Making Your Car Sparkle!

Transform your old car to a new one!

One of the best investments you can make is to keep your car clean and in good condition. Your cars value will be increased when you sell it if it has been maintained and looks good. There is nothing I enjoy more than driving a CLEAN car. I just feel better when my car is clean. Lift your spirits and follow these tips!

The key is brushless, brushless, brushless! Avoid brushes at a car wash at all cost. They will, without question damage the finish on your car, leaving swirls, and scratches. The other key is water, water, water - get rid of it. Water sitting in cracks and crevices causes rust. Look for where water sits after you wash the car - make note and each time you wash the car be sure and wipe those areas dry. Places like under the trunk lid, in the door jams, in the grill, and around any moldings.

Getting Started

Get everything you need organized and keep in one place so you have it when you need it. Its aggrevating not have what you need to work with. Here's what you need.

• Soft cotton towels, worn out ones are the best - the absolute best ones are cotton cloth diapers. Local diaper services will sell old ones by the pound.

• A chamois - some people don't like them, but I think their great. You do need to throw in the washer periodically and wash without soap. This will rinse out any grime or grit that has gotten in the chamois.

• Car washing soap - do not use dish detergent, only regular car wash soap found at auto parts stores or discount stores. When washing the car use it sparingly. I prefer to use soap only when the car is very dirty.

• WD-40 - The greatest invention known to mankind. Use to remove road tar, and on rubber moldings.

• Old rags that can be thrown away for wiping off tar, or grease.

• Tire Brush, soft tooth brushes.

• If you have an electric or gas powered leaf blower use if to blow excess water out of inside trunk lid, around moldings, in door jams, in the grill, behind the outside mirror glass, and anywhere else water can accumulate. It really does a nice job of getting rid of that rust causing standing water!

Anyone can go outside and spruce up their car with a hose, bucket, a few towels and a can of wax. However, the difference between a clean car and a head-turning car is the attention to detail. Use these as a guide.

Exterior Details

Windows: Many people clean the majority of the window but neglect the edges. This becomes evident as you roll down the window. Make sure you let the car dry fully and then roll down the window a bit. You will be amazed how much better it looks.

Crevices between panels: One of the ugliest sites is the accumulation of wax in the spaces between panels. You can eradicate this by running a small piece of cloth in between the cracks or using a very fine tooth brush. You can even use a high-power air gun in some circumstances.

Wheel wells: A great deal of dirt can accumulate along your wheel wells. Many cars have chrome wells that look great if polished. Do not clean your wheel wells with the same rag/sponge/brush that you use to clean the main body of the car. Use a separate rag you should probably throw it away when finished with the wheels.

License plate: This is an often-forgotten location. If you look closely, you will probably see an incredible amount bug and tar residue. A good tar remover usually does the trick.

Plastic and rubber trim: Plastic and rubber can become dull and fade. Although most attempts to alleviate this are temporary, it can really make a difference.

Spoilers: Clean and treat! Don't forget the underside.

Chrome: Few things are as impressive as beautiful chrome...

Emblems: These are magnets for dust and wax residue. Start out with a soft toothbrush. You can even try a q-tip or a high-power air gun.

Antennae: Not only should you clean the antennae itself, but you should pay extra attention to the area where the antennae meets the paint. This area is notorious for being missed by buffers or accumulating wax residue.

Door handles/locks: The locks should definitely be detailed with a small brush and generic cleaner (i.e. Simple Green). Do not use a polish or wax on the locks. The door handles, and the panels below them, tend to get very dirty.

Windshield wipers: More important than the actual wipers themselves is the well beneath them. You will often find leaves, twigs and other other debris in this area.

Gas door and cap: Spills at the pump contribute to a potentially damaging situation. Use a separate towel to clean this area! This is also an area where water sits.

Headlight buckets: Clean this area after you are certain the vehicle has dried fully. Many times, you will clean here only to have a rush of water ruin your work as the car is moved.

