Car Cleaning Tips
When it comes to keeping your car in tip top shape it’s important to give it a good clean every now and again, after all this is a matter of pride too. So here we give a quick guide to some top tips to get your car looking clean, shiny, and good as new.
Inside
Keeping the interior of your car clean can be just as important as maintaining the outside. Start by removing any rubbish and other items from your car and once this is done you can bring out the vacuum cleaner. Make sure you hoover everywhere including those hard to reach spots such as underneath the seats, and don’t forget to remove your floor mats and hoover these as well.
Hand-held vacuum cleaners can be particularly useful when it comes to cleaning the interior of your car, but you could also use the attachments on your standard vacuum cleaner to make things easier. Stains can handily often be removed using everyday household products, though this is usually most effective if they are treated immediately. If your cars seats are leather they may required a little extra care and attention, so try using a good leather upholstery cleaner.
Outside
Start by hosing your car down first as this will help dislodge most of the dirt and grime. With this out the way you can get on to the fun part of hand washing your car. It’s often a good idea to use two buckets, one filled with clean water and one with a mix of water and your car shampoo of choice. Use the second bucket of clean water to rinse your sponge or wash cloth often, to get rid of any grit, as this can help to prevent scratches. It also preferable to start at the top of your vehicle when washing and finish with the wheels as this is the area where the worst of the grit and dirt will likely be.
Drying
Whilst it’s tempting to leave your car to dry naturally, this can lead to the formation of water spots, so don’t forget to dry your car too. The best way to dry your vehicle is to use a soft microfiber cloth. Once your car is dry an insider tip is to try running your finger along the surface of your cars paintwork, if you find any dust or residue then it’s likely that there are still contaminants stuck to your cars surface. Clay bars are a great way to remove these and are perfect for giving your car a professional showroom finish.
Unfortunately when it comes to damage to your cars body work even your best cleaning efforts are like to prove fruitless. However here at Smartway we specialise in car body repairs in London and can restore your car to its former glory. For more information please do not hesitate to contact us by giving us a call on 07732 542500 and a member of our expert team will be happy to help you with your enquiries.
Winter Car Essentials
There’s no denying that winter will soon be on its merry way, and whilst for most of us this news doesn’t exactly fill us with joy, it’s worth remembering that the winter months can be a little tougher on your car too. Now is the perfect time to treat your car to a little TLC and ensure it’s ready for the months ahead. So here’s a quick guide to some handy hints and tips for ensuring you and your vehicle are prepared for the season ahead.
Ice and snow
One of the many downsides of a frosty winter morning is waking up to find your cars windscreen covered in a layer of ice. Whilst initially you might appreciate the look of this wintery addition to your car, on a more serious note, you shouldn’t attempt to drive until your windscreen is clear as this will significantly increase the chances of an accident occurring.
Try leaving the house a few minutes early so you can clear your windscreen before you set off. Always try using an ice scraper to do this first, rather than leaving the engine running, in order to save fuel. It’s also important to remove any snow from your vehicle as when this starts flying off your car it can seriously reduce visibility for other vehicles. In fact, police have previously issued warnings that they will fine motorists who fail to remove loose snow from their vehicles before driving.
Tyres
Winter is an essential time to check your tyres. After all, worn tires simply won’t hold the road as well in wet conditions as those with a good deep tread.
Wipers
The last thing you want, when stuck in a downpour or wintry shower, is to find your wipers aren’t working properly. Wiper blades are typically made out of rubber, and over time these can crack and split, reducing their effectiveness, so it’s worth checking them out before the worst of the winter weather hits. It’s also important to ensure you keep your wiper fluid topped up, as this can help break up any snow and ice that finds its way onto your windshield.
Batteries
The winter months can be little extra challenging for your cars battery, and battery problems are one of the most common causes of breakdowns during the winter months. Keep an eye on the age of your battery, and if it’s over 5 years or if you notice any signs of trouble, such as your car struggling to start, then it’s best to consider taking preventative action and getting it replaced.
