A few useful tips

Every now and then when you are cleaning your car you come across things that drive you mad and wish you could avoid next time you clean.

Tar
Tar is a real pain and can take some heavy duty chemicals to remove.  Next time you are cleaning the car try wiping a little mayonnaise on the tar and leaving it for 5 or so minutes then wiping it off with  a clean cloth.I have seen this work!  Mind you it probably does not say much for what is in mayonnaise!

Brake Dust
Every time you brake you get a fine layer of dust on your wheels each time.  Next time you have cleaned the wheels on your car try spraying   little cooking oil on the rims. This should make cleaning the rims next time a whole lot easier. You could also try cleaning the rims with baby oli - I am told this works as well - just do not use too much.

Old Stickers
Is it about time you got those old "ban the bomb" stickers off your bumpers?  Try soaking them in vinegar for about 15 minutes then use either a plastic razor blade (available from car detailing shops) or an old credit card to scrap off the sticker.  Use vinegar to get rid of any excess glue.

Dirty Wipers
While we are talking about vinegar - use some white vinegar to wipe down your wiper blades. This will often get rid of any dirt and save you having to replace them.

Windows
Clean your windows using balled up newspaper.  This is an old home cleaning tip and lets you clean the windows without streaking.

Spring is sprung

Spring is well and truly upon us so now is a great time to think of giving your car a spring clean.

This is a bit like spring cleaning your home - the idea is to get rid of any clutter that has built up over winter but also a good time to set the car up for summer and care free motoring.

Here are a few areas you could be looking at over the next few weeks:

The boot.
Clear out any rubbish. Check your spare tyre and make sure it has plenty of tread and is properly inflated.  Vacuum then wash the carpets/mats. Wipe down sides and anywhere dust has built up.

Think about putting a bag of sand in the boot - this can give you a bit more traction but could also be useful if you ever get stuck.

Also check the space under the spare tire for water. If the seals are letting water in now is a good time to find out.  Get rid of the water and check the seals. Often the problem is that the seals are not properly seated.  If they are damaged replace them.  Clean around the seals and the metal around them

Inside the car.
Clear out the rubbish.  Be brutal - if you do not need it in the car wither through it out or put it in the garage.  If you have  afew things you like to carry around think of putting plastic storage box in the boot - this is a great way of keeping the car tidy and all the bits & pieces in one place.

Wipe down all the inside surfaces getting rid of any dirt & dust.  Then vacuum the whole of the interior starting from the top (be careful of the hood lining - sometimes it is better to just brush this.

Dress dash and any plastic but do not do pedals or outside of steering wheel.

Clean and polish the inside windows, mirrors and displays.

Outside.

Thoroughly wash & dry the car paying special attention to all the crevices and corners.  use a toothbrush to get rid of dirt in these areas.

Hand wax the outside.

Polish windows

Make sure you also clean door wells and check all seals when you do so. Keeping these clean and clear of grit goes a long way to ensuring they work well and last.

Check your tires - make sure there is plenty of tread and check pressure.  Check for nicks and cuts in the tire walls.  Rotate your tires making sure you include the spare tyre in the rotation.

All sound like too much trouble?  Then call us at SelectValet and get us to come in and do an executive clean.  The car will get thoroughly cleaned all at once and will look fantastic.

Enjoy the fine weather....when it eventually gets here!
 

Winter car cleaning

Looks like winter if really here - with the rain and the cold.  So now is  a great time to have  a look at a few things around the car in terms of cleaning to make sure it is at it's best through winter.

1. If you haven't already done so now is  a good time to thoroughly clean the outsid eof the car and give it a good wax.  The wax will help to protect the paint against the dirt thrown up off wet roads.  Also look carefully at all the joins and corners around the body. This is often where dirt builds up and mold grows. Use a tooth brush or  a denture brush to get into these areas and remove all debris.
2. Clean all the window thoroughly and make sure the windscreen washer is topped up with a good quality detergent. At the same time look at the wiper blades - get them changed if there is any wear.  You are going to be driving in rain with other cars throwing up dirt onto your windscreen - you need to be able to get rid of this quickly.
3. Check the seals around doors and boot.  Give them a good clean and make sure they are seated properly.  This is where the water can get in and often the first indicator you will get is a musty smell in the car. It ids really easy for boot seals to the knocked out of the way when you are loading something into the boot and you will not necessarily notice....until you see the water.

There you have 3 simple things to look at.

If the paint looks a bit weather beaten you may need to do a cut & polish or get someone like www.selectvalet.co.nz to come in and do a full machine cut and polish.

Enjoy your winter motoring.

Mobile car grooming

Welcome to the SelectValet blog.

Our business is based on a mobile waterless car cleaning system we use to clean vehicles wherever they are - we bring everything with us from power to cloths.  What's more, we can clean your vehicle without anything touching the ground.

That's us - have  a look at our website if you want to look at booking  a job - www.selectvalet.co.nz

However this blog is going to be aimed at how you can keep you vehicle in the best possible shape. We will pass on some tips to cleaning and for maintaining your vehicle.  We will also cover some of the problems we come across  -from spilled milk to broken glass.

As an overall comment we suggest that you clean your vehicle on a regular basis.  Modern paint systems are best kept clean and driving  a clean vehicle can lift your spirits.

We also find that a little bit often makes the job much easier. How often you do this is up to you - we suggest a basic clean ever 3 - 4 weeks keeps you on top of things and makes the cleaning easier.

In future blogs we will cover some of the other grooming tasks you should cover from time to time.