Keeping Your Rental Car Clean And Healthy

Getting a car rental is a great way to save money if you only need a vehicle for a finite period of time, or if you flat out can’t afford to own one yourself. However, it only represents a good financial move if you look after the vehicle while it is in your care – and if you damage it through neglect or reckless driving, or return it covered in empty food packets and dirt; then you’ll be charged for the damage and cleaning costs.

To begin with, to avoid being charged you need to ensure that car rentals are in good condition when you get them. Look for any damage to the paint work or body of the car and make sure the car rental company are aware of this before you part ways to make sure you aren’t held responsible. In most cases you shouldn’t have to worry however as the car should be in close to perfect condition to begin with.

You should also check for petrol, oil, water, tyre pressure. The reasons for this are that a) driving without petrol or oil can damage the engine (and without tyre pressure can cost you petrol), and b) it is usual to return your car rental with similar levels of each. If you hold on to the car for a long period of time then you should make sure to do this on a regular basis – it can be tempting to overlook such matters when you don’t own the car yourself.

To look after car rentals in other ways is very similar to looking after your own car and maintaining safety on the road. Avoid driving when tired or in bad weather conditions and stop regularly at service stations on the motor way. If you feel yourself starting to flag then have a cup of strong coffee and/or try opening a window. Similarly, make sure you stick to the speed limit.

Where possible avoid driving over gravel as this car cause small stones to fly up and get caught in the engine or chip the paint work. Similarly avoid large puddles which can again damage the engine, and speed bumps which can put unnecessary stress on the suspension; when you do go through such obstacles then drive slowly to minimise damage. Again this goes for your own cars as well as car rentals, but when the car doesn’t belong to you it’s even more important to avoid causing small amounts of damage.

Finally, when returning your car rental, ensure that you have thoroughly cleaned the inside and outside of the vehicle. To do so you will need to completely remove the floor mats and go around the inside with a vacuum cleaner. At the same time wash the exterior of the car with soapy water and rinse down with clear water (which will prevent soapy marks). Pay particular attention to the windscreens as their very nature means they’re susceptible to getting a lot of dirt on them, and clean these from both the inside and outside. Make sure your windscreen washer is topped up at all times to prevent dirt from building up.

By: Nicholas Coppola

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The author works for Car rental London, to rent a vehicle visit Car rental agency Paris.