Are you a car owner lacking a garage? Or, do you have a driver in mind who has no covered structure to protect his ride? Then consider adding the following items recommended by Family Handyman writer Julia K. Porter to your shopping cart to improve your or your friend’s driving life.
Car Maintenance Guide: Why getting an oil change is important
Keep it clean
Photo: Pexels
Without a garage’s protection, your car will be constantly subjected to the elements, causing dirt, grime, and dust to muck up its exterior. Porter suggests investing in the Brush Hero, a water-hose attachment that will help you get every nook and cranny of your car clean.
A bucket, cleaning supplies tailored for automobiles, and microfiber towels will make less work of washing your car. If the idea of spending a couple of hours washing your car and cleaning its interior is repugnant to you or your friend’s sensibilities, invest in a gift card or membership at your local automatic car wash.
Filter the sun
Back seat passengers will appreciate a car window shade designed to shield their eyes from the sun’s most glaring stares.
Start it up
Photo: The News Wheel
Getting into a freezing car is one of the worst ways to start the day, especially when you can purchase a remote car starter system.
Check the charge
Leaving your car outside in winter’s wrath will impact the battery. To avoid being stranded due to a dead battery, add a portable battery charger to your automotive toolbox.
Save time
Scraping ice, snow, and frost from your windshield is a tiresome chore. Avoid the hassle and save precious time in the morning by using a windshield cover when your car is parked.
Tire Care: How to know when it’s time to get new tires
Monitor pressure
Severe weather and fluctuating temperatures target your car’s tires, and not in a good way. For your safety, you need to monitor the condition of your tires as well as each tire’s air pressure. A portable air compressor fits nicely in the trunk or backseat and allows you to quickly fill them up to the recommended psi.
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.
