S.O.S., Mom's Car is a Mess!NADAguides.com Offers Car Care Tips for a Mother's Day Surprise
COSTA MESA, Calif., May 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Mother's Day is right around the corner. If you're thinking of buying flowers, think again. "Sure, roses would be nice, but what I really want is a clean car," said Suzanne Dorsey, mother of two from San Clemente, CA. Along these lines, NADAguides.com (http://www.NADAguides.com), a vehicle pricing and buying guide website, offers the following car care tips from Tara Baukus Mello, the company's senior writer and lead market analyst (and a mother herself), as well as other real moms, to get the job done right. When in doubt, throw it out. Start cleaning Mom's car by removing trash. Look under the seats and in crevices. Use a large envelope to hold items she might want, including receipts, and let her go through these items on her own. Put aside -- for the moment -- larger items that should remain in the car, such as sports gear, strollers or toys. Beauty on the inside. Working in a shaded area, use a spray cleaner on paper towels or newspapers and clean the inside windows. Clean the dashboard and console with a car care product designed for vinyl, leather or wood. Anti-static dusting cloths work well on dust, while damp cloths work well on gummy spills, according to Baukus Mello. Use a spray stain remover on upholstery and carpets and finish by vacuuming. Give her what she needs. Assess the pile of items you've put aside and determine what should stay in the car. Carrying too many unnecessary items increases weight and decreases fuel economy. Carrying too few items leaves Moms-on-the-go unprepared. NADAguides.com talked with real moms to determine some key items for family travel.
-- A travel package of baby wipes or moist towelettes -- "Essential for
spills, hands and faces," says mom of one, Sherry Monroe of Pembroke,
Massachusetts.
-- An extra change of clothes for the kids and antibacterial hand
sanitizer (in gel and wipes) for dirty hands and dirty shopping cart
handles. "Shopping carts are filthy, it's my pet peeve," said
Kierstin Bowser, mother of two from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. "I
sanitize hands and handles all the time."
-- "A bag with all my exercise essentials, so I don't forget them or if I
have extra time, I can pop into the gym," said Jill Marshall of
Georgetown, Texas, mom of two.
-- Coupons and take-out menus -- "So if I happen to be out and it's not
convenient to go home, I have what I need to run to the store or pick
up dinner," says Cherril Glazer, mother of two, Simi Valley,
California.
Home sweet home. Find a home -- such as the center console, driver's side door pocket, glove box or seat back pockets -- for every loose item in the car. Purchase a seat-hanging, soft organizer with multiple pockets or a hard-sided organizer that buckles to an empty seat so kids have easy access while buckled. Use storage nets and cargo cubbies if your car came equipped with them. "Organizers not only make things easier to find, they also make the car environment safer," said Baukus Mello. "Even small loose items can become dangerous projectiles when braking suddenly." Wash and go. If it's a nice day, get the kids to help wash the exterior. Pick a shady spot and start washing from the roof downward. Use car wash only -- not dish soap, as it strips wax -- and don't let it dry on the paint. To get better results using an automatic car wash, spray the wheels with wheel cleaner to remove brake dust immediately before entering the car wash and use a chamois to dry the car immediately after. Car Buying Tips for the Clean and Organized. While there are many factors to consider when buying a new car, Baukus Mello offers the following car buying tips if having a clean and organized vehicle is most important to you.
-- If your family always eats -- and is prone to spilling -- in your car,
consider a vehicle with stain-resistant fabric seats from YES
Essentials(R), such as the 2008 Toyota Sequoia.
-- If your kids (or the family dog) are always slogging mud and wet
clothes in your car, consider a vehicle with rubberized flooring, such
as the 2008 Honda Element or the 2008 Nissan Xterra.
-- If you need to carry cool drinks, consider the new 2009 Dodge Journey,
which features a front glove box cooler as well as a cooler accessible
by second row passengers.
-- For ample storage that's easily accessible by Mom, look for an
oversized center console that will hold a diaper bag or a laptop
briefcase. Some center consoles, like the one on the new 2008
Chrysler Town & Country, also slide fore and aft, increasing
accessibility to both the first and second rows.
-- To help keep gear secure and organized in the cargo area, look for
grocery bag hooks, cargo nets and under-floor storage, such as those
found on the 2008 Lexus RX 350 and 2008 RX 400h.
About NADAguides.com NADAguides.com is the world's largest publisher of vehicle pricing and specification information for new and used cars, trucks, vans, and SUVs, as well as van conversions, limousines, classic and collectible cars, boats, personal watercraft, RVs, motorcycles, ATVs, snowmobiles and manufactured housing. At NADAguides.com (http://www.NADAguides.com), consumers have access to a variety of new and used vehicle services in addition to valuation information.
|
