So far we have covered a few
large scale tips to help preserve your car. While there are still many more
steps that can be taken to keep your car in tip-top shape, let's cover a few
smaller details that can sometimes be overlooked. As mentioned in our previous
article regarding auto cleanliness, the following tips follow the same theme.
1.
Preserve Door and Window Seals:
Reliable door and window seals are a must during the rainy
season. Additionally, a poor seal can also lead to noisy wind whistles during
driving. Maintaining door and window seals is an easily overlooked aspect of
maintaining our cars. Luckily seals are easy to preserve. Wipe a rubber
protectant (such as Armor-All) or silicone on the door and window
weatherstripping. Avoid using oil based products such as WD-40 because oil can
damage the rubber and worsen your problems. In particularly cold weather, well
preserved weatherstripping can help prevent the likelihood of your door
sticking to its rubber seal, a common cause of damage to the rubber.
2.
Don't Let Bad Weatherstripping Worsen
If bad weatherstripping is leaking water into the interior
of your car it is best to address the issue as soon as possible. Decided
whether you can fix a small leak with a brush-on seam sealer or the stripping
needs to be replaced. If there are loose sections in the door trim you can
re-secure them with trim adhesive. Torn or worn sections of weatherstripping
can be preserved with special calking and foam inserts found in automotive
stores. If you decide to replace the stripping be sure to buy stripping that is
shaped for the model of your car. For information on the proper
weatherstripping profile consult your dealership, website, or local automotive
store.
3.
Maintain Your Leather
While leather seats are quite durable and require little
maintenance throughout the years, they eventually collect dirt. When seats
become dry and soiled they can begin to crack and tear, and if this problem is
not addressed it can quickly lead to a slippery slope of deteriorating leather.
Use a leather cleaner to remove dirt and stains. Then, apply a leather
protectant formulated for leather car upholstery. Leather protectants and
sealers can make cleaning easier in the future. Furthermore, applying a leather
conditioner can help keep your leather soft.
4.
Maintain Your Upholstry
If your seats are a fabric upholstery you can use the
household upholstery cleaners. Use a clean cloth to wipe away foam and scrub
the fabric. Applying a fabric protectant, such as Scotchguard, will make seats
more resistant to dirt and stains and make them easier to clean in the long
run. Be sure to test your product in an inconspicuous area to be sure it does
not discolor your fabric.
5.
Place A Towel and Plastic Under Baby Seats
Let's face it, if you have children chances are car
upholstery and leather will get soiled. All manners of food and liquids can
accumulate under baby seats and permanently stain upholstery. Furthermore,
maintaining car seats may be the last thing on your mind at the end of the day.
Luckily, this can be avoided by simply placing a sheet of heavy plastic (e.g. a
garbage bag) and an absorbent towel under the seat first. Then when your
children graduate from college you might consider removing the protective
barrier to reveal a nice clean car seat.
Thanks for reading and check back shortly for more
automotive insight!