Valance and rocker panels: Once again, use a separate towel to clean these areas. You will be amazed at the dirt and grime that you pick up. WD-40 will do wonders for you. If you'd like to lower the frustration next time around, apply a quick coat of synthetic wax.

Wheels: The attention paid to wheels can make or break your detail job.

Grill: Wait until the car has dried fully to clean here.

Mirrors: Generally, you will have to deal with significant bug accumulation on the rear side. The mirrors should be cleaned only after the car has fully dried. A great deal of water can be stored behind the mirror, contributing to significant frustration at times.

Interior Details

Many people argue over whether you should vacuum at the beginning or end. As a rule, you should probably vacuum twice. It is very difficult to detail the interior if the floor and upholstery is dirty. Also, at the end, even if you were careful, there is bound to be a few particles that need to be "sucked" up. After the first use of the vacuum, you should go over the interior with pressurized air (if possible). This is the best way to loosen dust and debris in hard-to-reach places. After you spray the interior, leave the vehicle and give the dust time to settle.

Windows: Interior windows, by virtue of the small space in which you have to maneuver, are very difficult to clean properly. The difficulty is compounded if a smoker has been in the vehicle. Make sure you are careful around the rear-view mirror.

Vents: Brushes, q-tips and pressurized air (in moderation) work best.

Ashtrays: Don't forget!

Mats: Vacuum, clean and treat them. If they are especially dirty, you may consider beating them a bit. I keep pieces of carpet over the top of my mats, this seems to keep the original mats like new.

Rugs and upholstery: Vacuum, clean and treat them.

Stereo, instruments, etc: Dust and fingerprints are the main culprits here. Cleaning these areas properly takes patience. If you were able to blow away dust with pressurized air first, your task will be easier. Always wipe down these areas with a dry cloth/towel at the end to prevent streaking.

Vinyl: Clean and treat.

Leather: Clean and treat. I use saddle soap.

Steering wheel: Accumulated dirt and grease from hands must be removed. Be careful not to rub too hard or use harsh cleaners. Also, do not treat with anything slippery.

Glove box: Every now and then clean out and vacuum the dirt.

Side pockets: Often, a vacuum is needed here followed by a wipe with a damp cloth.

Door jams: These are havens for grease. Clean them regularly.

Interior molding: Clean and treat. Pay special attention to molding near entrance.

Door handle: Clean to remove finger prints.

Arm rests: Pay special attention to anywhere your arm may rest. This includes the fold-down rest, the door rest, and the top of the door.

Trunk: Vacuum and clean the well edges where water and leaves accumulate. Clean the underside of the trunk. Organize objects in the trunk so they are not rolling around when the vehicle is in motion.

Engine Details

General engine: Remove leaves and other debris. About twice a year I go to the car wash (the kind with the wands) - take along GUNK Engine Degreaser and wash the engine.

Edges of hood (crevices): Wipe away excess wax and dirt.

Underside of hood and latch: Clean....Spray with WD-40.

 

 

Car Wax and How To Use It!
The following are categories of products used to restore and increase the shine of your paintwork(most abrasive to least abrasive):

COMPOUNDS: Harsh abrasives. These products are for heavily oxidized or damaged paint. They are to be used with extreme caution as they can easily remove alot of paint. (If you are reading this DO NOT even think about using a compound unless you are experienced).

CLEANERS: Abrasives. These remove light to moderate oxidation and contaminants as well as water/acid rain spots and swirlmarks. Some cleaners also remove scratches.

POLISHES: Very fine abrasives (some are hardly abrasive at all). These remove fine scratches, waterspots and swirlmarks. In general they also increase the shine.

GLAZES/SEALERS: They remove extremely light scratches. They fill scratches. They have the net effect of increasing the paints shine, depth of color and reflective clarity. If you don't follow them immediately with wax they disappear in the sun.

