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4 Hacks To Make DIY Car Maintenance Easier
If you are adept at DIY car maintenance or a beginner looking to get your hands dirty, the following hacks will help you complete your projects in less time and with less stress (aka cursing).
Car Care Tips: How to sanitize your car to help stop the spread of COVID-19
Maintenance reminders
At a dealership or repair shop, oil change reminders are displayed on a sticker a technician affixes to the inside of your windshield. And, for other replacement services such as air filters and sparkplugs, a technician will give you a receipt for service and possibly even schedule your next appointment for you. When you perform these duties yourself, though, it’s up to you to keep track of your work.
“Use a chalk marker to make notes on a flat surface, such as an air filter cover, so you never forget important maintenance tasks,” advises Family Handyman writer Jenny Stanley.
Easy cleanup
Maintenance tasks can cause a mess, but you don’t have to cry over spilled oil. Sawdust will absorb the spill. Sprinkle it on the oil and let it set for approximately 20 minutes, Stanley says. After that, you’ll just need to sweep up the pile and dispose of it. Your driveway or garage floor should be stain-free.
Protect surfaces
If you know the project you’ll be working on has the potential to get messy, like an oil change, do a little prep work to protect your workstation, garage floor, or driveway. All you need is one or a few large pieces of cardboard.
“A large slab of cardboard makes a perfect disposable drop cloth,” writes Stanley.
Easy equipment access
Car maintenance often requires specialized equipment or tools, which vary in weight causing extra stress on your muscles.
“Save your back by storing your air compressor on a mechanic’s creeper, so you can easily tote it around your workshop or garage. Depending on the size of your compressor, you may be able to store your hose on the creeper, too,” advises Stanley.
Be More Efficient: Tips for working from your car
DIY car maintenance doesn’t have to be such a chore when you use these car repair and project hacks.
DeAnn Owens is a Dayton transplant by way of the Windy City, yet considers herself to be a California girl at heart even though she’s only visited there once. To get through the dreaded allergy season unique to the Miami Valley, she reads, writes, complains about the weather, and enjoys spending time with her husband, two sons, and their newest addition, a Boston terrier puppy that is now in charge of all their lives. In the future, she hopes to write a novel and travel through time. See more articles by DeAnn.