Car Detailing Tips

 

 Over the years we see an awful lot of cars at car shows and neighborhood cruise nights.

We surfed the internet and asked a lot of questions to the various car owners with top quality cars, and found that the only way to rise to the top of the heap among all the other nice cars out there is to be absolutely obsessive about detailing a car.

 When the rubber meets the road attention to detail and frequency of a proper cleaning makes the job a lot easier.

 We hope you will pick up a few pointers you can use to keep your own car at the top of its game.

 The cardinal rule of detailing: "The final finish is 90 percent in the preparation."  That rule applies to most everything in car restoration.

 

·       READ THE DIRECTIONS. Every product is different, and how you apply it can mean the difference between a satisfying experience and a huge letdown. Take a minute and read the back of the package.

                                          

·       Use the two-bucket method, and you will never go back. Get yourself two buckets, and fill one with plain rinse water, and one with your soap and water solution. As you are washing, rinse your wash mitt or brush in the rinse bucket before you pick up soapy water. It will float the grit out of your mitt and not grind it back into the paint.

                            

·       Be organized so that everything you need for a particular job is laid out in a place where you can reach it. We use a wheeled cart to lay out all our supplies so that we can roll it around the garage a bit easier.

 

·       Clay bars have been the secret domain of pro detailers and body shops for years. Many detailers told us that as long as you start with the least aggressive clay and keep the painted surface lubricated with a spray detailer (even a mild solution of carwash and water will work), there's nothing you can do to harm your paint. You will feel it take the surface contaminants right off the paint.

                      

·       Here is what we mean when we say, "swirl marks." They appear when a fine bit of grit is placed between your wash mitt, wax applicator or chamois cloth and the painted surface. Removing them requires patience, some swirl remover and a dual-action buffer.

                    

 

·       For deeper swirl marks, you are going to have to reach out for industrial solutions. If you cannot find a dedicated swirl remover at your local parts store, check your phone book for an auto body supply store in your area.

 

·       Wipe the glass in vertical strokes on the outside, and horizontal strokes inside. That way, if you have a streak, you will know what side of the glass it is on. Old timers hint that they use newspaper to wipe the windows down; and never paper towels.

 

·       There are three basic levels of wheel cleaners on the market today,  which range from least aggressive to most aggressive. Read the directions and know what you are about to spray on your wheels. And do not forget that whatever you are spraying on the wheels is also going to be sprayed all over the brake calipers, rotors and suspension parts, too. Better to start cleaning your wheels with nothing more than carwash soap and water and work your way up.

 

·       Stainless steel trim can get seriously oxidized from years from acid rain and other contaminants. We found that a bit of Mag and Aluminum Wheel polish, and a wad of #00 steel wool work well. Be sure to try it on an inconspicuous area, though, like on the car next to yours.

 

·       Places where you rest your arm or hand (like your steering wheel, shift knob, or armrest) are guaranteed to be the nastiest places in your interior. We hit it with a heavy-duty interior cleaner and scrubbed it lightly with a toothbrush.

  

·       Whenever you use a harsh (usually marked "Heavy Duty") interior cleaner, be sure to apply something afterward that has some UV protection.

 

·       Mark your microfiber towels to indicate what they are used for. Mark several with "G" for "Glass" and do not use them for anything else. Do not even wash them with your other towels because wax will impregnate itself into the fibers and you will never get them to clean the glass the same way.

 

·       WD-40 or a similar lubricant is an excellent bug and tar remover. Just be sure to re-wax any portion of the car you cleaned using such lubricant.

                                

·       For interior cleaning, use a solution of six parts water and one-part Woolite.

                                 

 

·       Sap can be removed with a little isopropyl alcohol from the medicine cabinet. It will take some rubbing compound and a buff to get that spot out. Better to carry some spray detailer and a microfiber towel with you and take care of it immediately.

 

·       If you are a burn out maven and love to smoke up the rear tires, here is a suggestion. Many old school hot-rodders use Vaseline on the rear quarter panels to make the tar and rubber easier to clean from the body panels.

 

·        Lastly, as a number of auto body painters have told us that water is the enemy,  limit the number of car washes you do. Try using the dry wash products and micro-fiber towels to clean your car regularly. This will minimize the number of times a full water wash will be necessary.

 

This is just a drop in the proverbial bucket of tips out there to improve the curb appeal of your prized ride.