Frequent Car Washes in Winter

The snow has started to fall in Pittsburgh and that means your car is about to be covered in ice, salt, and slush.  Frequent car washes this winter will be the best investment to get the best value out of your car.  Keep reading to learn how frequent winter car washes can help you.

It's that time of year again. Winter is approaching which means preparing your car for some nasty weather elements. If you live in snow country, you'll likely have snow tires put on to prevent your car from sliding off the road. If you live in a region where salt is used on the roads, you may consider getting an extra layer of coating to protect your undercarriage so it doesn't rust. And, with all the acid rain, road grease, and other unsavory elements that will attack your car this winter, getting a wax job to protect your paint might be a good idea.

So why do we invest so much time and money in protecting our car when winter approaches? There are a number of reasons, all of which are equally important. First off, preventative car care protects our automobiles so they last longer, also preserving resale value. Secondly, taking care of our vehicles prevents having costly repairs and frightening breakdowns. An overwhelming majority of car owners seem to know what to do, and why, when it comes to car care.

Then why is it the overwhelming majority of car owners seldom wash their cars on a regular basis? The irony here is that keeping your car clean (for under $10 every couple of weeks) has many significant financial and environmental benefits as well, especially when performed by a professional car wash.

Let's start with the financial rewards. In today's environment, on the best of days, our cars are subjected to sun, salt from the sea, road grease, dead bugs, bird poop and smog. On bad days, our cars are subjected to salt from snow trucks, acid rain, tree sap, road slush and mud.

Any one of these elements can eat away at a car's metal, chrome and paint. Corrosion will occur and rust will appear under the carriage, in wheel wells, even in parts under the hood. It may not be noticeable right away, but over time it will degrade your car, diminishing its resale value. When it comes time to sell or trade you'll be quite disappointed at how little your car is worth and how much you've lost financially. By having your car washed monthly, not only do you protect your investment and save money, you also ensure your continued freedom to go anywhere and do anything, not to mention your personal safety and security while on the road.

Did you know that nearly $24 billion a year is spent on battling car corrosion damage? This cost is absorbed by you, the consumer, in three ways; funding automakers efforts to research corrosion-resistant paints and coatings; fixing damage to your own vehicle caused by road and sea salt; or corrosion-related depreciation of cars. Go to www.corrosioncost.com/pdf/motorvehicles.pdf for more information.

There is another important reason to keep your car professionally washed, protecting the environment. In 1972, the government established the Clean Water Act, which mandated professional car washes to pipe dirty water to treatment facilities or into state-approved drainage facilities.
Washing your car at home pollutes the environment — soap and road grime such as oils, tar, and dirt washed from your car ends up in storm sewers that flow into lakes, streams and rivers. In fact, many North American cities have even banned charity car-washing events, which result in soapy discharge and wasted water. Regardless of all the other reasons mentioned, the environmental issue should be consideration enough. After all, these lakes, streams and rivers could be those in which your children swim, or where you fish, or perhaps even live. Keeping them clean ensures a healthier future for all of us.

Another consideration is this: a professional car wash uses about 32 gallons per car. Studies have shown that a 45-minute car wash at home can use more than 300 gallons of water. Who pays your water bills?

Treat your car the way you want it to treat you. Add a professional car wash to your monthly chores. With some 75,000 professional car washes nationwide, there's just no excuse to skip it. And bring the kids. They're never too young to start learning the value of good auto maintenance, inside and out.






For more information see Road and Travel.

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Don't DIY A Car Wash

 Did you know that washing your car at home can waste money and hurt the environment.  Car washing is one thing you do not want to "do it yourself."  Keep reading to find out more about why commercial car wash's are better for you, your car, and the environment. 

Doing it yourself is a popular green technique often undertaken by yourself and others like yourself. Sometimes, however, it is best to leave things to the professionals. Don't practice medicine on yourself. Don't get behind the cockpit of plane with no flight experience, even if you think that you know the greenest way to get somewhere and don't wash your own car at home.

I know. That last one doesn't seem to fit. It seems like a commercial car wash with all its mechanical polishers and high-powered nozzles would be a giant drain on the environment, but it is you and your little bucket of suds that does more damage to the ecosystem.

"What?" you say. Let me explain. A commercial car wash is zoned for washing cars. When the dirt, muck, grease and oil is blasted off your ride at your neighborhood car wash, that grimy water goes into the sewers where it is treated and cleaned. When you wash your car at home, the grimy, soapy water full of chemicals goes right into the storm drain and can end up in a lake or an ocean without being treated. The soapy water can trigger excess algae growth which causes a drastic decline in water quality.

