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Top tips for maintaining and cleaning your car if it is absolutely necessary to drive

Essential car care and maintenance during Coronavirus should be applied right now to protect your car, to keep it in a safe and roadworthy condition. CVSL are here to address customers concerns surrounding your vehicle.

The Department for Transport (DfT) has announced that it will grant a six-month MOT exemption to all cars, vans and motorcycles from March 30, meaning that your car will automatically be exempt for a period of 6 months.

If you do need to head out when absolutely necessary here are some tips and checks for ensuring that your car is safe and sound, plus CLEAN and decontaminated. 

Essential Coronavirus car care

  • Ensure tyres are above legal tread depth and correct pressure, 1.6mm is the legal requirement, so check all of the tyre grooves to ensure that they meet this. Don’t forget to check your pressures too – these will either be in the handbook or inside the fuel filler cap.
  • Check your brakes – When safe to do so move at a slow speed, press down on the brake pedal and ensure that there is a sufficient amount of return pressure.  If the pedal feels overly light or doesn’t effectively ‘bite’, it could be worth getting them checked out – garages are still open for key maintenance!
  • Check your oil – Necessary for ensuring that the engine operates smoothly, so keep it topped up and in good condition. To check simply open the bonnet, locate the dipstick, which usually has a bright yellow cap. Remove the dipstick, use a tissue to clear the oil on it and locate the indicator markings. Place the dipstick back in, remove again and see where the oil levels up to – it should be between the two indicators!
  • Test all your lights are working – If and when you do eventually have to drive test all your lights are working, as road visibility is key for your own safety and other drivers.
  • Keep washer fluid levels topped up – Make sure that your windscreen washer fluids are kept topped up so you can effectively clear the screen. Also assess the wipers!

Wash Your Car – this is vital

A clean exterior will help protect the paint. Hand-washing the car is the safest choice right now, using a dedicated car wash soap and sponge – try to use a separate sponge for the wheels and tyres or else you will just transfer the sand, brake dust.

Clean and disinfect the interior too! We recommend using automotive-specific cleansers, Isopropyl alcohol will kill the virus – vigorous washing with soap and water can destroy the coronavirus!

Other essential car care and maintenance…

Remember, cars don’t like to stay idle risks include; the battery losing charge, the tyres gaining flat spots and belts or wipers drying out. So try to run the engine once a week.

It is vital that your car is adequately sanitised or else you risk it carrying germs and bacteria, germs are easily transported from your hand to vital car parts – which can in fact cause the Coronavirus to spread.

All of the above are easy to action tips and simple ways to protect you and your vehicle during a troubled time. Stay safe everyone, please get in touch with us if you have any car queries!