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The importance of washing your car is often overlooked by routine mechanical maintenance. If you want to sell your car with ease someday, then washing your car’s exterior and interior is essential to protecting your second biggest asset. Just as the curb appeal is crucial to selling your house, so is the exterior appeal to your car. Sure, some people might be looking for a good deal by getting a well-maintained car that looks like a piece of junk. But many of us want to feel good when we step into a car. We don’t want coffee stains everywhere and chipped paint on every part of the car’s body. Washing your car’s interior and exterior will help you maximize the resale value of your car along with making it more marketable to potential buyers. MSN Auto has a great article about the proper way to wash and wax your car.

The most important thing to consider when washing your car is what soap you use. Dish soap and other household cleaners can be very abrasive and should not be used to wash a car. These soaps can strip a car’s wax and potentially scratch the clearcoat of the car. There are numerous options for a car washing soap, but you can usually spend $8 - 10 and get a gallon of quality car washing soap at your local automotive store or a place like Wal-Mart or Target. Also, always remember to use a non-abrasive brush or sponge when washing your car. You can use a rough scrubbing brush for the wheels, but make sure that you never use them for getting out tough grime on your car’s body. It’s also important to use a soft terry-cloth type towel to dry your car. This will prevent from scratching and swirling marks on the clear coat of your car.

Here are a couple of quick tips to remember when washing your car’s exterior and interior:

1. You should try to wash your car once a week if you drive it regularly
2. Waxing your car 3 to 4 times a year is recommended to help protect your paint from fading and chipping
3. Armor-All will help prevent cracking of your dashboard. Armor-All your interior regularly, especially if your interior is a dark color.
4. Use a 50/50 mixture of water and fabric cleaner to remove tough stains from interior cloth. Use special leather cleaners for stains to leather.

Author: Anthony Fontanelle

Of 87 models evaluated, 21 received the highest rating, according to results released Tuesday by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

Fifty-four vehicles, or 62 percent, flunked the test, which gauges how well the head and neck restraints prevent whiplash when the vehicle is hit from behind.

The Institute evaluated current vehicle models based on the geometric measurements of the head restraints and their performance in a crash simulation sled. Fifty-four of the vehicles were rated marginal or poor, the two lowest rankings, while a dozen received the second-highest score of acceptable. Twenty-one received the best rating of good.

“Any given day, you’re more likely to need a good head restraint to protect you from a neck injury than you are an air bag to protect you in a head-on crash,” said David S. Zuby, the senior vice president of the Institute’s Vehicle Research Center.

“People don’t think too much about the fender benders that can result in neck pain for weeks or even months after the crash.”

Head restraints in several passenger vehicles provided marginal or poor protection against neck injuries, the Institute reported Thursday. Only 22 of 75 vehicles tested in a simulated rear crash at 20 mph received the top score of good from the Institute.

Overall, reported The Early Show consumer correspondent Susan Koeppen, 60 percent of cars tested fall short of giving you the protection you need. Almost two out of three models were rated marginal or poor. Neck injuries are the most common injuries reported in car crashes, she added.

to be con’t…

About the author:
Anthony Fontanelle is a 35-year-old automotive buff who grew up in the Windy City. He does freelance work for an automotive magazine when he is not busy customizing cars in his shop.

“Great works are performed not by strength, but by perseverance.”

~Samuel Johnson