How to care for your car after you pass your test

Pass your test and you’ll be eager to take to the road and show everyone how safe you are behind the wheel.

One of the biggest plus points of driving is you have freedom to go where you want, when you like, in your very own car!

Once you pick your first little runabout you’ll want look after your new pride and joy and we suggest these simple care tips to keep your car looking good and working perfectly.

Shampoo and chamois

Keeping your car clean is the most obvious way to show you care about the vehicle’s appearance. You could run the vehicle through a car wash once a week but have a go at hand washing the car first.

Use car shampoo, hot water and a squishy sponge to liberally cover the bodywork in warm suds. It’s a great way to get to know your car and you can take great pride in your work afterwards.

Rinse with clean water and chamois the car dry to leave spotless results.

Wax and buff

Once you wash the bodywork why not give it a quick wax?

Wax on, leave to settle and wipe clean. See how sparkly the bodywork looks.

Wax your car a few times a year if you can. It’ll give the bodywork an extra level of protection  

Interior clean

You’ve cleaned the outside but what about the inside of the vehicle? The cabin of the car, door pockets and foot wells quickly fill with waste and this needs to be addressed as well.

Vacuum the carpets of the car, clear out bottles and crisp packets from door pockets and give the dash a wipe down with a damp chamois to remove dust.

Once the interior is clean pick a freshly scented air freshener, the interior will smell lovely and look gorgeous too.  

Oil and filter change

Okay, the bodywork is shiny and the interior of the car is dust-free, so what else is there left to do?

Looks are important but reliability is vital too.

Check the service schedule of the vehicle. Keep track of routine maintenance, have oil and filter changes when the time is right.

Washing and waxing ensures the exterior of the car looks great and regular servicing should prevent it from breaking down.

See how easy it is to look after you car?