners can damage the interior fabric. [back to top] Keeping the Exterior of Your Car Clean Remove leaves from your car as soon as possible to prevent the release of acid that can permanently stain your finish. Avoid brush-style car washes as they cause dirt to scratch the car's finish. Use the lowest setting in do-it-yourself car washes to avoid "blasting" grit into the car's finish. Wash in straight lines with overlapping strokes to reduce the standing water you need to dry off. Be sure to wash the inside bottom edge of doors, lift gate, hood and trunk to eliminate the trapped dirt and moisture that can cause premature rusting. Never wax your car in direct sunlight to prevent the surface temperature of your car from causing the chemicals in the wax to damage your finish. Look for car wax which contains imported vegetable wax, which is safe for your car's finish. Avoid waxes that promise to remove dirt, oxidized paint or scratches as they are not pure wax and can actually remove paint from your vehicle. Do not "polish" light scratches as new car finishes have a clear coat finish that can be damaged. Mask off all textured moldings and bumper parts before rubbing on wax to avoid discoloring or other damage. Rinse off dirt prior to washing to prevent scratching from rubbing it into the surface. Rinse dirt from moving parts, such as suspension components. [back to top] Car Maintenance Checklist Follow manufacturer's recommendations for oil and filter changes--typically every 3,000 to 4,000 miles. Replace engine oil, transmission fluid and fuel filters on a periodic basis. Schedule periodic engine tune-ups to keep car running smoothly. Take car to a technician at the first sign of trouble to avoid causing more costly damage. Vacuum out air cleaner housing and wipe with a damp rag before installing new air filter to keep dirt out of engine and maximize filter life. Check battery fluid regularly--especially if your battery is more than two years old. Periodically check tension on drive belts to ensure they do not give more than half an inch. Lubricate door hinges, door latches and hood hinges periodically. Have tires rotated and balanced at least every 10,000 miles. Check tire inflation once a month to maximize fuel efficiency and avoid accidents from under inflated tires. Follow manufacturer's recommendations for coolant flush schedules. Old coolant can cause expensive, internal corrosion around the water pump, time cover and thermostat housing bolts. [back to top] Car Care for All Seasons Use fresh air, instead of recirculated, to keep your windows from fogging. Be sure to check your tire pressure regularly as tires deflate one pound of pressure for every 10 degrees the temperature drops. Run your air conditioner once a month to keep it in proper running order. Check battery monthly as cold weather can cause it to lose its charge more quickly. Check antifreeze regularly. Have ignition system checked yearly by a trained technician--including batteries and spark plug wires--to avoid hard starting, misfire during acceleration and reduced gas mileage. Have your cooling system checked once a year. When needed, flush, drain and replace antifreeze. Flush dirt, bugs and leaves from the front of your radiator with a brush and garden hose to prevent cooling system problems. Check battery weekly in hot weather and daily on long trips. Click here for more car care tips at BCAA... [back to top]

Car Care Tips

Tips for a Longer Lasting Finish
How to Clean the Inside of Your Car
Keeping the Exterior of Your Car Clean
Car Maintenance Checklist
Car Care for All Seasons
More Tips...

Tips for a Longer Lasting Finish

Avoid washing your car in direct sunlight.
Before washing, rinse off as much dirt as possible .
Clean tires first.
Clean wheels to get rid of brake dust and road salt corrosion.
Us only automotive approved products. Do not use household soaps or detergents on your finish.
Don't place grocery bags, luggage or other objects on the car top or trunk.
Wash your car, after driving in salty conditions, to prevent corrosion, fading and rust.
Get a complete detail once a year.
Do not "dry wipe" your car as it may cause scratching.
To avoid extreme heat and cold, park your car in the shade or a garage.
Avoid gravel roads which can cause chipping in the first 30 days.
Do not park under trees because they can drip sap onto your car.
Immediately rinse gasoline, oil, anti-freeze, transmission fluid and windshield solvent spills off your finish, but do not wipe.

[back to top]

How to Clean the Inside of Your Car

Avoid spraying directly onto the dash - apply protectant with a rag.
Use a vinyl protectant regularly to prevent fading and cracking.
Re-apply vinyl protectant regularly to prevent drying and cracking.
Vacuum regularly to remove dirt, salt, leaves and other items that can damage carpets and mats.
Leather interiors should be cleaned with products that are designed to penetrate the porous material.
Use only upholstery cleaners that are designed for cars. Household cleaners can damage the interior fabric.

[back to top]

Keeping the Exterior of Your Car Clean

Remove leaves from your car as soon as possible to prevent the release of acid that can permanently stain your finish.
Avoid brush-style car washes as they cause dirt to scratch the car's finish.
Use the lowest setting in do-it-yourself car washes to avoid "blasting" grit into the car's finish.
Wash in straight lines with overlapping strokes to reduce the standing water you need to dry off.
Be sure to wash the inside bottom edge of doors, lift gate, hood and trunk to eliminate the trapped dirt and moisture that can cause premature rusting.
Never wax your car in direct sunlight to prevent the surface temperature of your car from causing the chemicals in the wax to damage your finish.
Look for car wax which contains imported vegetable wax, which is safe for your car's finish.
Avoid waxes that promise to remove dirt, oxidized paint or scratches as they are not pure wax and can actually remove paint from your vehicle.
Do not "polish" light scratches as new car finishes have a clear coat finish that can be damaged.
Mask off all textured moldings and bumper parts before rubbing on wax to avoid discoloring or other damage.
Rinse off dirt prior to washing to prevent scratching from rubbing it into the surface.
Rinse dirt from moving parts, such as suspension components.

[back to top]

Car Maintenance Checklist

Follow manufacturer's recommendations for oil and filter changes--typically every 3,000 to 4,000 miles.
Replace engine oil, transmission fluid and fuel filters on a periodic basis.
Schedule periodic engine tune-ups to keep car running smoothly.
Take car to a technician at the first sign of trouble to avoid causing more costly damage.
Vacuum out air cleaner housing and wipe with a damp rag before installing new air filter to keep dirt out of engine and maximize filter life.
Check battery fluid regularly--especially if your battery is more than two years old.
Periodically check tension on drive belts to ensure they do not give more than half an inch.
Lubricate door hinges, door latches and hood hinges periodically.
Have tires rotated and balanced at least every 10,000 miles.
Check tire inflation once a month to maximize fuel efficiency and avoid accidents from under inflated tires.
Follow manufacturer's recommendations for coolant flush schedules. Old coolant can cause expensive, internal corrosion around the water pump, time cover and thermostat housing bolts.

[back to top]

Car Care for All Seasons

Use fresh air, instead of recirculated, to keep your windows from fogging.
Be sure to check your tire pressure regularly as tires deflate one pound of pressure for every 10 degrees the temperature drops.
Run your air conditioner once a month to keep it in proper running order.
Check battery monthly as cold weather can cause it to lose its charge more quickly.
Check antifreeze regularly.
Have ignition system checked yearly by a trained technician--including batteries and spark plug wires--to avoid hard starting, misfire during acceleration and reduced gas mileage.
Have your cooling system checked once a year.
When needed, flush, drain and replace antifreeze.
Flush dirt, bugs and leaves from the front of your radiator with a brush and garden hose to prevent cooling system problems.
Check battery weekly in hot weather and daily on long trips.

Click here for more car care tips at BCAA...

[back to top]