Planning a Barbecue with your Car-Loving Buds!

Having a barbecue with your car-loving buds could be a lot of fun especially if planned right. And what can be more fun than taking a ride together and ending it with a great meal?

The first thing you need to do is to have one person in charge of the planning. This way nothing is overlooked. This person will be in charge of who is bringing what to the barbecue.

After you have chosen a person to be in charge of the planning the next thing you need to decide is the location of your barbecue. You have to choose a place where there is ample room for all of the cars. You could even choose a place where you can line up your cars and pop open the hoods having a mini car show.

Have a four-hour window of time so that no one is stressing about being late or too early. You also have to figure out how many people will be attending. This is the basis for how much food will be needed.

Decide what kind of barbecue do you want to have. Do you want hamburgers and hot dogs or do you want to do a traditional barbecue of brisket? If you decide to smoke a brisket then you need to have someone in charge of the smoker – and you’ll want to make sure that you have the best electric smoker for the job. Hot dogs and hamburgers or even chicken are the easiest to do.

Once the food is chosen then come the drinks. Most barbecues consist of sodas, lemonades, wine, and beer. Instead of having someone bring these you can have everyone chip in and someone to go buy the drinks and ice them down. If there are children there be sure to bring some juice drinks for them.

The rule of thumb is two to three items for each person. Such as three hamburgers and three drinks. Deserts can be something easy like cookies. Brownies also make a great dessert. Stay away from things that have to be heated up.

Each person on the list can bring a dish to go along with the meat. They will be responsible for bringing their dish. This is where one planner really comes into play by making sure that different dishes are being contributed and that not everyone brings the same thing. Just make sure the dishes are things that do not have to be served hot. This is really important if the barbecue is held in a park or on a beach.

Be sure to have on the list a person whose job it is is to bring utensils like paper plates, cups, cutlery, and napkins. If having music put one person in charge of this. Also, have a group who is responsible for cleaning up the debris after the barbecue is over.

The person in charge should be sure to follow-up twice after all the decisions have been made. This will ensure that the barbecue will come together smoothly. Keeping thing simple is the most important part.

This could be an annual summer event for all your car-loving buds and their families. It makes for a great time to check out all the cars and enjoy the camaraderie of friends.

Best Practices and Tips for Cleaning Your Car at Home

Keeping your car clean is important and not always easy, but cleaning your car at home is best! You may think all there is to keeping your car clean is a quick rinse, sudsy wash and drying it with a towel, but there is much more to keeping it clean and doing it the right way. Keep in mind, newer cars may take less work than older cars and each type or model of car may need different car cleaning methods and products.

Before starting the cleaning process, purchase microfiber cloths and separate them for use – one set for the exterior wash, for wheels and for windows. Also, purchase sponges or car mitts and compatible cleaning materials for the brand of vehicle and for chrome vs. aluminum wheels. Now, for the best practices for cleaning your car at home:

1. First, rinse your entire car to remove excess dirt and buildup to prevent scratches.

2. Next, wash the wheels with a safe cleaner for all wheels, then use a brush for washing the tires. When finished, empty the buckets and rinse all of your cleaning materials. Alternatively, an electric pressure washer can make quick work of the tires. Check out thebestelectricpressurewasher.com for more info.

3. Use car washing soap and add to a clean bucket of water. Since the bottom part is dirtiest, with a clean car mitt, wash the windows and the top half, all around the car, then wash the lower half. Another bucket with clean water should be used to continually rinse your car mitt or sponge, so dirt won’t grind into your paint, making scratch marks. Extra scrubbing and cleaner may be needed for bugs, tar and other spots.

4. After checking out the results of your fantastic washing job, it’s time for rinsing! There are two options: using a nozzle to spray off the suds or no nozzle, called the “sheeting method” (experts recommend), to allow water to slide off, giving a more thorough rinse.

5. Next comes the drying part. Always dry your car to prevent water spots – never air dry! Using a microfiber towel or a synthetic chamois, dry the windows and mirrors first, then work your way around, top to bottom. Next use another microfiber towel to dry your wheels.

6. If a coat of wax is not being applied after this wash, finish the process by protecting your exterior with a wax or spray sealant to give a shiny appearance.

Cleaning the interior:

1. Remove the floor mats and clean thoroughly using a scrub brush and a cleaning solution mixed in water, then let air dry.

2. Vacuum the upholstery and floors. If cloth upholstery, you may need to do some spot cleaning first; for leather, use a cleaner specifically for leather.

3. To clean and protect the vinyl, use a spray or cream cleaner with a soft cloth.

Some final tips: To protect the paint and prevent splotches, never wash your car in direct sunlight or when it’s too hot! Don’t think of it as work: enjoy the outdoors

and HAVE FUN!!