I will totally own the fact that I’m super weird. Maybe it’s more of a guy thing and not so weird. Anyway, typically, I  really enjoyed taking care of my new car. I’ve only had it for less than 2 years but I found washing and waxing it to be incredibly relaxing for me. I want to take care of it because I’ve got a lot of money wrapped up into it. I also want my kids to know that it’s important that we take care of what we have. I think modeling that for them is important.

As a single parent, trying to get my kids through everything that’s been going on in the world around us, and the fact that the car had to be repainted, I got away from the routine maintenance that I had become accustomed to doing.

Anyway, I’m trying to a make up for lost time and spend some time taking care of the car before the winter sets in. Ohio winters can be brutal on cars and I want to make sure that I get several solid coats of wax on before the snow and salt become a part of our daily life.

I spent some time recently, detailing the outside of the car. Usually, as I enter the Fall, I put a coat of hybrid wax on it every weekend until the weather is too cold to continue. I’ll get the oil changed, clean the windows, check the fluids, and anything else that’s a good idea to check. I replace the windshield wiper blades, and make sure I have enough tire tread left to make it though. I just bought new tires eariler this year so we’re good there. I’d much rather be working on these things when it’s warm enough that I can still feel my fingers. The other thing is just safety. Taking car of some basic maintenance can help make navigation during the winter, much safer.

This year I’m having some electrical issues that need to get sorted out. One of the windows stopped working and yesterday, while running errands with my favorite person, I could hear an electronic switch constantly ticking. I think it’s related to the power windows but not sure. I’ve been very lucky in the sense that my brother is able to handle pretty much any repair I would need done. This is a huge win for me because newer cars are so much harder to work on. If I have an issue, I just reach out and set up a time to bring it by for him to check it out.

Not everyone is lucky enough to have a mechanic in the family. If I didn’t have access to this privilege, and it is totally a privilege, I would probably use something like RepairSmith. RepairSmith is the easiest way to repair and maintain your car. They offer upfront pricing, online booking, text and phone support, and a service warranty. The best part is their mechanics come to you. This would be a big win in the advent of COVID and not wanting to wait around in a crowded repair shops. They even have tips for Fall car care, which is really good timing considering the time of year it is.

It feels good to be getting thi gs caught up with the car. It’s the first nice car I’ve really ever owned and I want to keep it nice.