All drivers are aware that standard waxing and washing helps keep the lustre of a car’s paint. It’s also a standard procedure that simply vacuuming your car will go a long way to keep your interiors attractive and fresh.
But what if you want more than this? What if you want your car to look new all day, every day? If that’s the case there’s a lot more you need to do. This is also an investment should you want to sell your vehicle in the future as you can get more value for the car compared to if you sell a clapped-out car with peeling paint.
To help keep your car looking snazzy, below are seven clever detailing tips that only a professional would suggest:
Prevention is better than cure
As the ancient adage goes, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Taking preventative maintenance measures is certainly the best strategy to keep your truck or car looking brand new. With many waterless-wash products and spray-on detailers around, keeping things cleaner has never been easier.
As soon as you get home for instance a good idea is to give your car a quick clean, by spraying it with a waterless wash product and then wiping it off once done. Going around the car will take you about 10 minutes, which can save you large amounts of time in the future. In other words, putting in a bit of effort now can save a lot of work later.
Keep the interior in mind
The same principle is applicable for the interior too, particularly if it’s an open vehicle. Convertibles suffer the same grime and grit that pummels the exteriors painted. As car experts from Chevy Dealer Utah would advise, you would need to go over the car’s vehicle cabin with an interior spray detailer, paying specific attention to vinyl and leather surfaces.
This is because abrasive particulates can accumulate here, which can cause damage in the long run as you continue to make your way in and out of the car. Just wipe the troublesome dust off before it gets an opportunity to harm your car’s cabin.
Use towels to apply the product
Applying cleaning products to an applicator or towel is a handy tip. Don’t ever spray them directly on the surface you’re paying attention to. This will grant you more control over the amount of product you are using and you can see where it’s going.
Distributing these materials in huge areas can cause a big mess which takes a lot of time to make corrections. For example, if vinyl protectant lands on glass it can be very hard to take off. Avoid this by cleaning your car the smart way, not the hard way.
Hand washing is not always the best option
Car owners who have very expensive vehicles usually refuse to take their beauties through automatic car washes because they fear that all the scrubbers from the car wash machine will scratch their paint.
But in reality, the vast majority of harm done on a car’s paint happens during the drying and washing process. For this reason, washing your vehicle in your very own driveway is not always the best option, in particular, if you are using a dated sponge filled will grit that has accumulated over the years.
If you are keen to do this yourself, a good idea is to get a microfibre wash mitt and also use soap specifically made for you to wash vehicles.
Even though dishwash detergent will do the work, it will certainly eat your cars paint although it won’t destroy your car completely. So if you can, use the right product for your car to get the best results in the long run.
Wax only won’t give your car shine
Many people believe that wax alone is what imparts that high shine quality, but this is not true. What gives your car star shine quality is the preparation work you do before you give your car a rich, deep finish.
If the external paint in your house is peeling off, for instance, you can check to see if the underlying wood is decaying and spongy, trying to cover this mess with the best quality paint won’t achieve a satisfactory cleaning job.
But if you prepare the surfaces well, even the lowest priced coatings will give the very best outcome. The same “prep principle” applies to your car.
The paint must be free from any contaminants and should be polished properly to shine really well. Applying carnauba wax across a grimy surface won’t work at all.
Adopt using a clay bar
Using a clay bar is one of the best and safest ways to attain a lustrous and slick finish. Clay bars have been around for many years since the 1980s yet many car owners still don’t know them, but when they do find out about them eventually most owners find this to be the most wonderful invention ever.
Clay bars can easily and quickly remove grime, grit, and other contaminants on the surface that have bonded on the paintwork. This allows polish or wax to adhere properly and provide the shine you are looking to achieve.
If you want to know you need to get one of these, you need to test to see if your car still feels rough to the touch after you wash it, if it does chances are it’s time to invest in a clay bar kit. You’ll be glad you did.
You don’t need to buy all the cleaning products
When you walk down an auto-parts store or a car-care aisle of a grocery store you’ll certainly be bombarded by all sorts of protectants, cleaners, soaps, products, and sponges. But the truth is when you want to make your car sparkle, you need don’t to buy both car polish and wax, either one of these products will do the job. So save your time and money and buy just one of these products. Because they are chemically manufactured to do the same thing.
Just also be mindful that synthetic polishes generally last longer than products that are naturally derived. But other people argue that they’ll get a richer and deeper shine with traditional wax although how long that shine lasts will vary.
So pick any one of these options or all of them, and your car is due to last you for as long as you both shall live, excuse the pun! Here’s to happy ever after!
