CHARLOTTE (May 4, 2016) – Being a busy mom can take its toll on the family mini-van. Your vehicle not only goes through daily short trips to and from school, work, sports and activities, but also daily damage from errant sports equipment, dings and dents from bikes and scooters, muddy interiors from rainy soccer games and spilled juice boxes. This Mother’s Day, it’s time to give Mom – and her car — the break they deserve.
“Managing a family can be hard on your car,” said Dean Fisher, COO for CARSTAR Auto Body Repair Experts. “Fly balls can leave a big dent, and a pack of Cub Scouts can leave an even bigger one. Keeping the minor damage in check can prevent bigger damage from occurring. And, a few improvements will make Mom proud of her minivan once again.”
CARSTAR Auto Body Repair Experts, which repairs thousands of vehicles across North America each season, recommends a good Mother’s Day cleanup for the family mini-van – inside and out – frequently offered at your local collision center. They also offer a few tips you can do on your own.
Get Rid of the Clutter and Make the Inside of Mom’s Minivan New Again
A minivan full of kids can turn into a mound of trash and junk piled up inside of the car. Kids often get out the car and race to their next activity, usually leaving behind waste from drinks and snacks, school books, sports gear, smelly uniforms or other items that we tell ourselves we’ll get later. Guess what? Later is now. Here are a few things you can do for Mom’s ride yourself:
- Start by opening all of the doors and trunk or rear lift. Dig through every part of the interior, including underneath and between seats. You might be surprised at how much of a trash bag can be filled with what’s been left behind.
- Next, grab a vacuum and get all of the dirt and filth out of the carpet, floor mats, and upholstery. You might even want to give the floor mats and extra bit of attention with a hose and soapy water to clear out all of the deep down debris that the vacuum couldn’t get.
- Finally, it’s time to take care of the windows and dash. Use a quality cleaner, or even light mix of soap and water. Make sure to clean off and dirt and build up, then dry thoroughly with a clean, lint free towel.
Give It a Good Bath
While a quick drive through a car wash will take care of most of the dirt, to get rid of all of the paint-damaging muck, a complete hand wash is a must. With a bucket of clean water, car soap and a non-abrasive cloth, Mom’s minivan can once again have that showroom shine.
- Try and find a nice shaded area to wash the car. Direct sunlight can cause premature drying and leave water spots on the finish.
- Hose down the entire car to get rid of any surface dust.
- Work in sections, starting from the top down, making sure to rinse off one area before starting on the next.
- Don’t forget about the wheels and tires. Brake dust will build up on rims. It’s important to do a complete cleaning of all four wheels while washing the car.
- Dry the car with a soft towel, chamois, or micro-fiber cloth. Again, start from the top and work your way down.
Let a Professional Take Care of Any Dings, Scratches and Wear
For a $300 to $500 investment, a local body shop can make the following improvements to help give Mom’s car a brand new look:
- Conduct a thorough cleaning of the car’s exterior and interior.
- Restore the headlights to remove scratches and yellow hazing that age the car and diminish visibility.
- Restore black plastic bumpers, door handles and tires to a brand-new finish.
- Repair small scratches in the clear coat and paint to a like-new surface.
- Repair minor dings and dents with paintless dent repair.
- Replace missing or damaged trim or decorative elements.
- Update all of the light bulbs with newer long-lasting bulbs.
- Restore the finish of the car with a full detailing.
About CARSTAR
CARSTAR Auto Body Repair Experts– a part of the Driven Brands, Inc. family of automotive aftermarket franchise brands — is North America’s largest Multi-Shop Operator Network of independently owned collision repair facilities with more than 450 locations in 30 states and 10 Canadian provinces. CARSTAR delivers national scale, consistently high-quality vehicle repairs, repeatable outcomes and the industry’s highest customer satisfaction ratings; all repairs are backed by a national warranty and service guarantee. It was ranked 106th on Franchise Times® annual Top 200™ ranking of the largest franchise systems in North America and was named 18th on the Kansas City Business Journal’s Top 150 Private Companies list. The Romans Group LLC ranked CARSTAR the No. 1 largest MSO in North America. For more information visit www.carstar.com and follow us on Facebook and twitter.