Fuel
Unfortunately, winter driving conditions can also be a bit of a drain on your pocket too. This is because the colder weather can have a significant impact on the fuel efficiency of your car. Cars typically consume a greater amount of fuel during the winter months for a variety of reasons, such as increased use of headlights and the necessity of turning on the heating when things really start to cool down. However, there are a few simple steps you can take in order to increase the fuel efficiency of your vehicle during winter. For example, storing your vehicle in a garage can help reduce the amount of time it takes to warm up.
Repairs
The unforgiving winter driving conditions can also increase the likelihood you and your car are involved in an incident. This time of year is also the perfect opportunity to treat the outside of your car to a little TLC too. If you do end up with damage to your car, such as dents or scratches, then here at Smartway we can help. We’re experts when it comes to car body repairs in London and can get your car looking as good as new, restoring it to its former, unblemished glory.
At Smartway, we specialise in car body repairs and are able to provide professional mobile car body repairs London to help you get your vehicle looking its best again. For more information about our range of services please don’t hesitate to contact us on 07732 542500 and a member of our expert team will be happy to help you with your enquiries.
What Your Car Says About You
It is a given that people make assumptions about you from the car that you drive, but it’s often hard to know exactly what people will think of you when you rock up in your brand new motor. Now don’t get us wrong, we’re not saying that you should choose your car with everyone else’s opinion in mind, but it may be valuable to know what those glances actually mean as you trundle past.
In this guide we have chosen the five main types of car in the UK and given what we hope is a useful and funny little guide to what people may think when they see you behind the wheel;
Hatchback
As the most popular type of car on British roads most people do not even notice hatchbacks; they’re like houses or buildings – there are so many they simply fade into the background. This is no bad thing though, as the common or garden hatchback gives you the ultimate urban camouflage. Buy yourself something as ubiquitous as a Golf or a Focus and you will fade into the background, perfect if you happen to be a ninja or an assassin.
These cars, despite being basically invisible are a great example of clever uses of space, with a million different cubby holes and trays you will always have a place to put your sun glasses… or throwing stars!
4X4
Now the 4×4 is not an option for shrinking violets; due to the inevitable size of this vehicle you will be noticed, so if you want a big car that allows anonymity, get an estate instead. The judgement that people make on your 4×4 does depend on certain factors though, mostly whether or not it is a big flashy affair. If it’s in a sedate colour without 204 inch wheels and 18 feet of ground clearance then people will generally have a ‘don’t really care’ attitude toward your ride.
If you need a car that has pin-in-the-map, go-anywhere ability though, then a 4X4 is the only logical choice that you can make.
Convertible
Now this one is less dependent on the car and more so on the driver and the location. Now if you’re an attractive young thing with flowing locks and the car is a classic Alfa Spider then people will love you and no doubt mistake you for Jude Law or Penelope Cruz. Unfortunately by the age that most people can afford a convertible they tend to have lost a fair amount of hair and gained a paunch. Couple this with you driving on the motorway with the roof down and you are not going to gain many appreciative looks.
Don’t let this put you off though; wind-in-the-hair motoring is worth it, and there is a certain pleasure in knowing that people are a bit annoyed at you.
Sports/Super Car
Attention seeker! Unfortunately, all that people will think when you rock up in one of these, whether it’s a Lotus or Ferrari, is that you are an attention seeker. These cars have to look good, sound good and disappear in the blink of an eye! The idea of supercar owners as attention seekers is so ingrained that it is practically prefixed in our brains, so if you’re going to buy one then do so in the knowledge that people will instantly judge you.
If you like attention though, then we insist that you don’t hesitate to sign on the dotted line for that piece of exotica!
People Carrier
If people notice your people carrier then it is likely that your child is trying to escape from the rear window. They are simply so common that we do not notice them anymore, they are like grass, they’re just there. This makes them another great car for those that like to shy away from public view, such as superheroes and spies. And the even better news is that the extra boot space leaves you with plenty of space for costumes and gadgets.
The trade-off for this ambiguity is the fact that they are often torturously slow and often make for a miserable trip entirely in the slow lane.
