Fall Car Care Protect Your Car’ s Carpet
with Your Tire Headquarters for over 30 years
2C Monday, October 3, 2016
Fall Car Care Protect Your Car’ s Carpet
Adamaged interior can greatly reduce the value of your vehicle, and your carpet can take the brunt of the abuse. There are several ways to protect it from life’ s inevitable messes. Muddy feet, young children and spills are just a few hazards that may damage your carpet. Vehicle after-market retailers offer many kinds of protection for your vehicle’ s carpet.
Floor Mats
Many companies offer laser-cut floor mats that are intended to fit your specific vehicle. Using a universal floor mat may provide some protection, but a custom-fit mat will cover practically every inch of your carpet, from door to door and footwell to trunk.
Look for all-weather floor mats. Made of a durable material and designed with high side walls, they will contain water, mud and other hazards that are bound to make it into your vehicle.
Removing Stains
The key to eradicating any stain is to
attack it as soon as possible. This isn’ t always feasible if you’ re in a vehicle. Luckily, with a little elbow grease and helpful products, you can usually take care of it later.
Pick a carpet cleaner that you feel confident will remove your stain. Then find a good brush.( One with soft-bristles will work best.) Apply the solution and allow it to soak into your carpet for about 10 minutes before working your brush in a circular motion. Allowing the cleaner to soak will help break down the stain and make brushing it out much easier.
Avoiding Stains
While it’ s not always possible to avoid stains, there are several different ways to prevent them.
If you have small children, it’ s a good idea to ban eating or drinking on short rides. If snacks and drinks are required for longer rides, buy spill-proof cups. These containers are good at preventing spills that may wind up in your carpet.
Be aware of the weather conditions. If you’ re expecting rain, plan to park in areas that avoid having to get your shoes wet or muddy. With some ground rules and a little preparation, you can ensure your carpet stays in great shape.
Touch Up Your Paint Job
You have likely incurred one or several scratches or dings on your vehicle. Imperfections come with daily driving and are oftentimes unavoidable. An overloaded semi-truck or trailer can chew up the highway and spit out fragments that eat up your paint job if you’ re following too closely.
Luckily, there are many different ways to fix up the inevitable flaws to your vehicle’ s paint job. There are a few different factors to consider before deciding how to go about repairing your dings and scratches.
Choosing the Right Color
Touch-up paint is your best friend if you only have small scratches or dings to correct. A bottle of touch-up paint is relatively inexpensive and can be applied at home. Before purchasing a bottle of paint, it is crucial to find the correct paint code for your vehicle.
Look for this code on the tag located in the door jamb. This will tell your dealer or local parts store which paint you need. Even a plain white car will have a unique blend of colors( and code) to obtain the exact hue of white. Buying the paint from the dealer will ensure the best match.
Getting Help
from a Professional
Your dealership or local body shop has likely seen the exact kind of damage you are experiencing with your paint job. If the damage seems too overwhelming to fix yourself, take it to a local professional. There, they can recommend the best remedy for your problem.
It may cost a little more than a do-it-yourself job, but the end result will be more than worth the frustration and special tools you may need to attain your vehicle’ s original perfection.
Choosing the Right Style of Paint
Chances are, if you’ re driving a car that was manufactured since 1985, your vehicle uses a clear coat. A clear coat works as a protective layer to the initial coat of color.
It is a UV protector and makes it easier to temporarily repair individual areas of a vehicle’ s body.
If you’ re restoring a classic and want to keep it original, go with a single-stage paint. A single-stage paint is generally easier to permanently repair because you can usually correct heavily damaged areas without painting the entire affected piece of the body.
To Wax or Not to Wax?
Waxing your vehicle not only gives it a“ like new” shine but also will protect your paint job. While it might be monotonous, waxing is an important part of your vehicle’ s cosmetic maintenance. Today’ s vehicles use a clear coat to protect the original paint job. Think of wax as an extra layer of clear coat that you are able to apply yourself. It’ s a good idea to wax, because if the initial clear coat fails, your paint has no protection.
Benefits of Waxing
A quality wax job leaves your vehicle shining and gives it an attractive appearance. The shine is caused by the wax reflecting the sunlight. This gives it that showroom shine and also reduces sun damage to your paint.
Using wax regularly keeps dirt from sticking to the surface of your vehicle, making it easier to clean and less likely to obtain scratches left from dirt.
Best Wax for You
When spray wax hit the market several years ago, car enthusiasts and professionals didn’ t take it seriously. However, today’ s spray wax is comparable to most traditional waxes that have been used for decades.
You are likely to get the similar results from either type of wax. The traditional wax requires more time but may help you catch small problem spots that you would miss by using a quick spray.
How and When to Wax
When it comes to how often to wax your vehicle, many experts recommend doing it as the seasons change. A fresh coat of wax right before the temperature begins to rise will add a fresh level of protection against the sun’ s UV rays. Also, applying wax right before winter to protect from snow and salt on
It’ s a good idea to wax, because if the initial clear coat fails, your paint has no protection.
the roads is a smart preventive practice.
Waxing will be less effective if not done properly. Be sure to thoroughly wash and dry your vehicle prior to waxing. Also, choose a shady spot, as sunlight may cause the wax to dry instantly. Evenly apply the wax with the included applicator in small circular motions. Refer to your product’ s directions on how long the wax should sit. Finally, wipe off any residue with a microfiber towel. You now have a greater level of protection and an attractive shine.
This FALL CAR CARE edition is brought to you by the following busnesses:
ANYTIME AUTO( 320) 327-0125; 19908 Falcon Ave N, Silver Lake, MN 55381
BIG DON’ S CARTHEDRAL( 320) 395-2214; 601 Central Ave, Lester Prairie, MN 55354; bigdonscarthedral. com
CAR SHOP, INC.( 320) 587-1006; 700 Airport Rd., Hutchinson, MN 55350; carshopinc. net
FARMERS INSURANCE
- STEVEN HAUER( 763) 227-6958; 14525 Highway 7, Ste 325, Minnetonka, MN 55345; agents. farmers. com / mn / minnetonka / steven-hauer
FLIPPIN BILL’ S( 763) 972-2868; 8045 County Line Rd SE, Delano, MN 55328
JAUNICH TIRE COMPANY( 763) 972-6130; 423 Kelsey St, Delano, MN 55328
KINGSTON AUTO COKATO:( 320) 286-0100; 450 Cokato St. W. Cokato, MN 55321; DASSEL:( 320) 275-0100; 71062 Hwy 12 Dassel, MN 55325 www. kingstonauto. net
PARTS CITY AUTO PARTS( 320) 286-6776; 500 Cokato St W, Cokato, MN 55321; partscitycokato. com
STATE FARM- LARRY
ANDERSON( 320) 864-5515; 806 10th St E, Suite 102, Glencoe, MN 55336; www. statefarm. com / agent / US / MN / Glencoe / Larry-Anderson
STATE FARM- PETER
BORTNEM( 320) 286-5529; 245 Broadway Ave. S, PO Box 310, Cokato, MN 55321; www. statefarm. com / agent / US / MN / Cokato / Peter- Bortnem
$
10 OFF a set of 4 tires
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with Your Tire Headquarters for over 30 years
JAUNICH TIRE
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Hours: M-F 8am-6pm • Sa 8am-1pm
423 Kelsey St., Delano( Just off Hwy 12)( 763) 972-6130