Detailing the exterior of your car involves thoroughly cleaning it and then applying car wax or other sealants to protect the paint and other exterior components, such as the tires and the window glass. Although there’s no “correct” way or order in which to detail your vehicle, these detailing tips will help you make your car look as good as new again.
1. Rinse and Pre-Clean the Exterior
Directly applying soapy water to dry paint may damage the exterior of your car as you could actually grind dust and grime into the paint finish. For this reason, it’s advisable to first rinse as much dirt as possible from your car with clean water. Next, you want to apply a pre-cleaner to the areas of your vehicle where there’s stubborn dirt, such as the tires and the lower parts of the car. You can also apply snow foam on the whole exterior as a pre-wash, as removing as much as possible dirt from your car before the actual wash will prevent swirl marks and scratches to the paint finish.
2. Choose the Right Soap and Use Two Buckets
Although you may be tempted to wash your car with dishwashing liquid, you should rather opt for a good-quality car shampoo as it will also prevent scratches on your paint finish. Also, use two buckets: one filled with the wash solution and one with fresh water. Use a mitt to apply the wash solution and wash from the top down in small sections. Before reapplying the mitt to a new area, rinse it in the bucket with fresh water before dipping it in the wash solution again, so that you keep applying clean wash water.
3. Dry the Car and Then Apply a Detailing Mitt
Once you have finished washing the exterior, wipe it with a microfiber towel. If need be, rinse the towel in the clean water every now and then and wring and keep drying. Next, you want to go over the exterior with a detailing mitt or a clay bar, as it will smooth out the surface of your car. Spray the detail spray or lubricant on a small area of the painted surface and lightly glide the mitt over the surface in a cross-hatch pattern.
4. Polish and Wax
To give your car that new, out-of-the-box look, you should complete the detailing process with a polish and wax. Although you can polish the car by hand, you’ll get the best results with a buffer, as it distributes pressure more evenly than a manual pad. The last step involves applying a good wax or another sealant, such as a ceramic coating.
Whereas waxes are cheaper and add an attractive shine, they don’t last very long. On the other hand, a ceramic coating offers excellent protection and shine on a permanent basis. However, it is more expensive than wax. For the final touches, apply tire dressing on your tires and clean your windows with a window cleaner.
You don’t have to spend a lot of money to have a professional detail your car for you. If you invest a bit of money to buy the necessary products, you can easily detail your car yourself.
Image via Pixabay.com
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