Teens and First Cars - A How To Guide

Make sure you're setting them up for safety right from the start.

1. Choose the Right Car

Let's face it, if you left the decision up to your teen, you would probably end up with either a huge SUV or a suped up sports car, neither of which is particularly safe for a young, new driver. However, there are plenty of options out there to make both you and your teen happy. And with the right research, you can find a car that is not only fun to drive, but also safe and reliable, too.

Choosing a midsize car is the best way to go, according to The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety and the Insurance Information Institute. Depending on your budget, you can opt for either a new or used model - just make sure the car is in good condition with updated safety features like airbags and electronic stability control. Also, you'll want to check out crash test and safety ratings before making your final purchase.

Fuel efficiency is another important factor to consider, especially in today's economy. Unless you're willing to cover the cost of filling your son or daughter's tank each week, buying your teen a gas guzzler is probably not a good idea.

2. Get the Best Auto Insurance Rate

The truth is that no matter what car you choose, insuring your teen driver will increase your auto insurance rates. But there are some things that you can do to make these costs as manageable as possible. In fact, another great reason to opt for safety first at the car dealership is that it can help keep your auto insurance premiums down. Because safer cars tend to have a lower accident risk, they are usually less expensive to insure.

Another way to get the best auto insurance rates possible is to scope out potential discounts. If your teen is a full-time student, for instance, he or she may be eligible for a good student discount. Researching your options beforehand will help you to make an informed decision when trying to find the right car for your teen.

3. Set Boundaries

Choosing a good car and purchasing the right auto insurance are only the first steps in keeping your teen safe on the road. Talking with your teen about safe driving and setting clear rules and guidelines are also important. To ensure that your teen stays safe behind the wheel, you can:

• Limit the number of passengers your teen can have in his or her car at any one time;
• Establish a "no cell phone" policy to ensure that your teen does not text or call while driving;
• Discuss what to do in cases of emergency, including accidents and adverse weather conditions.

Expert Tips on How to Accomplish Interior Detailing

Car detailing means going way beyond the usual washing and vacuuming. When accomplishing the job, you have to heed the tiny details, such as swirl marks, stain, scratches, dents and other surface imperfections. Removing these imperfections will result in making your vehicle look show-worthy and visually appealing. If you want to detail your car, begin with the interior. Here are a few tips on how you can accomplish interior detailing: 

•    Remove floor mats and vacuum the floor, upholstery, rear space, trunk and mats. Slide the seat back and forward to vacuum the underneath carpet properly. While dusting, start from the top and slightly work your way down. Dust and dirt settled on the top will fall down.

•    Apply a foam cleanser to clean the carpets or upholstery stains. After cleansing the carpets, rub them with a damp piece of cloth or sponge. Repeat if the stains don’t remove properly. After your final cleaner application, wash the area and blot it properly. Try to get as much dampness from the fabric as much as you can. This is so because excesses of dampness may promote molding and/or mildew.

•    If required, repair carpet holes, burns or small permanent stains.

•    To remove dust from the buttons, crevices and tiny slots on the dash and interior doors, use compressed air. 

•    Use a mild all-purpose cleaner to wipe hard interior surfaces.

•    Clean car air vent grilles using detailing brushes. Use a super-absorbent brush that picks dust and dirt efficiently, if you’re not going to use liquid afterward.

•    While cleaning seats, different methods are used as they can be made from different materials. You can either wash them or simply wipe with a damp piece of cloth or sponge, depending of the type of seat. No matter whatever you do with the seat, don’t forget to vacuum out the seat or surrounding after cleaning.

•    If you have an interior with nylon or other cloths, you can shampoo it with a wet-vac extraction machine. After extraction, dry the cloth properly.

•    Leather or vinyl interiors should cleaned with a leather or vinyl cleaner. Afterward, you can wipe away the cleaner with a microfiber cloth.

Interior detailing is a labor-intensive and time-consuming job, which requires utmost care and high efficiency. Can you do it on your own? Of course you can!