If you are flying across the country to attend the college of your dreams, then you will need to store your car while you are gone. While you may be tempted to drive your car into your parent's garage and leave it there until you return, this is not a good idea. In order to safely store your vehicle while you are gone, you need to take certain car storage steps, including:

Step 1: Clean Your Car Inside and Out

The first step you need to take before storing your car for an extended period of time is to clean it inside and out. Wash and wax your car so stuck on bugs or bird excrement won't damage the paint job. And, vacuum out the car's interior because if there are any food particles it will attract rats and mice.

Step 2: Top Off All of the Car's Fluids

Once your car is clean, then you should check all of its fluids. If your oil or transmission fluid is low, then you should top it off before storing your car. Additionally, you should leave your car full of gas to prevent it from separating in the tank.

Step 3: Check Your Tires for Proper Inflation

Before placing your car into storage, you must check the tires for proper inflation. If you store your vehicle with under-inflated tires, then it will ruin the rims. Since replacing rims is very expensive, you want to ensure your car's tires are properly inflated.

Step 4: Place Rat Bars In Your Vehicle and Under the Hood

Since a car in storage is a popular place for rats and mice to hide, you should place some rat bars inside the cab as well as under the hood. The rodent poison bars will attract pests who happen to be near your vehicle and will prevent them from chewing on your car's wiring.

Step 5: Arrange for Someone to Start and Move Your Car Each Month

Finally, it is very important that you make arrangements for someone to regularly start and move your car while you are away at college. If your car isn't started every month, then its battery will die because car batteries need to be used periodically to keep their charge. Additionally, if you don't drive the vehicle every month or so, then the tires will develop flat spots and need to be replaced when you return.