Quick tips on detailing your car
Posted on: 19/Sep/2018 3:07:23 PM
It is not necessary to detail a car very often. Perhaps, you spend time once in a year to clean up the car with sweeping, scrubbing and doing all the wiping at all the corners of the car. The level upto which you wish to clean is personally your choice. So, here we have a brief on how to go about it.
To start with
The little difference in achieving the best result and an average result lies with the kind of tools you use and the total time invested in the process. For a few specific tasks, you will have to make use of exclusive detailing tools. Say, you need toothbrush to clean tiny areas that require intense cleaning. Vents and grilles may be some of such small areas. Cotton swabs also come handy for the same.
Remember - Car detailing is a work of 4-8 hours. And you need to make it a really detailed work.
Tip 1 - reach out to challenging corners - start with the interiors. Blow out the dirt of tiny areas with the help of compressed air. You can do the exterior cleaning after completing the interiors. With this approach, you can prevent the interiors getting dirty back again while cleaning the exteriors.
Tip 2 - head to toe process - the cloth headliners are usually stuck to the roof and hence are always problematic. It is going to be challenging to get off the marks and stains, and at the same time, you ought to remember not to make the headliner wet. For this, you may use a microfiber material or any upholstery cleaner for treating the suede or velour material. Gently, brush out the entire headliner using the dirty portion of a cloth. Following this, add some cleaner to the cloth (remember not to add it directly on headliner) and go on and brush all of it. In areas that are stubborn, make the corners of the cloth wet and gently brush and dry it out with the remaining portion.
Tip 3 - ease of cleaning plastic, vinyl and window areas - you can make use of damp cloth for cleaning the interiors that are tough and hard. For this, make use of an all-purpose cleaner. On the interior glass, make use of a window cleaner with paper towel. You can achieve a shining finish on the glass by cleaning it with a newspaper ball (crush a large piece of newspaper - that’s a newspaper ball!)
Tip 4 - clean out the seat areas - coming on to seats, you ought to be specific about choosing the products. There are exclusive foaming cleaners to clean up the dirty fabric upholstery. Keep sure to stick on to the manufacturer’s instructions. You may also have a upholstery brush. There are leather conditioners available to clean true leathers. Do not use vinyl cleaner on leather. If there are wears in the vinyl seats, you can seek the help of repair kits - they truly work!
In case there are pet hair all around the fabric upholstery, simply wrap a duct tape or a masking tape around your hands and go on to roll your hand in the areas containing pet hair. The entire tape will extract all the hair. Repeat the same process until you remove all the hair off the seat.
Tip 5 - the floor mats - you need some extra space for cleaning the floor mat or carpeted areas. For this, the below instructions will help
- Remember to always wash the floor mats (rubber and fabric) out of the car
- When there is any wear and tear in them, go on and replace it.
- When there are dressing on the rubber floor mat, ensure that it is not slippery.
- To clear the tiny carpet stains, utilize a foaming cleaner.
- The carpet should not get wet or saturated with water - ensure this.
Tip 6 - The very basics - there is definitely more time needed to clean the dashboard and steering. Removable nobs should be first taken of so that you can clean the area behind it with ease. Once you clean the air vents, choose to spray some vinyl dressing like a mist and this shall give you a brand new look. You may clean the crevices using light clothes in a blunt plastic knife.
Tip 7 - a complete car wash - you can get the car wheels and wheel wells completely cleaned at a self serve car wash centre. This can help you remove all the heavy build up in it. While doing so, high power intense vacuum can come handy for cleaning upholstery, dashboard areas and carpeting.
Tip 8 - finish off the exteriors - clean the greasy areas with a dry paper towel. Following this, clean using a soap water solution. In tight areas, make use of brushes and the door jamps need to be waxed. Keep cleaning all the small areas one after the other. To avoid possible water spots, make sure to keep the cleaned areas wet. To avoid rubbing the dirt again on the car, change the rag and the water used to clean. Around the headlight or tail light or door handles and mirrors, use toothbrush for cleaning. Most of the wheels and wheel well areas should go well with soapy water and a firm brush. STay away from spraying all through the car in order to avoid water spots. Cleaners with acidic nature should be avoided while doing with the metal surfaces.
Tip 9 - Finish off the detailing - Upon completing the entire work, dry out the car completely using a terry cloth towel. On the scratches and blemishes, you can apply coat-safe cleaners. Most of the irregularities will probably be addressed with a cleaner wax. Ensure not to apply these cleaners in vinyl or plastic spaces.
So, how will your car look now?
