Chinese New Year 2020: 7 ultimate tips to freshen your car

Chinese New Year (CNY) is fast approaching and this year, we welcome the year of the Metal Rat. This year will be a lucky year for almost all Chinese zodiacs except the Horse (condolences, you guys).

I can't think of a better way to release negative energy than to do some serious house cleaning. But, if you want to get rid of even more negativity, there's always your car.

Prepare your car for the lunar new year with this list of seven things. Huat ah!

1. Clean the interior and exterior of your car

Just like how you spring clean your home and office on the eve of Chinese New Year to throw away all of the previous year's bad luck and negative energy, cleaning the car before the big day has to be done for the same reason too.

Unlike cleaning your home which can take less than a day, some preparations are required to clean your car (if you're not doing it yourself) - like booking an appointment with a car groomer for example. Book in advance because heaps of other people are going to do some last-minute cleaning.

Find all car grooming deals here.

2. New year new skin colour

It's a common practice for people to decorate their homes or cars with festive stuff be it Chinese New Year Hari Raya, Deepavali or Christmas (although when I see cars with the reindeer nose and ears, I feel like ripping those out).

As for CNY, colours such as red and gold are the popular/mainstream ones. To make your car stand out from the crowd, mix a special colour at your preferred workshop in the list below!

Here's a tip, average downtime is about one week, more so for Chinese New Year. You might want to book a slot earlier!

Find all spray paint deals here.

3. Spice up your car

Keeping a nice Chinese New Year theme in the car would draw out the CNY spirit when you and your family travel from point A to point B visiting relatives. Allow me to recommend some red leather upholstery or a dash of LED lighting at strategic locations in your car?

We ensure that your family or passengers will rub off that joyful energy as well! Why limit yourself to my suggestions? Here are some more things you can do - interior LED lighting, dashboard wrap, steering wheel wrap, complete body kit, sticker decal, designed vehicle plates, rims.

4. Chinese New Year Playlist

10 years ago, people listened to the radio or used CD players to play Chinese New Year songs for that festive mood. Now, times are different. You can connect your smartphone to the car's infotainment system using Bluetooth connectivity or Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.

Just open the Spotify app, connect your phone to the car and play those Chinese New Year tunes! Don't overdo it though. Too much 'dong qiang, dong qiang' music may irritate the family after a tiring day of visiting.

Find the list of multimedia players with Bluetooth connectivity here.

5. Make sure your car is in a good health condition

The last thing you'll want during CNY is your car breaking down. Touch wood, but if that happens, your chances of finding an open car workshop are close to ZERO.

Prevention is always better than cure so our advice is to have a service check before CNY.

Find the list of repair & servicing workshops here.

6. Put a pair of oranges on the dashboard

Oranges and tangerines are exchanged and used during CNY because they symbolise riches and good fortune and wishing one another a prosperous new year.

By placing a pair of Mandarin Oranges on your dashboard, you are welcoming good luck into your car and your life. Plus, they look good. Just don't keep them in the sun for too long or they will start going bad and you'll have to send your car for an interior cleanse.

Visit your local supermarkets to get your oranges today! We don't have merchants who sell them.

7. Don't drink and drive

If you drink, don't drive!

Be a responsible driver and call in a valet or come back for your car the next day if you've had one too many. Driving under the influence (DUI) can significantly reduce your reaction time, thus increasing the risk of road accidents. Not only that, if you get caught, you'll end up in jail and you'll get slapped with a heavy fine (we're talking a couple of thousands of dollars, just pay the $20 cab fare, it's cheaper)

Don't have a car this Chinese New Year? Rent a car via our SGCM Rental tab to make house visiting more convenient!