Your vehicle is amongst the most important investments you will ever make. While you may keep it mechanically smooth and perfect, the exterior especially the paintwork should be equally good as well. Unfortunately, not many people pay attention to it thinking it is a tiring task. The fact of the matter is, that keeping your car clean requires some effort. However, every once in a while, you should give it a deep clean to make sure the car looks brand new. Also, you can install paint protection film to keep the paint from getting chipped or scratched. Below are some important car detailing tips.
Examine The Vehicle
The first and most important step in detailing your car is examining the vehicle. Most people tend to get straight down into washing the vehicle without realizing there are minor chips and scratches that need to be considered. Examining the vehicle gives you an idea of what the car needs.
If possible, mark down the areas using tape or a removable marker. Plus, if the car happens to be damaged or rusted, water can make its way inside. But, since you will be examining the vehicle, you will be able to cover the area to protect it from water accessing it.
Vacuum The Interior
As you begin detailing your vehicle, you should vacuum the interior and remove the floor mats to prevent dirt and dust from catching onto the vehicle’s body. Plus, vacuuming helps get rid of deep layers of dirt and dust that will be hard to do and time-consuming as well once you start detailing the interior.
Make sure that you remove any stains along the way as well. If you observe any foul smell, you will need to find out where it is coming from and use a detergent or a cleaning agent to remove it. And, use an air freshener to keep the interior smelling like new.
Use The Right Products
You will come across a wide variety of polishes, compounds, sealants, and other similar items in the market today due to intense competition between the manufacturers. Not every brand is going to suit your vehicle or your detailing techniques and methods.
This is why you should opt for products that are specifically made for the paint type your vehicle comes with. For instance, German vehicles tend to have paint jobs that are a lot more refined and complicated to deal with when compared to Japanese cars. So, you will need to choose your products accordingly.
Use The Right Technique
Using the right technique is the most important of all. No matter how good the detailing products are, if you are not good at utilizing proper detailing techniques, you will most probably end up ruining the paint. Therefore, you should be aware of the basic cleaning and polishing practices.
Do not clean the vehicle in a circular motion. Instead, run the cleaning towel across the body of the vehicle. Plus, use separate cloths for different areas of the vehicle to prevent repeated movements that could cause swirls and scratches.
Clean The Tires First
The tires tend to be the dirtiest part of the vehicle as they are constantly exposed to dirt, dust, grime, mud, etc. Instead of working your way down from the roof, you should begin by cleaning the tires. With this, you can reduce the chances of your clean clothes catching dirt and dust.
Plus, cleaning the tires can take a sufficient amount of time and is a lot more complicated than cleaning the entire body. It will take even more time if you’re carrying out thorough tire maintenance. So do it first. You will be able to cover this physically intensive step in the beginning to save time and easily wash the rest of the vehicle.
Keep Separate Washing Cloths
You might have come across people using the same cloth or sponge to wash the tires and the entire vehicle. This is simply you calling for trouble as small chips and rocks can hide inside the fabric and cause the paint to scratch. This means you need to keep separate cloths for the tires, body, and other areas.
Most experts suggest using a sponge to clean the tires while a microfiber cloth for the body. Once you are done detailing the vehicle, make sure to properly rinse them to get rid of the dirt and grime accumulations. Otherwise, the fibers will turn hard and damage the paint. Remember that if you have a ceramic-coated vehicle, the cleaning process may differ.
Don’t Wash In Direct Sunlight
Washing and detailing your car in direct sunlight might be a good idea for some but not you. Your vehicle being exposed to the sun raises the temperature of the body or the paint. As a result, you will observe water or polish stains as they will dry out quicker than you can remove them.
Plus, polishing under the sun also leaves stains that could be hard to get rid of. So, you should park the vehicle inside a garage to ensure dirt, dust, and debris do not affect the detailing process as well.
Install Window Tints
If you want to protect your car’s interior and upholstery from UV rays, consider auto glass tinting Springfield. Plus, it will also keep your car cool in summer and reduce the risk of skin cancer due to the UV rays.
Use A DA Polisher
A DA polisher is the best detailing tool especially when compared to a rotary. The difference is that with a DA polisher, you can control the speed while rotary does not allow you that. When it comes to detailing your vehicle, you need to be cautious about the speed, movement, and the amount of time you spend on each panel or part.
Sticking to one panel for too long will burn the paint. If you cannot afford a DA polisher, you can polish my hand but strictly follow the instructions mentioned on the back. You wouldn’t want to leave the polish on for too long.
Use A Clay Bar
With time, the vehicle will accumulate layers of stubborn dirt and grime. While washing the vehicle will help get rid of the visible layer, you will still have some layers that are not visible. This contamination will be removed using a clay bar.
Do not be aggressive with the bar and work your way through by being patient and ensuring the entire vehicle is covered. If your vehicle is an SUV or truck, you might need to use multiple clay bars.
Remove Water From Hinges And Corners
Although modern vehicles are made using top-notch quality and manufacturing techniques, rust is something every owner has to deal with. In most cases, the owners tend to ignore the hinges and corners where water accumulates and causes rust.
This could affect the resale value of the vehicle as well. So, while you are drying the vehicle, make sure to remove the water from such areas. If not possible to use a cloth, you can use pressure air to help force the water out.
Polish The Trims
Polishing the trims is something that is mostly overlooked by vehicle owners. They do not realize the fact that it is all in the minor details when it comes to keeping the car looking brand new. The plastic trims both inside and outside the vehicle will fade over time being exposed to the sun.
You will need to give them a new layer of polish to revive. However, the polishes for trim are different from the ones for other interior items and the exterior. So, do not use the same polish as it can permanently damage the trims. Only use a product that is specifically made for polishing the trims.
Conclusion
The above-mentioned tips are easy to follow and will surely help you keep your car squeaky clean. Make sure to do your homework and consult an expert before investing to ensure your money is spent wisely. If you’re concerned about the exterior of your car getting scratched, find a paint protection film installer Springfield for PPF installation.