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Did you know it’s recommended to get your car detailed at least twice a year? And to wash your car 1-2 times a month? All of this depends on your car type and wear, but this is the average recommendation. The best way to detail your car is to have it done professionally, but we know that’s not always possible so here are 7 tips to detailing your car. 1. Do wash the car before you detail It’s best to get all those bugs, bird poop, dust, and pollen off your car before you detail it. If not your products won’t work like they’re supposed to. 2. Do use good quality products Pay the money for the good products if you’re going to detail your car yourself. You want to care for your car, so don’t choose cheap products that might damage the car. 3. Do wax your car when you’re finished This is an easy step to want to skip, but the wax seals all the hard work you put into detailing. It will help protect your car longer as well! 4. Do protect your own body Most car detailing products can be harsh on your skin and sometimes clothes, so be sure to wear the protection you need for your body. 5. Don't allow your car to air-dry Air drying leaves so many spots on your car and defeats the purpose of detailing. This can also mean you left residue on your car, so be sure to go over the whole car with a high-quality drying towel. 6. Don't use household products Using products that aren’t meant for your car can damage the paint job so skip the dish soap. 7. Don't use a sponge or bristle brush Instead, use high-quality microfiber cleaning cloths and mitts. You won’t have to worry about them scratching the car or not cleaning well. 8. Don't forget the inside Your inside needs detailed too! Hydrate your leather, clean your cloth seats and floor, then detail the rest.

Winter is here, but is your car ready? Prepping your car for winter is a great way to help your car live its full life span. Here are 7 simple tips to prepare your car for winter. Wash it We all know this is something we should do more often, but doesn’t always get done. It’s important to get it done before the winter because build up on your car from salt and snow will happen in several states. Washing your car before winter can really help your car's exterior. Check your tires and breaks Make sure your tires have tread and your breaks function properly so if the roads are icy your car can function as it should. Some would even recommend having winter tires put on your car, but this isn’t always necessary in all parts of the USA. Get your oil changed Your car needs lots of juice to function well in cold weather, so an oil change is a must. Make sure your oil is up to date and check your manual to see if your car needs a lighter oil to run better in the winter. Check the battery and tire pressure When you’re getting your oil changed be sure to ask them to test the battery and check your tires. Being stranded in the cold because of an old battery or flat tire  is a nightmare, so get it checked before the cold hits. Fill fluids This is another simple thing to have done when you have your oil changed. Just ask them to top them off, especially your wiper fluid. Replace the wiper blades Most people don’t realize you should change your wipers based on the weather, so check out https://www.monkenauto.com/blogs/4263/best-wiper-blades-for-your-vehicle for details. This can help if you’re driving in winter weather! Prepare an emergency kit This might sound silly, but you can’t prepare for every situation to keep your car from having issues, so it’s smart to have a car emergency kit. Put all you could need in a bag and toss it in the trunk with a blanket.

Summer is coming to a close, kids are back in school and families are starting to focus on getting things done other than blowing up pool floats. Fall is a busy time for all of us, but it’s also the perfect time to slowly start getting your vehicle ready for the winter, (yuck, the ‘w’ word), months ahead. Getting a head start in the fall means that you don’t have to scramble in once winter does hit and it may be too late. The following are our Fall Car Care Tips to help get your vehicle ready for both fall AND winter. No need to have all these done at once. Spread the cost out over the fall so that by winter you’re safe and ready to drive! Here are our September Service Specials for Toyota, Chrysler/Nissan, and Chevy Buick GMC. Check your Tire Tread – you can visually check this yourself. The easiest way is to grab a penny and insert the penny into a tire groove on each one of the tires. Make sure that Abe Lincoln’s head is upside down and facing you. If you can see ALL of Abe’s head, it’s time to replace your tires. This isn’t a fool proof test though, depending on your tires, so if you have doubts, definitely bring your tires in to be checked by a service professional. Check ALL your Lights – it will start getting darker sooner and you don’t want to be caught out driving at dusk with lights that don’t work. Grab a family member or friend and have them help you check to see that your brake lights, turn signals and high beams all work. Check fluid levels – most vehicles will now alert you when you need to replace fluids or if there is a fluid leak, but if you have an older model vehicle, you will need to check for these manually yourself or have a service professional do an inspection. Washer fluid – this is an easy issue to rectify yourself and washer fluid is inexpensive. But oftentimes people forget to refill this and then find themselves in a scary situation when “winter” weather creeps into fall months without warning. Heating and Cooling – checking the HVAC system is something that is a little bit more difficult to do at home. Obviously, you can tell if your AC/Heat has completely stopped working, but if the system is on it’s way out, you may not notice right away until the temps drop drastically. But at a service center this is a quick test and they can tell you exactly how adequately yours is working. Tire Pressure – air pressure in a tire decreases 1-2 pounds for every 10 degrees of temperature change. This is something that you will want to check a few times each season. And the nice thing is that putting air in your tires is free! Not just to help ensure your safety this fall and winter, keeping your car properly tuned can improve your gas mileage by an average of 4%* - everybody likes saving on gas money! *source: The Car Care Council