Keeping your car clean inside and out is a good start, you will reduce the risk of damage to paint and rusting problems, but there’s so much more to keeping your car in tip top condition. Make sure you get the car regularly serviced and ensure all major servicing intervals are met. If you have a second hand car and don’t know the service history you may need to replace things like the cam belt. Keep an eye on all fluid levels and make sure you use the manufacturers recommended fluids. You can find this information in the cars manual.
Don’t allow brake pads to become to worn as you could end up damaging the more costly disks and callipers. After heavy breaking (eg. coming off the motorway onto a round about) don’t sit with the brake pedal depressed. The pads could warp the disks when they’re hot. Use the parking break where possible. With a manual car, don’t sit in traffic in gear with the clutch down as this increases wear to the clutch. Driving smoothly and carrying less speed into corners will put less stress on the cars suspension. Bumping up kerbs can knock wheels out of alignment which can lead to costly repairs and uneven wear on tyres.