WAX: Used purely to protect the paint from the elements and oxidation. It also protects the shine produced by polishing and the glaze and sealer. Some waxes are intended purely for this purpose and must be used only after removing defects with polish etc. Other "one step" waxes combine wax with the products above to clean, polish and protect in coat. This is an easy way out but it does not produce the ultimate shine that comes from using several single purpose products.

Deciding which products your car needs:
If your paint is new or like new you will probably just need a fine polish/sealer/glaze (like Meguiar's #7 Show Car Glaze, and a good coat of wax.
If your paint is several years old and has oxidation you will need to use a cleaner/polish before doing the above. The key here is to ALWAYS START WITH THE LEAST ABRAISIVE and only get more abrasive if that doesn't work after a couple of applications. There is a wide array of cleaners and polishes in varying degrees of abrasiveness as well as some products to deal with specific problems like swirl marks.

If your paint is beyond the above see an expert.

Always polish/wax in a shady and relatively dust free area. Before starting its a good idea to mask off all black trim to avoid getting ugly white residue on it.

APPLYING CLEANERS AND POLISHES
Always work on a small area at a time (half the hood, half the trunk, a door etc.). These can be applied with a soft foam pad, or a very soft 100% cotton towel. The foam applicator pads are preferable because the lessen the chance of swirl marks. Some less abrasive products can even be applied with your bear hand if your skin is soft enough. Work in a back and forth motion ( not circular ) to avoid swirl marks. Do not allow the product to dry on as it can then become more abrasive. Immediately buff off the cleaner/polish with a very soft 100% cotton towel. The paint should feel smooth but not necessarily slick. Immediately follow with sealer/glaze and/or wax.

GLAZING/SEALING: Apply in the same way as polishes and cleaners but you should use less pressure. Do not allow it to dry. Buff to a high luster while semi wet. Note if the sealer/glaze feels like its sticking in spots and is very hard to remove then you are either: using too much, allowing to dry too long or you need to go back and polish/clean the paint some more. Again the paint should feel smooth but not necessarily slick. If you still see light
swirl marks apply more sealer/glaze. Immediately follow with wax or the sealer/glaze will disappear.

WAXING: Wax can be applied with a foam pad, terry cloth towel (or your hand if the product is a natural carnuba). Again do not apply in circles. With most waxes it does not matter weather you apply it in small areas at one time or the whole car at once but I prefer to establish a pattern of always dividing the car into the same areas for polishing and waxing. Allow the wax too dry and buff with a terry cloth towel.

• Just like washing, avoid waxing in direct sunlight when possible.
• If you are using a "natural" wax, avoid waxing your car when it is cold out. Carnauba wax is difficult to work with when cold.
• If you're using a "multi-step" system, don't wait too long after the preliminary steps (#1 and #2) before waxing. (i.e. more than half a day, less if it's hot or sunny out) The contents of many glazes and sealers will evaporate out if left exposed.
• Be sure the car is DRY. A few drops of water spilling down from a sill plate can make it more difficult to buff out the wax in that area. Also, getting water on your "buff rag" will make it much harder to buff out the car.
• Change rags frequently when buffing. They will become clogged with residue and not work as well after a while. Sometimes "shaking them out" will help if you don't have spare rags available.
• Use a SOFT bristled brush (like a toothbrush) to remove wax residue from around trim pieces and between body panels. Be sure that the wax has dried first, it will make it much easier to brush off.

TOWELS: Always use 100% cotton terry cloth towels with no synthetics.Synthetic fibers can scratch and cause swirl marks. Wash your towels twice every time; first with a liquid soap and second with no soap. Separate your towels for specific purposes drying, cleaning, polishing, waxing. If you buy new towels wash them many times until they until they become soft and all the chemicals added to them to make the pile stand up are removed.

NOTE: If at any time during polishing/waxing you should drop your applicator pad or towels DO NOT continue to use them as any dirt sand or contaminants can damage the finish.

RESOURCES

Blue Coral Corporation
Zymol Corporation
If you live near a general aviation airport visit the pilot supply shop
for products used on airplanes to clean and wax your car.

 

Fly Back To Pilot's Lounge