5 Easy Steps To Detail Your Car

Going to the car servicing center is great but we all know we can’t always go, so we end up taking care of the car detailing ourselves. But just because we aren’t experts in that field doesn’t mean we can’t achieve professional standard results. Here are some tips to help you detail your car like an expert!

1. Paint Care

Always use microfiber cloths when cleaning your car. It only takes a rough towel or dirt on a towel to scratch your precious paint job. Do not risk it and make sure you’re always using clean microfiber cloth to wipe your car with.

Polishing is one of the most misunderstood paint care procedures and as a result many individuals skip this important step. Polish is an abrasive compound, which, when worked into the paint using the hand or a polisher, shaves off imperfections of the paint. It levels out the surface and makes it smooth, thereby preparing it for the next step of applying wax or paint sealant. If you wax without polishing the surface first, not only will the paint look dull, but you will also notice that the wax layer will wear off quicker than usual. So ultimately it is a huge waste of your time and resources. Because polish is abrasive, it is important to master polishing techniques especially if you are using a rotary buffer, or you risk burning right through the paint. Having said all that, take it up a notch and invest in a dual action while you’re at it. Perfect for ironing out areas of abrasion, and removing layers of old wax, these motorized polishers will ensure your car always has a smooth, even finish for a lasting just-bought shine.

2. Seat Care

Spills on the cloth seats are difficult to control because of the movement of the vehicle when the spill occurs. Maintaining a steady supply of towels for quick cleanup will reduce the amount of foreign matter that collects in the cloth. Dust mites feed on these substances. People who suffer from allergies will experience discomfort when riding in a vehicle where dust mites have found a healthy food source.

You may wanna get yourself a magic eraser to use in your car. Gently rubbing a magic eraser can magically remove gross sticky things off your vinyl and leather like it’s never been there. This is especially important if you have pets or children that ride your vehicle. Apparently, the spot where your kid or pet sit are usually dirtier and have higher bacteria counts.  Pathogens identified such as E. coli, Salmonella, Campylobacter or MRSA are the ones found according to a study conducted at Queen Mary University in London.

3. Dashboard And Console Care

Before starting the process of working on the dashboard and console, set up a plan of action in terms of how to navigate the areas of concern on your dash and console. Also, take note of the surface materials used in these areas.

Dashboards with a mostly plastic composition will require the use of a lot of warm water to loosen dirt and make it easy to wipe off after. Dashboards and consoles with a combination of fabric/leather and injection molded plastic will require you to be more careful and strategic with water usage. In addition, be cautious when using an all-purpose cleaner on parts of the dash that are not fully made from plastic.

The distinctive smell of mildew flooding out of your air vents is usually caused by a build-up of bacteria and mold. This can happen to older cars that have had bacteria growing behind the dashboard for years and in cars that rarely run the air conditioning, as they don’t enjoy the drying effects that it provides to excess water on the coils. So if you do your own car cleaning, make sure you clean your car AC vents too.

As you complete the process, one area that should not be ignored is the steering rack. This is an area where debris and dust can accumulate extensively and may not be easily noticeable unless you really pay attention to that area. The steering wheel also absorbs a lot of oils from your hands and over time, these can degrade the material covering the structure of the steering wheel.

Cleaning those oils at least once a month will go a long way in maintaining the natural look of your steering wheel from when it left the factory.

4. Wheel Care

Your wheels can be tricky to clean but not impossible. There are many wheel designs, but some have more tendencies to have crevices that hide dirt well and make it hard to dig deep. But, just like with any problem in life, taking the right approach will set you on the right path.

There are exhaustive amounts of wheel cleaners on the market, but the best ones are acid-free and those with water-based solutions. Avoid wheel cleaners with overly aggressive formulas which can end up damaging your wheel’s coating, they are also damaging to the environment.

Most wheel cleaners call for you to apply the first coating generously and wait for it to sit for a while before rinsing. For wheels designs that are not conventional, a compact cleaning brush should be used to manually loosen dirt that has accumulated in corners that are hard to reach.

Performance cars with larger brake components (rotors and pads) can accumulate more than typical amounts of brake dust on the wheels. For this type of scenario, used paint clay can effectively remove the brake dust.

5. Window Care

Clean the top most portion of the windows. When you don’t clean this part it comes back ruining your effort to clean because buildup dirt and grime can drip and streak eventually. So roll down the windows and make sure you clean this part first so you don’t forget it later on.

After that, make sure to dry glass surfaces in two directions. Streaks are annoying, it makes it look like you did a sloppy job cleaning your car. To avoid this, try drying the surfaces in two directions. For example, go vertical when wiping first then go over it again in horizontal direction.