Proper maintenance of a car to keep them looking good inside and outside as if they have come from the show room increases their resale value. Auto detailing is systematically performing operations and procedures that keep the vehicle in its best condition, especially cosmetic, as opposed to mechanical. This is achieved by removing both visible and invisible contaminants from the interior, and polishing the exterior of the car to its original blemish free finish.
Auto detailing is more than cleaning process to maintain the outlook of a car, but a systematic approach to help extend its life with methods and products that removes damaging elements from the environment such as harsh winter, dirt, sun etc. Auto detailing requires use of proper tools and knowledge of some techniques.
Auto detailing is divided into two categories: exterior and interior. Each category have got its product and services.
Interior detailing is cleaning the whole interior cabin of the car. Interior of a car comprises a variety of materials such as vinyl, synthetic carpet upholstery, natural fibers, carbon fiber composites, plastics etc. Therefor different cleaning products and techniques should be use. Upholstery stains can be removed by steam cleaning, foam and liquid chemicals or brushes. Also nonporous surfaces may be polished.
Exterior detailing involves cleaning and restoring or exceeding the original condition of the surface of the car’s finish (usually a glossy finish paint), chrome trim, windows, wheels as well as other visible parts of vehicle’s exterior. There are many products and techniques used in auto detailing. The product used depends on type and condition of the surface of the car or customer preference. When it comes to protect your paint of the car, much more is needed during washing. The product used include surfactants, detergents, acid free degreasers (for removing dirt and soil), detail clay(for removing micro embedded surface, waxes, silicone and non-silicone based dressings for plastic trim and tires. To improve reflectivity of the paint finish, applicators, brushes and drying towels, as well as polishes and buffing compounds, are used.
How often a car needs to be detailed depends upon how often the vehicle is used and driving conditions it sees and if it spends more time sitting on the sun.
Below are steps on how to clean your car:
- Precaution
Take all the precaution necessary to protect your car’s pain. Any time you touch your pain you risk scratching it. Do everything necessary to reduce such risks. Things that can scratch your paint such as wedding ring, jewels should be kept away.
- Organize/prep
Ensure that the area of work is prepped and everything, from chemicals or detergents and towel to the bucket and hose are ready and in place.
- Wheels
Start by washing wheels with wheel cleaner to avoid water drying on the paint.It is advisable to use wheel brush with removable microfiber sleeves so you can wash the sleeves for reuse. Clean all the dirt, brake dust and debris from the wheel in the dirty water bucket, then use soap water bucket to wet the wheel brush. After finishing rinse each wheel.
Dump the water from the buckets and refill both to wash the whole vehicle.
- Pre-clean
Foam the entire exterior of the vehicle using a foam gun or hand frother. This will make the dirt to get wet and loosen. Preferably, use pressure washer with a caveat. Rinse the foam and any loose materials.
- Wash
Clean the vehicle using side-to-side motion, at the roof, then windshield and then hood, working downward. Move quickly and efficiently so neither water or soap dry on the paint.
- Rinse
Once all parts of the car are clean then its time for rinsing. Use the pressure washer to rinse all the soap off the top to bottom of the vehicle.
- Dry
The easiest way to dry a car is using a leaf brower to get rid of all water from the paint. Alternatively, if you don’t have a leaf blower, use a soft, clean microfiber towel.
Once all the water is removed, its time to dry the hidden water in the vehicle badging, door sills, gaskets ets. Use a hand held blower.
- Protect and finish
Wiping your paint with a clean microfiber towel and spray detailer or wax gives it an extra protection.
