*I am working with the International Carwash Association to share these tips. However, my opinions are entirely my own and I have not been paid to publish positive comments.

WaterSavers®, a consumer awareness campaign from the International Carwash Association® (ICA) is here to offer us some tips and a fantastic giveaway to help gear up for upcoming road trips and take care of any damage done by this year’s harsh winter.

Taking care of our cars, on the inside and out is a tough job! (Especially if you have little ones!) Thankfully, there are some tips and ideas that can make car cleaning and maintenance just a little bit easier.

watersavers

Are you ready for some great ideas? Let’s go!

1. Wash your car at a professional car wash. Winter months can be especially hard on your vehicle and washing your car is an easy first step to making your car feel new again. Using a professional car wash is a great way to protect the environment. According to the International Carwash Association, WaterSavers professional car washes use an average of 40 gallons of water or less per car while recycling and filtering their water to prevent harmful chemicals from going into our rivers and streams. Professional car washes also remove salt from the undercarriage of your vehicle, which is a must after a long winter.  By comparison, the average home washing machine uses 41 gallons per cycle, and a garden hose uses 63 gallons of water in just five minutes. You can learn more, and find a WaterSavers wash at Washwithwatersavers.com.

*Plus, if your kids are anything like mine, going through a car wash is a big treat! Our kids love the car wash!

2. Give the inside a deep clean. Winter’s elements are hard on the outside of your car, but many people forget the abuse the vehicle’s interior takes as well. Think of how many times you’ve crawled into your vehicle with dirty, snowy feet and you can begin to understand why cleaning the inside is necessary. Apply some baking soda and a rubber sponge to your floor mats for an environmentally friendly and efficient clean. Then, wipe down interior surfaces with a microfiber cloth and vacuum the fabric and floor to remove dirt, sand, salt and dust.

*I am working on helping my children be responsible for their car messes as well. We try to always make sure we bring in our jackets, toys, and cups, and try to keep a trash bag in the car.

3. Don’t forget the maintenance check. Winter is finally over, but that doesn’t mean your vehicle can skip an overall maintenance check, especially if you want to save energy. Make sure to have your oil changed and give your vehicle an once-over. Check the fluid levels as well. The more efficiently your vehicle runs, the more gas you’ll save.

4. How’s your tire pressure and alignment? Low tire pressure will cause your vehicle to overexert itself and waste gas so make sure your tires are up to the task. Your tires list their recommended pressure on the side. If you can’t find it, you can find the recommended tire pressure in your owner’s manual. It is also a good idea to have a certified technician conduct an alignment test since it could have been thrown off by driving over pot holes during the winter months.

One very lucky Chasing Supermom winner is going to win an awesome prize pack that will help them keep their car in tip-top shape….or at least looking better than it does now! 😉

Here’s what you will win: prizepack

Gap Stick: A versatile auto accessory to help access the hard-to-reach areas of a vehicle. Designed with a strong magnetic hook, the gap stick can pick up a key ring, jewelry or anything else that has slipped between the seat and the center console.

Phone Caddy: A plastic phone holder that clips to air vents in any vehicle to keep your phone in view for GPS usage and close to charging outlets.

Auto Trash Bag:  A sleekly designed bag with a bottom zippered compartment for extra garage bags or hand wipes.

$50 Visa Gift Card

Good luck and thank you for entering!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway