There are a lot of car care myths out there. We’ve shared a few in recent months, and this month, we have two more!
Myth #1. Rolling down the windows is bad for gas mileage. As the weather improves, people love to roll the windows and put down the top, but what happens when you do? Does your fuel economy really take a hit? What about running the A/C? They actually tested this myth on the Discovery Channel show “MythBusters” and found the truth.
Here’s the good news: Rolling down the windows does not have any effect on gas mileage. It doesn’t matter how fast you’re going. However,
running the A/C on full blast on a hot day (85 degrees F or more) can drop your gas mileage by 1–4 miles per gallon. Running the A/C on a lower setting doesn’t have a noticeable difference. So, do what you like! The comfort of the drive is what matters most.
Myth #2. You can use any towel or cloth to clean the surface of your car. We touched on this topic in our March edition of the newsletter when we talked about pollen and car paint (pollen is bad news for paint!). As more people wash and clean their cars this spring, many reach for a towel to wipe away excess water to help get rid of water spots. But does it matter what kind of towel or cloth you reach for?
In this case, yes, it does. Some types of cloth are more abrasive than others. They can even trap particles on their woven surface, and those particles are then dragged across the surface of your car. The worst offenders include old T-shirts. The best choice for the job is the microfiber terry cloth towel. It’s absorbent and pulls particles away from the car surface. Just be sure to wash them after each use.