There is much debate over the use of nitrogen in tires versus filling tires with regular air from a pressure pump. Some experts say using nitrogen can improve your gas mileage and are not as susceptible to changes in temperature.

Let’s weigh the benefits of nitrogen, as well as some of the drawbacks of using the gas for your vehicle’s tires.

Benefit: Nitrogen is Dependable

Nitrogen has long been used to inflate air craft tires and tires of some of the world’s fastest race cars. Its reliability in these industries means its use in conventional autos would be trustworthy for the typical driver.

Drawback: Not Too Different From Normal Air Inflation

One argument against using nitrogen in tire inflation is that regular air is already 78% nitrogen, so inflating tires with nitrogen only would make little difference to your tires.

Benefit: Nitrogen Increases Gas Mileage

Some proponents of nitrogen inflation argue that using nitrogen in tires can help with gas mileage. Rolling resistance is reduced with properly inflated tires, and so using nitrogen can help increase gas mileage by as much as 3%

Drawback: Nitrogen Inflation can be Costly

Unlike typical air inflation, nitrogen inflation is a specialized service and often costs money. While you can fill your tires with air at a gas station for little to no money, getting your tires inflated with nitrogen can cost between $10-40 per tire, depending on the auto shop.

Conclusion

There is much controversy about nitrogen tire inflation, so do your research! If anything, learning about nitrogen tire inflation will help remind you to check the pressure in your tires and inflate them if necessary.

Messy foods, dirty shoes and sticky seats are just a few messes that can happen when you travel with children.

Whether you take them to their ball game or on a long trip, encouraging your children to take care of their messes in your car is important. These habits not only help them keep your car in better condition, but teach children the importance of cleaning up after themselves.

There are a number of ways you can teach your children better habits when it comes to keeping your vehicle clean. Here are a few suggestions:

Lead by Example

If you want your children to have well-established clean car habits, you ought to start with practicing them yourself. Keep your area clear and empty the trash when necessary. Establish a clean car routine that includes car washes and maintenance. Talk to your kids about why you take good care of your car so they understand what you are doing.

Demonstrate Ways To Help

To take good car cleaning habits a step forward, teach your children the proper ways to take care of the car. This may include keeping their seats clean, washing the car and removing trash, among other habits. If children know they can help, they will be more likely to contribute to having a cleaner family vehicle.

Continue Good Habits Long-Term

Teaching good habits is not enough. It is important to create habits that can be practiced for years to come. Recognize that there will be times when your vehicle gets messy and you do not have the time to clean it. Time can be limited, so as long as your realize you can get back into good habits, you will be able to maintain a clean car with the help of your children!

It’s during these times it’s a good idea to consider one of the Detail Services that Swift Wash has to offer! There’s no harm in having someone help you out with car cleaning. Reduce stress and contact Swift Wash today!

Undoubtedly the harshest season on your car’s floor mats, winter can bring salt, snow, dirt and more into your vehicle. When spring gets here, you may have other spring cleaning chores that take precedence, but don’t forget those floor mats!

Here are some tips to remember when cleaning your floor mats come spring!

 Remove Heavy Deposits

When you clean your car mats, first take them out and shake them, removing heavy, ground-in dirt, dust, or food crumbs that might have built up in the winter. Using a brush is a good way to remove debris, as is beating the mat with a tennis racket or broom. It might be a little messy as dust fills the air, but it’s necessary for clean floor mats!

Soak Mats in a Soap and Water Solution

Next, fill a large plastic container with a soap and water mixture. Use laundry detergent for the best results. Soak the mats overnight, then take a brush with stiff bristles to any tough stains that have not come out. A second soak may be necessary.

Drying Methods for Car Mats

Make sure the mats dry completely to avoid any mold or mildew forming before you place them back in your car. Leave them out in the sun, but lay them with the carpet side down to avoid the sun fading the carpets. A quicker method to drying mats is to use a wet/dry vacuum to soak up the excess water.

Take your car to Swift Wash for easier cleaning inside and out!

High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes encourage carpooling by requiring a minimum number of car occupants, but also inspire a healthy number of detractors who try to game the system: A man who was caught last week with a skeleton in his passenger seat represents a growing epidemic of motorists concocting schemes to avoid the increasing traffic in metropolitan areas.

Drivers are willing to go to all extremes to secure a speedier trip in the HOV lanes. On the show “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” Larry David famously picks up a prostitute to sit in the passenger seat so that he can get to a Dodgers game more quickly in the speedier lane.

But beyond the televised interpretation of this phenomenon, the reality can be comical as well.

Some pregnant women, for example, according to police, assert that their unborn fetus constitutes an extra passenger, justifying their right to use the HOV lanes. Candace Dickinson, an Arizona woman who had been fined $367 for driving solo in the HOV lane in 2005 when she was pregnant, is one who tried that defense and failed. The Phoenix Municipal Court found that a “common sense” interpretation of the law holds each person must occupy a separate space in the vehicle.

People go to all sorts of extremes–even putting make-up on mannequins, and stuffing their clothing with newspaper in an attempt at realism. In especially high-traffic areas like greater Los Angeles, Washington DC and Boston where rush-hour traffic is fierce, police still, from time to time, find violators with blow-up dolls, kickboxing dummies, cardboard cut-outs and mannequins. An even easier ploy still being tried–dolls in baby car seats.

“You hear about people using dummies every once in awhile but never skeletons!” said Robert Sinclair Jr., manager of media relations for AAA New York. “I don’t think the use of dummies is widespread but they certainly get lots of attention when they are discovered.”

Enforcement, though, is necessary.

“If they are not enforced widespread violations occur and the effectiveness of the lane is greatly reduced,” Sinclair said. “I think that NJ had a problem with enforcement on their HOV lanes and this was another contributing to them being dropped there back in the 1990s.”

The questionable efficacy of HOV lanes

HOV lanes not only accommodate cars with multiple passengers, but drivers of electric cars in some markets. Some areas, such as Los Angeles and Washington DC at one time gave HOV stickers out to owners of hybrid cars to encourage purchase. But too many hybrid sales actually clogged the lanes. The cars that still have the stickers sell for a premium on the used car market.

The benefits of HOV lanes are widely questioned, both from a commuter efficiency perspective and an environmental one.

“There is an understandable backlash against HOV lanes in many large urban areas,” said Robert Poole, director of transportation policy at the Reason Foundation. “The problem is that most of these HOV lanes are either too full or too empty.”

“HOV lanes are not an effective way of reducing air pollution and could possibly increase pollution by causing more cars to idle in traffic in the non-HOV lanes,” said John Nothdurft, director of government relations at The Heartland Institute. “If the purpose of these lanes is to lessen air pollution or reduce traffic then they have failed and states should look at different alternatives such as congestion pricing. One version of this is to convert the typical HOV lanes over to High-Occupancy Toll (HOT) lane.” Such lanes would charge those driving alone more than those cars with multiple passengers.

The number of people taking advantage of carpooling is limited. The 2000 U.S. Census found that some 12% of commuters carpool to work. Commuters have upped the ante by in the intervening decade with 518,520 drivers sharing 7,776 vehicles through 27 programs in the U.S., according to University of California, Berkeley researcher Susan Shaheen.

[Article courtesy: AOL Autos]