5 Reasons Car Washes Are Important

It’s summer, the sun is shining, and we want to be anywhere but home! The road is calling you to the beach and beyond! But before heading out on your next adventure, why not consider getting a car wash? A good car wash is a great inexpensive way to protect the investment that is your vehicle. Below, we’ve outlined five reasons car washes are an important (and sometimes forgotten) maintenance item that can make your car last even longer!

CAR WASHES HELP ALLERGIES & ILLNESS

If you suffer from spring and summer allergies, you do everything you can to clean your house inside and out to help with your seasonal suffering. But unfortunately, some of us are even allergic to more mundane things like dust or germs. We work diligently to dust and clean our homes, but our vehicles are our second homes!

For some, we spend more time in our cars than in our homes! Getting regular car washes will help keep things like dust, dirt, and pollen from collecting on the outside and infiltrating our vehicles. This can mean fewer allergens your cabin air filter needs to protect you from extending its life. But that doesn’t mean you should stop there! Getting in the habit of wiping down the interior of your vehicle with an approved protectant will not only extend the life and look of your interior, but it will also cut down on harmful dust that can irritate your allergies and cause illness.

REDUCE DAMAGE

You may be tempted to think, ‘why should I care about dirt? It’s just an annoyance!’ but that couldn’t be further from the truth! Dirt can be very damaging to your vehicle’s paint and can cause scratches. Scratches are more than just a cosmetic issue; they can quickly become chips that expose your vehicle’s metal body and frame to the elements. Once exposed, those elements will start to rust and degrade, eating away at your car’s solid frame and body.

While New England is a beautiful place to live, it is also smack dab in the middle of the ‘salt belt,’ also known as the ‘rust belt.’ These states are known for using road salt, a known factor in vehicle corrosion on frames and auto bodies, but also exposed parts like brake lines, electrical wiring, and other structural components. Keeping your paint clean and intact with regular car washes can extend the life of your car’s body and frame. Still, if you want to take the next step further, you could consider undercoating, which can provide even better protection for your vehicle from corrosive salt and sand.

CAR WASHES INCREASE FUEL EFFICIENCY

If you’re driving around this summer, other than safety, there’s one other thing weighing heavily on your mind – the price of gas. With gasoline quickly topping $5 at the pump, we’re all looking for ways to save. So beyond driving efficiently, ensuring that you’ve got a clean fuel system, and properly inflating your tires for maximum efficiency, you can use one more trick. A car wash!

You may be doubtful, but vehicles are aerodynamically designed to maximize the flow of air over them. Your car’s lines, curves, and angles have been tested to cut through the air with the least resistance. Unfortunately, when you have caked-on dirt, pollen, and other debris, the air no longer moves smoothly over your vehicle and can increase drag. Drag will negatively affect your fuel efficiency and bring your average mileage down. Tests have proven that a clean car can be up to 10% more efficient than a dirty one. It might not drastically improve it, but with high prices, any chance to get a little relief at the pump is worth it.

INCREASE SAFETY

Regarding our windshields, we understand that rain and snow make it difficult to see. Even laws like ‘Jessica’s Law’ in NH require motorists to completely clear their vehicles of snow before driving because of safety issues. So why are you driving around with muddy, bug-covered, dirt-caked windshields that smear when you attempt to clean them? Anything making it harder for motorists to see the road, objects, vehicles, and especially people around them is dangerous. Keeping your windshield clean is an excellent step toward driving safely.

LOOK GOOD, FEEL GOOD

Let’s face it when your car looks good, you feel good. There’s nothing quite like a shiny car that looks new! Fortunately, it doesn’t take that long to keep your vehicle looking like it just came off the showroom floor. Especially when you stay on top of your maintenance. With the supply and demand surrounding vehicles lately, many car owners are choosing to hold on to their vehicles longer than before. Keeping your vehicle clean and tidy can increase its resale value. A regular car wash is one of the easiest ways to make your vehicle last!