10 Best Car Detailing and Car Washing Tips
Detailing and car washing can save you a bundle, but it isn’t always easy to know how to get the best results. With these 10 detailing and car washing tips, you’ll be able to save time and money while making sure your vehicle looks as good as new!
1. Save Money
Keeping your car looking good doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg. With a little know-how, it’s easy to detail or wash your car without busting your budget. Consider these 10 money-saving tips for detailing and washing your car.
2. All Purpose Cleaner Is King
Nobody likes to see their car getting dirty, but nobody loves car washing their own. It’s one of those things that you can put off for a long time until it becomes a real hassle. One great way to avoid having to clean your car is to prevent grime buildup in the first place. The easiest way to do that is with an all-purpose cleaner, which can also be used around your house for a variety of tasks.
3. Clay Bar Is a Must
A clay bar is one of those things that you might think will sit in your garage untouched for months. However, that’s not exactly true. You should get a clay bar as soon as you buy your car, so that you can keep it looking like new. The good news is that a single clay bar will last you several uses before needing to be replaced. Every time you wash your car, use a clay bar to remove tar spots and other hard-to-remove grime from hard to reach places.
4. The Right Brush Can Make All the Difference
The right brush is essential when detailing your car. The paint bristles should be long enough to clean all of your panels, but not so long that they scratch your finish. Synthetic brushes are usually a good choice because they are gentle on cars, but stiff enough to get into tight areas. If you can’t find a synthetic brush, opt for one made from natural fibers like horsehair instead.
5. Quality Products Are Key
The first thing you’ll want to do is make sure that you’re using quality products. A poorly made car washing or detailing product is not only likely to not work as well, but it could also be potentially damaging to your vehicle. The car wash we recommend most often is Meguiar’s Gold Class Shampoo & Conditioner. Check out its reviews on Amazon!
6. Don’t Wash in Direct Sunlight
To reduce water spots on your car, wash it in a shaded area. Direct sunlight heats up car paint while you’re washing it, making those pesky water spots more likely to form. If you must wash in sunlight, spray your car with glass cleaner to reduce surface tension, then wipe down with a towel to remove dirt. For any soap residue left behind after rinsing with hose, try using clay bar treatment to give your paint that just detailed look!
7. Use An Inch Pad
An inch pad is a car-wash enthusiast’s best friend. It’s a circular, chenille-type material that fits over your hand with a handle coming out of its center. You use it to agitate dirt from cracks, crevices, rubber molding, vinyl tops and more. Using an inch pad will cut down on your detailing time significantly!
8. A Long Towel Is Worth Its Weight in Gold
You’ll use up a lot of water rinsing your car, but there are ways to make your time in the tub more efficient. For example, always have a long towel within arm’s reach. If you leave your current towel to grab another one, you might forget where you left off on that last panel—or worse yet, drop your last towel. A 50-footer is ideal for average length vehicles. You can find them online or at any auto parts store.
9. Proper Drying is Essential For A Showroom Shine
You’ve just gone through a lengthy detailing process, washing and waxing your car until it looks like it’s ready for a photo shoot. But have you properly dried it? All that hard work can be ruined if you don’t dry your car off properly with a microfiber towel. Use long strokes to buff away any water spots or streaks left behind, rather than just running your towel over them.
10. Use Quality Microfiber Towels
It’s tempting to think that you can use any old towel, rag or washcloth on your car. But a good microfiber cloth won’t scratch your vehicle’s delicate paint job, glass or chrome trim. It is super-absorbent, so it lifts dirt away from every crevice and curve—especially those hard-to-reach areas.
