Easy DIY Auto Maintenance for Fall Days

With Daylight Saving Time behind us, people are driving more in the evenings, more likely to encounter rain and fog, and tracking more leaves and detritus into their vehicles. When the weather is wet and cold and the leaves are falling it’s harder to keep your car clean! It’s also important to perform these routine maintenance tasks to keep you and your loved ones safe on the road. There’s something deeply satisfying about doing auto maintenance yourself, and you’ll save yourself some money by tackling some projects at home vs. taking your car to the shop. Here are some easy DIY car maintenance tasks you can take on yourself and how to do them.

Recondition your yellowing headlights. Headlights are one of the most important parts of your car to maintain. As cars age, the protective UV coating that most auto manufacturers coat headlights with will fade. The plastic surface of your headlights can become fogged or take on a yellowish tint, decreasing visibility after dark. Remember that in addition to illuminating the road ahead, headlights let other drivers see you. If your headlights are past their prime, pick up an inexpensive headlight restoration kit at a local auto supply shop or on Amazon. Most kits will come with a few different pieces of sandpaper of varying grit, a restoring solution, a lubricant and a sealant. Check out this Popular Mechanics article for a good step by step on how to restore your headlights and some suggestions of common household items you can use in lieu of purchasing a kit.

Changing wiper blades. Wiper blades should be changed about twice a year. If the blades are leaving streaks, dirt and moisture behind when in use or you find yourself carefully watching the road through a tiny patch of visibility on your windshield, it’s time for a new set. Fall is a logical time to change wiper since they’ll be getting lots of use during the cold weather months. Purchase the best wiper blades you can afford. Most wiper blades use a hook to attach the blade to the wiper arm. You’ll detach the wiper blade by lifting it away from your windshield, pushing a release button and pulling down. Have the replacement blade handy so the metal hook doesn’t have to rest on your windshield while you open the package. Reverse the blade removal steps to attach the new wipers. Easy!

Vacuum your interior. As leaves and debris fall from our trees, they litter the ground and can be tracked into your vehicle where they’ll be ground into the carpet and corners under your seats. At Snap Clean, we work to keep our vacuum lines clear of clogs, so you’ll get intense suction every time you visit us and use the vacuums. Grab a trash bag, clear the clutter from your interior and go crazy on dust, dirt and debris. When traveling during the holiday season, you’ll be thankful you took the time to clean every surface of your interior. Don’t forget to hit the interior window, dash, console and doors with our free spray cleaner and microfiber cloths.