Your car: your chariot, your loyal steed, your family’s snack wagon. Whatever your car is to you, chances are it keeps your family on the move. And maybe your car isn’t the fanciest thing in the world (I know mine isn’t), but the least we can do is keep it in half-decent shape. One of the best ways of doing that is knowing how to prevent scratches on your car.
Watch Where You Park
It always happens when you’re in a crowded parking lot. You’re getting out of the car, you tell your seven-year-old to open the door gently, and next thing you know you’re leaving a note on a stranger’s car about the huge scratch on their door. The best way to avoid scratches from overzealous seven-year-olds, grocery carts, or people parking just a little too close is to park a little further away from other cars. The exercise is good for everyone, anyway.
Clean Out the Garage
One of the best ways to prevent scratches on the car is by keeping it inside the garage. This keeps your car safe from inclement weather, road salt, and debris falling from trees or rooftops. However, it doesn’t keep your car safe from hazards lurking inside the garage. Bikes, snow shovels, gardening supplies, power tools, and boxes of who-knows-what have a way of accumulating in the garage. I know from experience the piles of stuff can start to get a little… precarious. All it takes is someone trying to get something from the bottom of a pile to send an avalanche raining down on your car. Protect the car by cleaning out the garage.
Handwash Your Car (The Right Way!)
Visiting a commercial car wash is a convenient way to get the car cleaned off, and it makes you feel good to put your car in the hands of experts. But all those tiny, fast-spinning brushes can damage your car after a while, especially if the carwash of your choice uses old brushes. “If you want something done right, do it yourself,” as they say. Washing your car with an old dishrag or t-shirt isn’t necessarily the best move either. Old, crusty cloths can be downright abrasive to your exterior. There are plenty of cloths made to wash your car that will be gentler to your ride, and since you’re already saving money by washing it yourself, it’s a worthwhile investment.