Whatever type of car you have we hope you have enjoyed our little look at the different types of cars available to you. The one thing that we here at Smartway all agree on is the one type of car that you really shouldn’t have; a damaged one! We offer mobile car body repairs in London and can quickly put those dents and scuffs right so that at least you won’t start judging your own car.
If you would like a quote then don’t hesitate to contact us today and we will be more than happy to help!
Preventing Scratches
Most car owners have had the unwelcome and exasperating experience of finding a scratch on their car at some point. However here we give a few hints and tips to help you keep your vehicle scratch-free.
Keep it in a garage
Cars parked on roads are more likely to be damaged by other vehicles or passersby, hence try storing your car in a garage overnight.
Be careful on narrow roads
When driving on country lanes or narrow roads, try not to get too close to any overgrown hedges or other obstacles at the side of the road which may scratch your vehicle.
Park tactically
A key way to prevent scratches on your vehicle is to think tactical when parking. For example never park too close to other vehicles and ensure those parked next to you have enough room to get in and out of their vehicle easily. Try to avoid parking in particularly busy areas such as near the entrance of a shop or supermarket, as there are likely to be more people and cars passing by and greater competition for spaces. If possible it’s always advisable to park in quieter areas of car parks where there are fewer cars around, even if this means you have to walk a little further to reach your destination.
You may also want to take a look at the car parked next to you; if it looks a little scratched and beat up you may want to choose another space, after all it ended up that way somehow or other.
Don’t get too close
Interestingly jewellery and other clothing items are common culprits when it comes to car scratches. For example rings can easily cause damage to your paintwork, as can belt buckles and jacket zips, hence it is best not to get too close to your car with such items.
Unfortunately it is not entirely possible to prevent damage such as scratches to your vehicle, however here at Smartway we specialise in car body repairs in London and can help you get your vehicle looking its best again. For more information about our range of services please do not hesitate to contact us and a member of our expert team will be happy to help you with your enquiries.
Infuriating Parking Fails
If you’ve been following our blog then you’ll remember last week we made a post with some great advice on how to avoid dents when driving in London. You may also remember that in said blog, we mentioned it’s a good plan to park next to tidy looking cars rather than ones covered in dents.
Well, we’ve got some more parking advice that you should definitely pay heed to. Park your car properly in designated spaces, because ‘creative’ parking is a one way ticket to dented bodywork. We understand that you might be in a rush or you’re ‘just nipping into the shop’, but there’s no excuse for crummy parking. It’s inconsiderate to everyone else, and you’re going to get your car bumped either because you’ve parked in the way of traffic or because some vengeful individual wants to teach you a lesson.
Let’s have a look at some brilliant examples of how NOT to park your car.
White van on the right! That is not a parking space, it’s the edge of a mini-roundabout and they’re on double yellow lines to boot. This is a really terrible place to park as it’s going to make it difficult for traffic to get around the island and the nose of the van is inviting itself to be bumped.
This Toyota driver has clearly interpreted the large white arrow on the floor, probably indicative of an exit from this car park, as a sign that they were destined to park here, blocking this passage for every other driver in the car park. Thanks, Toyota driver.
Let’s take things stateside for a moment, bad parking isn’t exclusive to the UK, it can happen anywhere. Two compact spaces must be equivalent to one Humvee? At least this driver seems to think so. Unbelievably inconsiderate and utterly infuriating!
We’ll assume this driver is illiterate as they’ve chosen to ignore the ‘Motorcycles Only’ message painted on the road surface in gigantic white lettering. However, illiteracy is no excuse for parking halfway across the pavement. Looks like a classic case of ‘just popping to the shop’.
We’re not entirely sure how or where this spectacular parking fail has happened. However, we would like to point out the two parking tickets under the wiper of the silver BMW.
Take a look at these examples of bad parking and do the opposite. Not only will you be avoiding a car riddled with dents, but you’ll be doing a kindness to your fellow man. Please don’t be that parking fail person!
Smartway Mobile Bodyshop specialise in car body repairs in London. If your car has suffered a dent or a scratch and you’d like it restored to it’s former glory then don’t hesitate to give us a call on 07732 542500 or contact Smartway directly!
