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    Buzzword: Auto Hygiene

    Consumer Reports News: March 03, 2009 10:57 AM



    Ever get offered a ride with a friend or coworker, only to be repulsed by their car's interior? Poor "auto hygiene" is more than a social stigma. It can reduce your vehicle's value and potentially have health implications, especially if your back seat resembles a trash can.

    Just as you maintain your own appearance, proper car care conveys an attention to detail and an air of responsibility—positive qualities that can enhance the pride of ownership. To allow dust and garbage to accumulate, window smudges and coffee spills to languish, and floor mats to resemble your child's sandbox is not just shameful, but over time, such lax care can actually wear out the car quicker as well as detract from the vehicle's worth. A quick, shiny spray-on dash treatment won't mask the mountains of doughnut crumbs in the car seat crevices and lingering French fry odor.

    Take good care of your car, inside and out. You will not only be more satisfied with it, but when it comes time to sell, it will be easier to prepare and you may command a higher price. And with people reporting a desire to hold on their vehicle longer than in the past, a rigorous car care regimen can enhance the ownership experience for years to come.

    Learn more about automotive hygiene:
    Detailing the interior
    Car washing do's & don'ts
    Car wax

    Jeff Bartlett


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