9 Tips to Detail Your Car Like a Pro

Detailing a car is something that almost every car lover wants to do. Mike Schultz, the head of Turtle wax product said “Think of the surface of your car as you would your face”. The surface of a car needs proper care in order to ensure a healthy and clean glow. Car paints have improved over the years; they now give a better and longer shine to your car.

Note that you should go to a professional detailing centre, if the scratches on your car’s paint are too deep and have reached the metal. The only way to fix such scratches is to get the area rubbed by a sand paper and filling the scratch with paint using a tiny brush. The sanding part is very tricky and must be done by a professional car detailing person.

The tips mentioned below need to be done patiently and with a lot of care, especially because you will need tools like a rotating buffer, brush, vacuum and an air compressor.

1. Examine the Interior and Exterior of the Car Thoroughly:

You need to pay attention to the inside and outside of your car. Examine the dashboard, the carpets/rugs, handles, the hood, roof, wheels and tires. It’s important not to rush the cleaning process of the vehicle.

2. Use Compressed Air and a Stiff Brush for the Carpets:

 

It’s advised to use an air compressor to blow out the dust from the corners of car’s floor onto the middle of the carpet, so that you can easily vacuum the dirt off. A stiff brush can be used to loosen the dirt from the upholstery and carpets. For leather seats, use a conditioner with aloe.

3. Use an Air Compressor to Clean the AC and Heating Ducts:

An air compressor easily blows out dust and dirt from the AC and heating ducts of the car. Aim the high pressure air at the walls of the duct. The dust and dirt on the walls of the vent causes a musty smell. It’s also a good idea to remove the cabin air filter to either blow the dust out of it or to get it changed.

4. Use Non-acidic Tire Cleaners:

Always use a non-acidic tire cleaning mixtures or non-acidic products to clean off the dirt from tyres and wheels. Acidic tyre cleaners cause alloy wheels to oxidize and pit, they can also damage wheels that are painted. It’s recommended not to use detergents because they damage the car’s paint if splashed. Experts recommend cleaning the tires and wheels first before cleaning the car.

5. Use a Car wash Solution to Wash the Car:

A lot of people use detergents or dish washing washing liquids to wash the car. This is isn’t recommended as detergents strips off the wax coatings from the paint, which exposes the cars paint to scratches. A car wash solution preserves the car’s paint. PakWheels.com Auto Shop has a variety of car washing liquids available.

6. Clean Paint Till It is Bright and Shiny:

It’s recommended to clean the car with a microfiber cloth or towel, in order to wipe car’s surface. It’s best to do this out in the sun so that you can see if there is dirt or scratches on the paint. Bird droppings and other pollutants settle on the car’s paint and saturate through the clear coat and wax of the car, leaving a nasty stain on the paint.

There are two ways to clean these nasty stains. The first way is by using paint cleaners. Paint cleaners are liquids that remove wax and small scratches (swirl marks).

The second method is to use a small block of paint cleaning clay, which is lubricated with a liquid cleaner wax. This is a safe way of removing nasty stains and it can be done without the use of a machine or a trained person.

7. Use an Oscillating Buffers to Polish:

Polish helps to smooth the surface of paint and to make it look new. Some polishes contain wax, which also protects the paint. Oscillating buffers can be used to evenly polish the paint’s surface.

8. Use a Good Quality Wax and Polish to Protect the Paint:

Good quality products are essential for maintaining the shiny and healthy looking paint. As the car gets old, the clear coat begins to wear off. This leaves the paint vulnerable to damage. Wax helps to protect the clear coat and paint of a car, though it wears off after a few months. It’s recommended to use two coats of wax, the second coat helps to cover areas that the first might have missed.

9. Use a Glass Cleaner that Doesn’t have Ammonia:

It’s recommended to clean the car’s glass at the end. This is because glass usually has the little bit of dirt from the other steps involved in the detailing process. Ammonia is bad for vinyl upholstery and the instrument panel of a car. Use a microfiber cloth or towel and apply the glass cleaner to the class and gently wipe the glass.

You can also discuss car detailing on this thread at PakWheels Forums:

D.I.Y – How to Properly Wash / Detail Your Car