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Looking for a few items to fill the stockings of the drivers in your family?
Car care products are especially useful for drivers who like to handle their own car interior and exterior car care. Driving accessories offer helpful aids to make holiday driving more fun. Safety accessories come in handy any time of year.
Giving drivers a few winter accessories helps drivers of any age weather the storm no matter where they travel this holiday season and throughout the New Year.
CAR CARE
These items may fit into the “ho hum” category but are excellent choices for the do-it-yourselfer and others who want a clean rig for the holidays.
Microfiber towels. These convenient towels are essential for all drivers and especially those who like to perform their own car care duties. Towels with deep fibers or plush patterns are best suited for gentle tasks, like wiping or polishing a layer of clear coat. Towels with shorter, looped fibers are best for washing and scrubbing. Avoid brake grime contamination by using a different towel on vehicle painted surfaces and wheels.
Vehicle brushes. Brushes remove dirt and debris that could cause long-term damage to paint and finishes. Bristles vary in texture to handle different tasks. Brushes are especially useful on wheels, tires and upholstery. Nylon and soft plastic bristles are ideal for cleaning fabric and paint. Coarser bristles are better suited for tires and removing brake dust.
Set of rubber floor mats. Help the adventurous driver, especially families with new vehicles, protect carpeted floors with removable mats. Look for ones fitted to the specific make and model of your vehicle and button into the existing floor snaps.
Gift certificate. Is your guy or gal not a fan of do-it-yourself car care? Get a gift certificate to a vehicle retailer. Ask your service advisor to recommend some suggestions. Some mobile detailing services bring their expertise to your driveway.
WINTER DRIVING
Driving gloves. Look for the right glove for the lifestyle of your family road warrior. Do they need gloves to keep their hands warm? Gloves for weekend driving on the local track? Gloves for better grip when touring winding roads? Utility gloves for road emergencies?
Each of the driving styles means a different choice. Track gloves won’t help drivers change a tire in a rainstorm. Nor will winter gloves provide sports-like grip. No matter what the choice, gloves are easy to stow and come in handy year-round.
Seat warmer. Help owners of older vehicles enjoy one of the industry’s modern conveniences. Heated seat covers include fasteners and connect to the auxiliary outlet. They warm up quickly to make driving more luxurious when running holiday morning errands.
Heated car blanket. Extra warmth is always good for passengers who don’t have access to heated seats. But they also give you emergency protection when stranded in inclement weather. They come with cords that plug into your vehicle auxiliary port and also as battery-operated units with USB connections. Some are waterproof and windproof.
Storage case for the trunk. Don’t let your holiday excursions turn your vehicle into a storage locker. Restore order with a cargo case. These accessories are ideal for keeping useful--but rarely used items--accessible. Flashlights, flares, first-aid kits and other emergency roadside accessories can be stored in these.
Electric cooler/heater. Bypass those fast-food outlets with an electric storage bin that keeps food and drinks at a stable temperature. They stow conveniently behind the seat and plug into the vehicle’s auxiliary power outlet.
WINTER SAFETY ACCESSORIES
Ice and snow accessories. Windshield ice removal has gone hi tech with heated units that make the job easier. Handheld ice removal units run off your vehicle’s auxiliary port or provide cordless power with rechargeable batteries.
Windshield covers keep your vehicle ice and snow free overnight. Some have magnetic attachments to help keep them in place. Others attach to side mirrors.
Or go old school and never worry about running out of power. Snow scraper mitts and snow blades are effective tools that stow in a glovebox or under the seat. Telescoping snow brushes help you reach over the hood and roof.
Wiper blades. The flexibility of winter blades can help keep your family safe when traveling. They are designed with special rubber compounds. For temperate climates consider products that use hydrophobic synthetic materials that repel water.
Rechargeable headlamp. Stopping in remote areas, looking under the hood or changing a tire presents a challenge on a dark winter night. Headlamps give your favorite drivers a bright view of the landscape and allow other drivers to see them in an emergency. Look for ones that may be connected to your vehicle’s USB port.
Dash camera. Icy roads and blurred winter vision compounds problems with distracted drivers and signal-light runners. Video can provide an important eyewitness view in the event of an accident.
Vehicle Safety kit. Antilock brakes, airbags and traction control do not help when your vehicle is stranded. Make sure your winter road warrior has a well-stocked safety kit. Include flares, hand warmers, a snow shovel and extra batteries for the electronic devices.
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