Home washing can also use two to three times as much water. Not only is washing your car at home dirtier, it is also more wasteful. So don't take lathers into your own hands when it comes to washing your car, leave that to the professionals.

For more information TLC.

10 Easy Ways to Winterize Your Car

Even though it was eighty degrees last week, it has quickly dropped temperatures.  Pittsburgh is excepting snow in the next week or so.  This means it is time to winterize your car.  This will keep you safe and your car in good shape throughout the harsh winter months.


1. Get the right kind of oil change. Are you approaching the time for a 30,000-mile full service for your vehicle? If so, don’t procrastinate! Among other things, the service should include an oil change, and the oil used should have the right viscosity, or thickness, for your vehicle at this time of year. Oil tends to thicken as it gets colder, and if it’s too thick it won’t do the best job of keeping your engine lubricated. Check your owner’s manual for guidance about which oil to use in different climates and temperatures. 

2. Make sure you can see. When’s the last time you replaced your windshield wiper blades? They usually work effectively for about one year, so be sure to invest in some new ones if you’re due. Here’s another important step to take before you find yourself struggling to see in a blinding storm: Fill up your windshield washer reservoir with windshield washer fluid. (Plain water won’t do the trick at this time of year because it freezes.) Also check to see that your heater and defroster are working properly so you can keep the windshield nice and clear.  

3. Give your battery a little TLC. This is an ideal time of year to make sure your battery’s posts and connections are corrosion-free and that your battery has all the water it needs. If your battery is more than three years old, have a certified repair shop test its ability to hold a charge. Granted, you might be able to find a Good Samaritan to help you jump-start your vehicle in the middle of a blizzard — but wouldn’t you rather avoid such a scenario altogether?

4. Examine your belts and hoses. When you have that full service done on your vehicle, make sure the belts and hoses get checked for wear and tear — even if you’re driving a modern car. Cold weather can do a number on belts and hoses, so they deserve attention.

5. Check your tire pressure. Your tires must be properly inflated to ensure you’ll have the best possible traction as you drive along — and traction is often severely jeopardized in wet, snowy or icy conditions. The air pressure in your tires has likely dropped as the weather has gotten colder, so it’s important to see where things stand now. (You can generally expect that you’ll lose 1 pound per square inch whenever the temperature drops by 10 degrees Fahrenheit.) Again, your trusty owner’s manual will tell you what your target tire pressure should be.

6. Think about switching to snow tires. Do you live in a hilly place that gets its fair share of snow? Then you might want to improve traction even more by investing in winter tires and using them over the next few months instead of your usual all-season tires. When shopping around for snow tires, ask about all the fees that might come into play, such as fees for mounting and balancing. You can accomplish this easily and make accurate cost comparisons by asking each store for the “out the door charge.”

7. Do you have four-wheel drive? If so, it’s important to check the status of your four-wheel-drive system and be sure it’s working correctly — especially because most drivers don’t use their 4WD systems in the pleasant summer months. Be sure that the system engages and disengages easily, and that all drivers in your household know how and when to activate the system.


8. Get the antifreeze mixture just right. Aim for having a 50-50 mix of antifreeze (coolant) and water inside your radiator. This will prevent the mixture from freezing even at ridiculously cold temperatures. It’s easy to check the status of the mixture with an inexpensive antifreeze tester, which you can pick up at any auto parts store. If the mixture is off, your cooling system should be drained and refilled or flushed. Be sure you’re equipped to dispose of your old antifreeze properly if you do this job yourself. It can’t just be poured down the drain.

9. Prepare an emergency kit. Store this stuff in your trunk during the winter months, especially if a road trip is in your future:

• a blanket
• extra boots and gloves
• an extra set of warm clothes
• extra water and food, including hard candies
• an ice scraper
• a small shovel
• a flashlight
• windshield washer fluid
• windshield wipers
• flares
• jumper cables
• a tool kit
• tire chains
• a tire gauge
• a spare tire with air in it
• tire-changing equipment
• a first-aid kit
• paper towels
• a bag of abrasive material such as sand, salt or non-clumping kitty litter, which can provide additional traction if a tire gets stuck in snow.
• Also, keep the gas tank as full as you can to prevent the gas lines from freezing.

10. Know what to do if you get stranded. Don’t wander away from your car unless you’re completely sure about where you are and how far away help is. Light two flares and situate them at each end of your vehicle to call attention to your plight. Put on the extra clothes and use the blanket to stay warm. If you have enough gas in the tank, run the engine and heater for about 10 minutes for each hour you’re waiting for help. Leave at least one window open a little bit so that snow and ice don’t seal the car shut. Suck on a hard candy to prevent your mouth from getting too dry.

 For more information see Today.com