Auto Repair at Home: Tips for a Clean Working Space

Not everyone can handle auto repair at home. If you are one of the privileged few who work well with his hands and understand the components underneath the hood of your car, congratulations. Your skills can save you and your family money when it comes to fixing vehicles problems as well as the maintenance that is required. Here are a few tips for keeping your work space clean and avoiding spills and stains.

For many families the garage is a sacred place. Some choose to park their car here. Some choose to use the space for storage. Still others use this area to work on their home and their vehicles. You don't want to mess up the floors or the space and continue to track all types of liquids and spills through your home. Taking the proper precautions can ensure that you don't have to give up this space.

Change the Flooring

Most garages have traditional cement flooring. This isn't the type of area within the home that you need to have anything nicer. However, when it comes to auto repair, cement and concrete are not always the best option. A leak or transmission fluid or an overflow from an oil change can land on the surface and permanently stain the space. In most cases, there isn't a truly effective way of removing the spots.

Instead of constantly worrying about stains, consider something like epoxy flooring. If you do a lot of auto repair work you can easily clean out the space when the work is done without having to worry about the mess that you left behind. It will be easier to clean, create a more uniformed look, and in most cases it can even improve the look of the garage.

Use a Drop Cloth

If there is even a chance that some car fluids are going to overflow or hit the floor during your auto repair, lay a drop cloth down. These are typically inexpensive and cover large areas of space. Leave plenty of room around the area you are planning to work and go ahead and get started without any worry or concern. It is important to note that when your job is complete, the drop cloth should probably be thrown away.

Always Keep a Large Bucket Handy

Even a skilled technician lets things get out of hand every once in a while. Instead of just hoping that there is less fluid that you think, always keep a large bucket close by during an auto repair. It should be small enough to slide or lay underneath the car but wide enough to contain all of the oil your vehicle possess if you are going to do an oil change. Just having it close by can give you some peace of mind.