When it comes to car care, there are plenty of myths out there. If you genuinely want to take care of and cultivate the look of your car, you should refrain from automated car washes that are rough and can harm your vehicle’s finish.
Even if there are good-quality car wash services that’ll wash your auto correctly using high-quality products, these detailers will cost a lot. Since you own a car and spent good money buying it, isn’t it time that you learn how to wash your car at home?
Cleaning your car at home is the most affordable way to reap excellent results. Anyone can learn how to wash a vehicle like a professional. If you want to know more, check out the guide below:
Assess your Car’s Overall Condition
Before anything else, you need to appraise the vehicle’s overall condition first. By doing so, you can determine and decide on how you should proceed with washing your car. Thus, take your time to assess the situation.
For example, if your car was recently waxed or if it’s still brand new, it’ll only require a simple wash and wax on the vehicle’s exterior. However, for those vehicles that are in average condition or have aweathered surface, they’ll need to have a thorough cleaning and polishing. However, due to technology, you can now do all of this with one product. We recommend using only the best quality auto detailing product available calledTopcoat F11.
Use Legit Products
Be wary of choosing products for your car. Even if these products claim to be high-quality, you should always read the labels. By carefully reading the labels, you’ll choose the right product for your desired application without worrying about anything.
Remember that most vehicle cleaners use strong chemicals which will deteriorate your car. So, for instance, you wouldn’t use a chrome wheel cleaner on aluminum wheels, right? If you use such cleaners on aluminum wheels, you’d only end up damaging the aluminum. Car soap will eventually spiderweb your glossy surfaces such as paint and chrome.
In that case, it’d be best to purchase a bundle of microfiber cloths designed for taking care of your car. If you buy a stack, make sure to divide these cloths according to their use, or you could even purchase different colors. By doing so, you can separate those used clothes or keep one for the wheel and one for the windows. Professionals like to use white microfiber towels for the vehicle and black microfiber towels for the wheels, engine, etc.
Get Rid of Loose Dirt and Debris
Here’s the thing, when washing your car, keep in mind to use car washing soap. Not liquid detergent or dish soap. Specific car washing soap isformulated to clean a car without being overly aggressive on the car’s surfaces and paint.
To start off, soak the entire vehicle especially bugs and bird droppings that can stain and may leave a mark on your vehicle, especially if they bake in the sun too long. When the debris is soft, carefully remove it as some of its particles will act as an abrasive which will inevitably damage your car. Once removed, you can now start applying the car washing soap, then rinse.
Get the Exteriors Ready
Sometimes, bonded contaminants like tree sap or road grime often stick to your car. A simple wash can’t remove these stains. If you can feel small or tiny bumps on your car, then maybe you’ll need to go a bit further with cleaning. After washing, you will usually see swirls and scratches in your car’s paint.
A simple solution to remove these paint contaminants is a clay bar. You can use it to remove adamant dirt and debris. By doing so, it’ll get rid of all contaminants on your car’s surface and will revitalize the smoothness of the paint.
All you have to do is to knead the clay bar into flat and make use of a detailer as a lubricant, we recommend TopCoat F11. Place it on your palm and run it all over your car’s surface. On the other hand, you will need a compound to remove etching and scratches successfully.
Polish for Glossiness
Polishing your car’s surface is purely optional. It’s up to you if you want your car to have some extra gloss. You can either use a dual-action polisher or polish that’s applied to your hand. This step is similar to applying lotion on your skin, it improves shine and gloss, especially on darker vehicles.
Waxing
If polishing your car is like putting lotion on your skin, then waxing is like putting on sunscreen. Just like sunscreen, waxing adds a layer of protection to keep your car’s paint from fading.
Waxing maintains the gloss and shine of your car. There are two varieties of wax, the polymer, and carnauba. Carnauba is much more affordable than polymer. However, the polymer is more user-friendly and more effective as well.
Wash the Wheels and the Windows
Before you clean the wheels, make sure to know what type of wheels your car has. Once determined, you’ll know what kind of product to use for cleaning. However, if you are not sure, make use of acid-free wheel cleaner because you can use it without impairing your wheels.
Another thing, choose a window cleaner that’s entirely for cleaning car windows. Don’t use those household glass cleaners like Windex because it contains ammonia which can easily harm the tint on your car. Be sure to spray and wipe everything down to remove all the cleaner.
Takeaway
There’s only one thing that you need to remember, if you clean your car more often, the easier it will be and the less time and effort it takes. Washing your vehicle at home can be a satisfying and relaxing activity for you.
You don’t need to go to a car washing service and spend money to deep-clean your auto because you can do it at home. All you have to do is to follow some simple steps and be careful of the product that you should avoid.
About the Author:
Cody is a Marketing Manager by profession, but cars and trucks have always been a passion. His personal favorite auto detailing product is Topcoat F11. He likes to experiment with car detailing and look for innovative ways to keep the paint shinning ????. He is always up for a chat about cars or trucks!
