When it comes to vehicles, the perpetual attention to their internal health and exterior appearance has become a chief concern nationwide. Now more than ever, vehicular perfection is not only a personal goal but a necessary obligation. Car door scratch prevention is no laughing matter. At best, scratches are an irritation.

But seriously though, the car industry is in a very apparent state of flux, a flux that is ironically fueled by the cost of the energy essential to its existence. This flux has incited our country’s once-leading car manufacturers to reconstruct their business philosophies in a manner proving more conducive to the current energy efficient consumer habits. The ramifications of these new consumer habits, motivated by the all encompassing force to become as green as possible, can be seen most commonly in the recent rates of vehicle trade ins.

Within all of the current turmoil, there exists a very confused and concerned you and me. Should we trade in our older vehicle for one that adopts or integrates some sort of alternative energy and is more carbon dioxide emission friendly? What we ultimately choose to do is irrelevant, for, as we members of a new, more environmentally aware and prepared consumer population, we must uphold our obligation to keeping our current vehicle in tip top shape. One day we might need to trade it in, and if that day comes, its trade in value needs to be preserved to as close as the original purchase price as possible.

Therefore, we bring you a list of do-it-yourself recommendations one should consider before presenting their vehicle to today’s potential buyers, be they dealerships or individuals.

Do-it-yourself-ers

• Don’t eat or drink in your vehicle. Like it or not, spills, even if they are only slightly detectable after a rigorous shampooing, can depreciate the resale value of your car.
• Don’t smoke in your car. The aroma of smoke loves to linger for a considerable amount of time. (A common trick of resale dealers is to subject the closed-up car interior to an electrical ozone generator; the result: the smoke smell is gone, but all of the interior bright color finish is now dulled by the concentrated dose of ozone).
• Keep your vehicle out of direct sunlight as often as possible to preserve the shine and evenness of the color pigment of your auto’s the paint job. Park that vehicle in a garage whenever you can.
• Invest in either the two or four door Scratch Pad. Buyers can tell when dents and scratches have been rubbed out with chemicals or when touch up paint has been applied. Car door scratch prevention will prove essential maintaining your car’s resale value.
• Drive it smoothly; avoid abusive accelerations and ‘drop of the anchor’ braking. Be nice to those gears and the pedals, because buyers love the absence of internal mechanical wear and tear.