It’s National Cleaning Week, and we couldn’t think of a better time of year for that than the beginning days of Spring!  We’re shaking out the dust bunnies and clearing out the clutter from our hibernation in our homes, garages, and yes, of course even our cars.  Today’s blog is all about sharing some seriously smart cleaning tips and hacks!  Our smart car cleaning tricks will keep those dollars in your wallet so you can put more gas in your tank and add more miles to your travel logs.  Get ready for road trip season with these professional level clean results on a pauper’s shoestring budget.

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Today is the International Day of Forests! We’ll be covering some of the beautiful forests of Lake County Illinois as part of our participation. So, hop in your new car from Classic of Waukegan because we’re going on a little adventure to get back in touch with nature!

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We’re celebrating the slightly chilly Spring Equinox with some helpful maintenance reminders for all vehicle owners with this handy Checklist of To-Do’s for Spring cleaning!

• Check your vehicle’s light bulbs.   Cold winter weather can take its toll on your lightbulbs and tail lights.  Do a quick once over on your car, and make sure that all of your car’s headlights and exterior lamps as well as interior lights are working properly at full brightness.  Properly working light bulbs and LEDs can increase your visibility during foggy, hazy weather and rain.
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• Change your cabin filter.  Springtime is notoriously bad for allergy sufferers, and the cabin air filter is a great way to clean the air and reduce pollen, mold, and other allergens in your car’s interior.  Consider adding a portable HEPA filter to your vehicle in the back seat or center console/cup holder to aid in filtering out allergens!
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• Stop ignoring your dashboard lights.  Bring your car in for a general tune-up and check-up and get a reading on all those blinking lights you keep trying to ignore.  Don’t wait until your car breaks down or strands you on your summer road trip!  Get things taken care of now, so you can enjoy all of your post-lockdown road trips with confidence.
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• Give your car a thorough exterior car wash to remove salt and grime, and be sure to detail your vehicle’s interior.  Make sure you have your car professionally cleaned to remove the winter muck and salt residue!  Next, be sure to get a good upholstery shampoo and vacuum on all of your car’s fabric, or bring it in to a local vehicle detailer.  If your car has a leather or leather-blend interior, it’s important to condition the fabric so it doesn’t crack or peel during hot weather months; consider applying a leather conditioner and protector to the surfaces.  Get into all the nooks and crannies to clear out the grit, grime, and gravel!  
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• Check your vehicle’s belts and hoses.  Cold and freezing temperatures can cause the rubber and plastics to crack or split, thus weakening their ability to move properly.  Save yourself a lot of money and aggravation by ensuring all belts and hoses are replaced before they cause your vehicle to stall or your engine seizes. Pop open the hood and take a look inside and ensure that all of the belts, hoses, and connections are in tip-top shape. If you notice cracks or wear-and-tear, call for a service appointment to have them replaced.
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• Top off your oil and do an oil change. Warm weather means lots of joy rides, so you may need an oil change sooner than you’d expect!  Make sure to book your regular oil change appointment, but also check with your service center to see if your vehicle needs a different higher temperature oil for the incoming warmer weather.
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• Replace wiper blades and apply hydrophobic coating to your windshield.  April Showers bring May Flowers, but it’s important to have clear visibility as you drive if you’d like to see the sights of springtime blooming around you!
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• Bring your car in for a general tune-up and check-up.  Don’t ignore your dashboard lights. Don’t wait until your car breaks down or strands you on your summer road trip!  Get things taken care of now, so you can enjoy all of your upcoming road trips with confidence.
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• Clean and wash your pet’s seat protectors, crate, and other transport items. Bringing your pets on the road with you is always a fun time, but it’s important to remember they track in a lot of dirt, gravel, grime, and build-up too!  Giving their car seats, seat covers, and other car accessories a thorough vacuuming, washing, and sanitizing can help remove allergens from your vehicle, as well as preparing you for more fun hiking and treks with your pup!

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In February, J.D. Power released the results of the J.D. Power 2024 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study, revealing Toyota returned to the top of the corporate rankings with a composite score of 146 (PP100) with 16 of 17 eligible Lexus or Toyota models ranking in the Top 3 of their segments.  

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It’s Super Mario Day, a special occasion every year on March 10th celebrating the iconic Nintendo game character. Today, we’re going to highlight one of our favorites in the franchise, which should come as no surprise is the infamous Mario Kart! The first game, Super Mario Kart, was released in Japan and North America in 1992, with a subsequent release in 1993, and has been winning our hearts over ever since.  We’ve all got our favorite Mario Kart Racer, of course, as we’re sure you do, too, but we bet you didn’t know that it was the first game to feature other playable characters from the Mario franchise besides Luigi and Mario!

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We love everything automotive themed, and sometimes that also includes toys and collectible versions.  It’s National Barbie Day, and we thought it would be the perfect time to explore the many different collectible cars our bold heroine has driven over the decades.   Our blonde-haired, pink clad, fashionista doll has hda some of the most iconic toy cars in history, and best of all they’re stylish, powerful, and entirely hers!  These are some of our favorites from her incredibly impressive garage collection.

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Today we’re sharing our tips and tricks about the 69th Annual 2024 St. Patrick’s Day Parade of Chicago, and best places to watch it along with other fun ways to celebrate the occasion!  The Chicago St Paddy’s Day Parade is the largest one in the whole US, and we’re very proud of that fact.  We’ll be covering where to catch the parade, more information about VIP access, and recommendations for local Irish eateries afterwards. It’s all right here on today’s blog.

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Today is National Safety Day, and we thought it would be a great idea to share some descriptions of different car safety features on the market today.  We understand that buying and shopping or cars is not part of our customer’s daily lives, and not everyone is as familiar with the terminology and lingo of the field!  We hope our guide will help you learn more about these important tech and safety features so you can get the most out of your vehicle.

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Spring is just around the corner, and we’re so excited!  This month we’re celebrating with some fun events for an enjoyable and exciting Spring Break, jampacked with day trips, weekends events, and plenty of fun in the fresh air.  If you’re looking for something to entertain the kids and have some family togetherness, we’ve also got a lot of fantastic options for you, too!

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Today we’re celebrating Today we’re not only celebrating women’s history month but also Read Across America Day with a wonderful selection of wanderlust inspired books.  These four fabulous travel and road trip themed books penned by women authors will have you riveted.  So load up your kindle and stack up your Audible wishlist because these book are here to inspire your own bucket list travel goals

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