Owning a car is a costly business. Insurance, road tax, MOT, servicing, repairs, petrol, it all adds up. We only have one car at our house and because I use it for work and the school runs, I am the one that drives it almost every day. When it comes to keeping the car clean and tidy, I’m not the best but in terms of routine maintenance I try my (with help from my partner) hardest to make sure that I keep on top of keeping the car at its best.

Keep up regular checks

It’s worked out that we have our annual service and MOT about six months apart which means that we can get our car checked over at the beginning of winter and then again at the beginning of summer. This also means that if there are routine repairs or tyres to replace then it works out better financially as our spending is more spread out.

It’s really important to take your car for a service at least once a year, not only to make sure it’s running safely but also because if you decide to sell it in the future, having a full service history will be an important selling point because it shows that the car has been looked after. You can book your car in online or over the phone now at an Iverson Tyres Middlesex Branch at a time and date that suits you.

The most important things to check for us are the tyres, lights, oil, antifreeze, brakes and windscreen wipers (including screen wash). We try to do this about once a month and especially if we’re going on a long journey.  We also try to make sure we clean the car outside and in at least every six weeks. (We find it hard to keep up with our neighbours who clean theirs at least once a week sometimes more in summer!)

Tips from fellow bloggers:

I asked some fellow bloggers for their top tips on how they keep their cars in great condition:

Katy from Katy Kicker said: Check your tyres regularly. Firstly check the air levels but also check for excessive wear or any nails / other damage that could cause a blow out or puncture further down the line. Often problems can be fixed if you don’t let them get bad, saving you money and potentially your life too!

Pete from Household Money Saving said: I check the oil, coolant and washer fluid levels every month. It’s very easy to do and only takes a few minutes.

Sarah from Just Buttons Blog said: I always check that my lights are working. If you’re alone you can check your brake lights by reversing up against a wall or garage and look out for the reflection/wall to light up red.

Sinead from Sinead Latham said: Don’t forget about your coolant (antifreeze) just as important as the other checks. Not an expensive or time consuming task to do, just ensure you’ve checked your manual for the correct colour (usually pink or blue) required.

Veronica from My Parenting Journey said: I do the blowbag checklist (battery.light.oil.water.brakes.air.gas). These for me are the basics and should never be ignored. Makes me feel safe and comfortable whenever ride my car, especially with kids around.

Hollie from Thrifty Mum said: Clean off Bird poo as soon as you spot it. The acid in the poo can penetrate the paint and cause the area to rust quickly.

Carla-Marie from My Bump 2 Baby said: Once a month I have a car day where I literally check everything and fill water, oil, coolant and tyres. It then gets washed and hoovered and its like new again.

Kerry from Money Saving Journeys recommends: Use baby wipes to clean the interior.

Kelly-Anne from Mimi Rose and Me said: Whenever we go away we always have a list of things we like to check before we go. But in that list something that we would always over look are checking the tyres. Something we regret on our last trip, we burst a tyre and had to wait 3 hours to be picked up. So now it’s the first thing we check.

Clare from Freddies Mummy UK said: I have to say I am terrible at this and completely leave it down to my hubby! But he makes sure he checks tyre pressure at least every other month.

Thank you for reading. Leave me a comment below with what you do to keep your car in the best condition.

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