A person’s first car is a major milestone. It’s a sign of independence and mobility. Taking care of your first car can feel daunting, but it doesn’t have to be a major task. If you’re not one to baby your vehicle, consider these quick tips for keeping your car in shape so that it will be around for you through college, your first, job, and beyond.

Keep up with oil changes. When you get busy, you’ll be tempted to skip oil changes or let it slip way past the recommended miles, but regular oil changes are essential to keeping your vehicle’s motor in good condition. For the first oil change, if the car dealer didn’t tell you, check your owner’s manual, after that, you can keep an eye on the oil change reminder sticker that the mechanic will place on the inside of you windshield.

Clean off bugs and bird droppings. If you’re not meticulous about your car’s appearance, a bit of extra dirt probably won’t hurt much. Bird droppings, smashed bugs, and major debris will dull the paint, especially if you give them the chance to bake in with the Florida sun.

Make an effort to clean the inside once a month. Fast food wrappers, receipts, and beverage bottles are a fact of life for most young people. Leaving trash to rot inside your car, though, can attract bugs. In addition to throwing out the trash, take a damp cloth and wipe down the interior, you’ll be happy you did in the long run.

Take care of windshield chips and cracks immediately. It may be tempting to ignore small windshield chips and cracks, but your windshield is a major safety feature of your car, and cracks can damage the integrity of the glass. There’s also no telling when a tiny chip will turn into a major crack. It could be when your car is safely sitting outside your home, or it could be while you’re driving down the road at 70mph. Get it taken care of so it doesn’t become an issue.

For convenient service and people who will work with your insurance company for you, come to Suncoast Auto Glass for your windshield repair and replacement needs.