Quite often, we fail to provide our car with love and care it deserves.
You drive your car around, exposing it to dirt and dust. Your vehicle begins to feel like a trash disposal site inside with all the empty bottles, cans, leftover takeaway you ate and forgot to throw away.
Mystery smells and stains greet you each time you get in, sound familiar yet?
Car TLC easily makes the bottom of the “To-Do” list over and over, but with time it starts to wear your car down because of this lack of care and maintenance.
Yes, you’re not alone. One can’t deny neglecting their car’s maintenance at some point.
Ignoring your car’s interior and exterior can be quite unsightly for you and any passengers who witness the sad state your car is in.
Here’s what you can do at your yourself to liven up your depressed and neglected car and bring it back in top condition.
Give your good old pal some Car TLC [Tender Loving Care].
What’s TLC Mean In A Car?
Have you wondered what TLC means when talking about your car? TLC means “Tender Loving Care” when talking about your car. This can include general maintenance, regularly cleaning and repairing any damage before it causes other issues.
INTERIOR TLC FOR YOUR CAR
TIDY UP
Start cleaning up the mess you’ve made inside your car. Sort out the valuables or your personal belongings from the trash that will go straight to the bin. What do you know? You might even find something that you thought you’ve lost and forgot about lying somewhere in the car.
DASHBOARD AND CONSOLE
Wipe your console using a rag with an interior car cleaner. Make sure that you wipe down every neglected place; the gear stick, hand brake, and steering wheel.
In case you are worried that you may end up harming your console, you can use an old toothbrush, which works fine.
WIPE EVERY CORNER OF YOUR WINDOWS
Get a cloth, put some window cleaner in it and start wiping your interior windows.
This is my top TLC car go to, as I hate sun glare from a dirty interior window.
Remember to clean every side of the window, especially in places where you usually don’t notice.
VACUUM YOUR CAR
Take out all the car mats and start vacuuming your car. Vacuum the inside and make sure you get the dirt off from every side and edges.
Place car mats on the ground and vacuum them, if quite dirty they could use with a wash and scrub too before returning to the car.
You might notice that your car has more dust in it that you think it does.
SEATS
For cloth seats you’ll want some fabric cleaner and a brush to scrub up the dirt your seats have gathered. Autoblog has a great video on How to clean cloth seats in a car.
Get some leather cleaning compound, put in a piece of cloth, and start to wipe and gently massage the seats. Let the leather dry, and then apply some leather conditioner to restore its flexibility in the fibers.
A clean seat means a better mood for passengers, so why not go the extra mile.
AIR FRESHENER
Spray your car with an air freshener to remove any lingering smell or odor in your vehicle. Your car needs a little bit of it once in a while.
It will be even better if you install a car freshener at the front of your car.
EXTERIOR TLC FOR YOUR CAR
WASH YOUR CAR
Before you start, make sure that your car is left to cool down in the shade. Washing your car in its hot state can cause the water to dry too fast, making it difficult to clean and could leave behind watermarks.
Check out Top Gears car wash Do’s & Don’ts to avoid doing unknown damage, like you shouldn’t being using a sponge anymore!
Rinse properly with soapy water in every section of the car without neglecting the rims and the window panes as well.
Make sure EVERYTHING dries, even under the hood!
WAX YOUR CAR
Make sure that when you are waxing your car, you are doing it in a back and forth motion. Avoid a circular motion as it will leave marks on your vehicle.
First, use a clay bar lubricant to smoothen up any rough surfaces and use wax after.
LOOK FOR DENTS/BUMPS
Your car might have been through some accidents sometimes. Wax cannot fix bumps, but a good panel beater can.
Take your car out for a panel beating and spray painting and give it back its youthful appearance once again.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF GIVING YOUR CAR TLC?
If you take care of your car, there is a fair return for you as well, the biggest one being TIME.
The better care you take of your car, the longer it will run smooth and faithful.
There’s more general benefits by giving your car TLC as well:
> YOUR CAR WILL LESS LIKELY BREAKDOWN
If you maintain your car and give it proper care, there are fewer chances of your vehicle breaking down than compared to a vehicle that does not receive TLC.
> IT WILL RUN BETTER
If you give your car the TLC it needs, it will run better. You won’t have to worry about your vehicle being noisy and worn out.
> YOU’LL BE SAFER
Making sure that your brakes are working fine will keep you safer. Accidents may sometimes be caused by worn-out brakes or low brake fluid. Giving your car TLC might just save your life in ways you don’t know.
> BETTER FUEL LONGEVITY
Making sure your engine is running at top speed will produce results in your fuel lasting much longer. It will help save you tons of money at the pump.
> SAVE MONEY & TIME
You wouldn’t want to spend tons of money on a car repair that you could have fixed yourself if you had maintained your car. Giving your car TLC will save you from spending needless cash and save your time as well.
HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU GIVE YOUR CAR TLC?
Over time, your car will wear down, which is why you need to run a regular maintenance run and give your car TLC.
If you neglect your car and let things build-up, it can ruin your vehicle in no time and you will be left with either expensive repairs, or be in the market for a new car.
A little bit of maintenance might just save you from spending a fortune on your vehicle.
Make sure to show love to the interior and the exterior on a fairly regular schedule and your car can be in its top condition always.
Maintaining a consequent and regular TLC on your vehicle is truly beneficial for your car and your wallet.
And let’s be honest, when a person loves their car, it is seen in the condition in which their car is in.
Make sure that your car is in the best condition at all times cause, in the end, you’re doing yourself a huge favor.
Save for Later !
