Protect Your Car from the Sun and Heat

If you don’t take the proper precautions, the sun can severely damage key components of your vehicle. In fact, it’s not uncommon for the exterior of cars to reach 90^◦ C when exposed to direct sunlight in the summer. This amount of heat can not only wreak havoc on your car’s finish, but its interior as well.

To protect your vehicle, keep in mind the following tips:

• Park in the shade. This is the best way to avoid direct sunlight, which will keep your interior and exterior from drying and cracking.
• Use a windshield sun protector. These affordable products keep the inside of your car cool and help prevent sun damage.
• Install seat covers. Seat covers are a great way to protect leather and fabric seats. Better still, these covers can help keep your seats cool.
• Wash and dry your exterior often. Sun and heat can fade and crack the paint of your car. Frequent washing and hand drying helps remove dirt and dust particles that can cause issues to a vehicle’s finish.
• Wax your car. Waxing your car adds an extra layer of protection from ultraviolet rays. How often a car needs a wax job varies, but it is best to do it on a regular basis.
• Check your tire pressure. Hot pavement and underinflated tires can easily lead to blowouts, which can be expensive to fix. Even good tires can lose about one pound of air pressure a month, so it’s important to check them often. Be sure to follow your vehicle manufacturer’s recommended tire pressure.

Removing Bedbugs from the Home

Bedbugs are small, parasitic insects that bite people while they sleep and feed on their blood. While most infestations are located in hotels, homes and hospitals, any building with carpet, fabric or furniture is at risk of an infestation.

Although bedbugs are not known to spread disease, they can cause painful, itchy welts. Because of this, it’s important to learn how to spot bedbugs and understand how to get rid of them. The following are just a few bedbug removal strategies to keep in mind:

• Bag and launder affected items. Wash and dry items on the hottest settings.
• Use a steamer or similar device on affected items to kill the bedbugs.
• Vacuum your house and dispose of the bag in a sealed trash bag.
• Call a professional pest control firm.

A combination of the above methods is the best way to rid your home of bedbugs. In some cases, it may be best to discard affected items altogether.

Child Safety Seat Tips That Can Save Lives

Child safety seats, when installed and used correctly, can prevent injuries and save lives. In fact, young children who are properly restrained in car and booster seats have a much lower risk of suffering a devastating or fatal injury compared to those who are unrestrained.

The following are some safety tips (broken down by the age range of your child) to keep in mind:

Infants

• Use a convertible seat that faces the rear of the vehicle.
• Do not use a safety seat in the front of your vehicle where an airbag is present.

Toddlers (1 to 4 years old)

• Use a face-forward convertible seat, forward-facing only seat or high-back booster seat and harness.
• Secure the seat using lower anchors and tethers included with the seat.

Young Children (4 to 8 years old)

• Use a belt-positioning booster or high-back belt-positioning booster.
• Use the lap and shoulder seatbelt of your vehicle.

Using a child safety seat correctly is the key to keeping your child safe in the event of an accident. If the seat is not installed properly, it may not protect your child in a crash.

Tips for Safe RV Usage

Recreational vehicles (RVs) can be a fun way to enjoy nature and spend time with your family. However, because they’re bigger and heavier than an average car, there are additional hazards that come with owning and operating an RV.

Many RV accidents can be avoided by following these helpful tips:

• Know the weight capacity of your RV.
• Perform a complete pre-trip inspection. Check the tire pressure, tread depth, headlights, tail lights, turn signals, belts, oil levels, hitch and other towing equipment, and windshield wipers before leaving.
• Know the height of your RV.
• Watch your speed, especially at night and during dusk.
• Slow down on blind curve areas of the roadway.
• Use your high beams at night to see animals and other obstructions.
• Always wear a seatbelt.