Maintain Your Car Shine During Summer

“Cleanliness is next to godliness.”  The age-old quote does have some clout in the modern day world we live in.  A clean paintjob can make your car shine and reflect (pun intended) your character.  Wax, basically used on wood to create a water resistant barrier, and polish, used on modern vehicle paint, can make your car dull.  It creates a cover over your paint job that makes it age faster.  The main cog in keeping your paint job new is to avoid friction, meaning abrasive polish, waxing or buffering.  Below is a quickstep process for keeping that shine.

1.    Pure liquid and non-abrasive application will preserve your paint, so choose a product that does not include wax, abrasives or polish.

2.    Make sure it is a spray or mist.

3.    Wash your car with clear water and grease cutting liquid soap.

4.    Starting at the top, hose the car down, then grab a bucket of soapy water and a soft brush and do the same. 

5.    Hose the car while you scrub with the brush.

6.    Take a soft towel and dry the vehicle without letting the soap dry. 

7.    Starting with a clean dry towel on clean dry paint, apply the spray conditioner sparingly to the top of the vehicle and spread it out.

8.    Acrylic conditioners are absorbed into the paint and have a application spread rate of 10 to 1 in area sprayed to area covered.

9.    Do not over saturate your paint.

10. After completing the top follow the same conditioning pattern as when washing, finishing at the bottom.

11. The total application time for a spray mist conditioner is under 10 minutes per vehicle.

12. Conditioners do not harden and will continue to add conditioning strength to the paint days after the application.

13. The effects will last for months, vehicle easily clean up with just water. No soap is needed when using a true acrylic paint conditioner.

14. The Shine will lasts for months, no wax is needed.

15. Reapply once a month and your factory shine will last longer than with any wax or polish being sold today.

(Courtesy of wikiHow)

Need some tips on washing your car effectively?  Check out these quick tips on our recent blog:

Our Top Instagram Pics of August

Once in a while, we find a picture on Instagram that’s worth sharing.  It’s usually a snippet of perfection, framed by the small screen of a smartphone.  Check out our FAVORITE Instagram photos of August in our newest blog post below: 

Save Gas: How to Carpool

The carpool.  When this word comes to mind you can imagine four adults slowly sipping coffee, one on their phone having a lengthy conversation with a significant other, another half asleep, hot coffee spilling into their lap and…well you get the idea.  Carpooling isn’t ideal in a lot of individuals’ eyes.  People show up late, complain, and touch your radio settings without warning.  Many would call it a burden.  The carpool should be more popular than it is, but it hasn’t seemed to catch on or so WE think.  According to recent federal government studies, 10-16 million commuters use carpooling as their principal means of transportation to work every year. That's two to three times the number of people who use public transportation.  Not too bad if you ask me, but it could be better.

Carpooling isn’t as bad as you think, there are countless benefits to riding with a co-worker.  The best incentive is financial.  The AAA estimates that “operating costs (gas, tires and maintenance) average 14.1 cents per mile for 2005, all of which are shared in a carpool. If ownership costs — such as insurance, depreciation, finance charges, and taxes — are also shared, the economic benefits skyrocket. Additionally, many employers offer financial incentives for employees who share their rides to work.”  Websites like http://www.rideshareonline.com/ will match people based on location.  You should set ground rules to avoid conflict and follow these tips provided by Edmunds.com.

·      Print driver schedules

·      Create policies on stereo, AC, Cell phones…

·      Set rules for latecomers

·      Advance notice for vacation

·      Establish a back up plan

A successful carpool takes a bit of work, but can make life a whole lot easier.  Good luck, guys!!!

7 Facts About Texting That Can Save a Life

Multitasking has increased in the last few years to astronomical heights.  With one hand and a smartphone you can watch a YouTube video, send an email, play a game, voice chat and place a call in a five-minute span.  However, with much power comes much responsibility because NOW that we have this access 24-7, it has carried over into our driving habits. 

For some time, researchers have been telling us to focus only on driving, quoting a greatly increased chance of accident, injury and death when we distractedly call a friend or answer a ringing cell phone.

Now, new research has revealed the most dangerous driver distraction of all: texting.

A study by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, along with prior studies by Liberty Mutual Insurance and state-funded organizations located online, reveals the shocking statistics of texting behind the wheel:

1.    Texting while driving increases the risk of accident 23.2 times over unimpaired driving.

2.    Texting while driving results in longer response times than even drunken driving. While an unimpaired driver can respond quickly to changes in traffic and begin braking within half a second, a legally drunk driver needs four additional feet to begin braking—and a driver who’s texting needs 70.

3.    In the moments before a crash or near crash, drivers typically spend nearly five seconds looking at their mobile devices—enough time at typical highway speeds to cover more area than the length of a football field.

4.    Though 95 percent of drivers surveyed said texting behind the wheel was unacceptable and unsafe, at least 21 percent admit to doing it anyway.

5.    Especially amongst teens, texting results in erratic driving behavior, like lane weaving and speeding up and down, increasing the likelihood of hurting pedestrians and running into other vehicles.

6.    Texting behind the wheel is generational: 37 percent of drivers 18 to 27 admit to texting while driving, compared to 14 percent of 28 to 44 year olds, and 2 percent of 45 to 60 year olds.

7.    An accident can happen in two to three seconds while texting.