Car Care Checklist for New Drivers
A new driver's car care checklist comes down to a few simple habits: check your tyres, lights, wipers and fluids regularly, wash the car every week or two (more often when the roads are salted), keep the glass clean inside and out, and give the interior a quick tidy each week. Start with a basic safe wash kit, a drying towel and a glass cleaner, and add to it as you go.
Just passed your test, or just got the keys to your first car? January is a good time to start good habits. The roads are wet, gritted and dark early, so a clean car with clear glass and decent tyres makes a real difference. None of this needs to take long. A little care every week keeps your car safer, nicer to drive and worth more when it is time to sell.
Weekly safety checks
Get into the habit of a quick walk around before a longer drive, and a proper check once a week. Your car's handbook has the details for your model.
- Tyre pressures. Check them when the tyres are cold, using the pressures in your handbook or on the sticker inside the driver's door or fuel flap.
- Tyre tread. The legal minimum in the UK is 1.6mm across the central three-quarters of the tread, all the way round. Look for cuts, bulges and uneven wear too.
- Lights. Check headlights, brake lights, indicators and fog lights. Ask someone to help with the brake lights, or reverse up to a garage door or window and look for the reflection.
- Wipers. If they smear or judder, the blades need replacing.
- Screenwash. Keep it topped up, and use a winter screenwash in cold weather so it does not freeze.
- Oil and coolant. Check the levels against the marks, with the engine off and the car on level ground.
How to wash your car the safe way
A careful hand wash keeps your paint looking good and stops you adding swirl marks, the fine scratches you see in bright light. The basic routine is:
- Wheels first. Spray on a wheel cleaner, give it a couple of minutes, agitate with a brush and rinse.
- Pre-wash. Spray a diluted citrus pre-wash onto the dry car, lower panels first. Let it dwell for 2 to 3 minutes, keep an eye on it so it does not dry, then rinse thoroughly.
- Two bucket wash. One bucket of shampoo, one of clean water for rinsing your sponge. Work from the roof down in straight lines with light pressure.
- Rinse. Rinse the whole car from the top down.
- Dry straight away. Use a large, soft drying towel. Never let the car air dry, as it leaves water spots.
For the full method, read our guide on how to avoid swirl marks when washing your car.
Clean glass, inside and out
Dirty glass is more than a looks problem. Low winter sun on a smeary windscreen can make it very hard to see. Clean the inside of the windscreen as well as the outside, as a film builds up on the inside from the heater and from breathing.
Use a streak-free glass cleaner such as Phoenix glass cleaner, which cuts through dirt, fingerprints and traffic film and is safe on all interior and exterior car glass. Use one clean microfibre cloth to clean and a second dry one to buff.
In frosty weather, clear all the glass fully before you drive, plus your mirrors and lights. Never pour hot water on a frozen windscreen, as the sudden change in temperature can crack it.
Keep the interior tidy
- Clear out the rubbish every week. Empty drinks bottles and food wrappers soon add up.
- Shake out the mats and hoover the carpets and seats.
- Wipe the dashboard and trims. Oni plastic dressing leaves the dashboard, fascia and vinyl with a long-lasting silky finish.
- Leather seats? Clean them with a leather cleaner and soft brush, then condition them so they stay soft. Our guide to cleaning leather car seats shows how.
- Keep it fresh. A quick spray of air freshener finishes the job.
Look after your tyres
Beyond the safety checks, clean tyres make the whole car look sharper. After you have washed the wheels, let the tyres dry, then apply a thin layer of tyre dressing. Bigfoot tyre and trim gel gives an instant wet-look shine, contains UV blockers to help protect rubber and plastic, and is formulated to last through numerous washes.
Winter road salt: the big one
Gritted roads cover your car in salt, and salt left sitting in the arches, sills and underside is bad news. In winter:
- Wash every week or two while the roads are being gritted.
- Pay most attention to the wheel arches, sills, lower panels and wheels.
- If you cannot do a full wash, rinse the arches and wheels on a mild day.
- Wash on days that are above freezing, and dry the door shuts and seals so they do not freeze shut overnight.
If salt is your main worry, the Winter Salt Kit is aimed at the arches, sills and wheels, with Cyclops Pro pre-wash, Vampire wheel gel, a drying towel and your choice of Satan or Ogre shampoo.
Our road salt removal guide covers where salt hides and how often to tackle it, and our guide to washing your car in freezing weather explains how to wash safely in the cold.
Your starter kit
You do not need a garage full of products. If you are spending Christmas money or a gift card, start with the basics and build from there.
- A safe wash kit. The Weekend Warrior Full Safe Wash Kit includes Cyclops Pro pre-wash, Ogre pH-neutral shampoo, Vampire wheel cleaning gel, Phoenix glass cleaner and a large twisted-loop drying towel. That covers wheels, pre-wash, wash, glass and drying in one box.
- Two buckets and a soft wash sponge or mitt for the contact wash.
- A few microfibre cloths for glass and the interior.
- A tyre pressure gauge and tread depth gauge. Both are cheap and take seconds to use.
Once you have the routine down, add a tyre dressing, an interior dressing and some protection for the paint.
A simple car care routine
- Every week: tyre, light and fluid checks, a tidy inside and clean glass.
- Every one to two weeks: a full safe wash, more often when the roads are salted.
- Every month or so: a proper interior clean and tyre dressing.
- Every few months: add or top up paint protection.
New driver car care: FAQs
How often should I wash my car?
Every week or two is a good routine. In winter, when the roads are gritted, try to rinse the salt off more often, even if a full wash is not possible.
What car cleaning products does a beginner need?
A pre-wash, a pH-neutral shampoo, a wheel cleaner, a glass cleaner and a large drying towel cover the basics. A starter kit is the easiest way to get them together.
What is the legal tyre tread depth in the UK?
1.6mm across the central three-quarters of the tread, around the whole tyre. Many drivers change tyres before they reach the limit.
Can I take my car through an automatic car wash?
You can, but brush car washes can leave fine swirl marks, especially on dark paint. A careful hand wash is kinder to the paint.
Why do my windows smear inside?
A film builds up on the inside of the glass over time. Clean it with a glass cleaner and buff it dry with a clean microfibre cloth.