10 Ways to keep your car clean – Car Care Tips

The first thing which everyone sees in a car is its exterior, and if you are concerned about car care you want to keep your car look clean and shining. Washing a car quickly is our normal practice but once or twice a month you should spare some time if you really want to keep your car in very good condition and in value even after years.

Most people think that a wash and wax is the best way to keep their car shiny and clean. They are right, but there is much more to washing a car than those two items.

Below you will find very useful ways and tips to achieve the results.

1- Check your current car condition

Checking the condition of your car will point you in right direction i.e how your car should be cleaned. A brand new car or freshly waxed car, it may only need to be washed and waxed to maintain. On the other hand, a car with an average exterior may require cleaning and polishing as well.

2- Chose car cleaning products carefully

If you plan to buy any car cleaning chemical, it is important to read the label. The usage of soap, wax, or detailer can vary from in pricing, paint types, and brand. Chrome wheel cleaner is extremely acidic, using it on an aluminum wheel will ruin your alloy rims. Ideally, you should buy some premium microfiber towels/clothes and keep a separate collection of cleaning clothes for paint, wheels, and windows. Wash your cleaning towels and gloves after every use.

3- Best way to wash your car

Washing your car helps in removal of dust, dirt, and mud. Use a car washing soap. Never go for any liquid detergent or dish cleaner, these can severely damage the paint and effect waxing too. Always rinse your car body first to remove visible dirt which can leave scratches on car body surface when washing. Also, use clean gloves and drying towels.

4- Wash the Wheels & Tyres

Use a tyre wheel cleaner, instead of any ordinary cleaner or household degreaser. You’ll also need a quality tyre brush, and a wheel brush based on the type of rims you have. First rinse the wheel and wheel-wells thoroughly.

Spray the wheel and tyre with cleaner and let it sit for some time. Now clean the tyres using the tyre brush and then use a washing towel/cloth or wheel brush to clean the rims. Rinse thoroughly . . . repeat it two to three times.

You can also apply a quality dressing to preserve tyres, it helps in enhancing the look of tyres and wheels. If you like water-based dressings, you can check that on the nearest store.  Another option is using solvent-based dressing. But be careful and don’t over-apply the dressing, otherwise, it will sling on to the paint around the wheel-wells.

5- Do the Magic – Clay bar your Car

After washing you can see scratches & swirls on paint surface and can feel bonded contaminants like overspray or tree sap. Washing doesn’t remove such elements. Just run your hand over body surface of the washed car, if you can feel little bumps or grain, then you should go a step further with cleaning your car.

A clay bar can be used to remove chronic spots and dust layers. It will remove those layers and spots from the body paint surface including wax and will restore smoothness to the paint. Start by kneading clay bar it into a flat thin piece and use a detailer as a lubricant. Run it across the surface of your car with one hand.

6- The Compound effect on Car

To remove scratches water spots and acidic etching that are below the paint surface, you’ll need to use a compound. Compound can be applied by hand using applicator pads or polisher and wiped away immediately. A compound paint cleaner needs to be applied two three or even four times. Scratches left even after compounding only a paint touch-up can remove them.

7- Extra Gloss with Polishing

Polishing can be compared to applying lotion on your skin. Polish can be applied with hand or with a polisher, and the conditioning oils help in the depth of color and maximum gloss prior to wax, this is especially helpful on dark colored vehicles.

8- Protection shied of car paint

The WaxWaxing is just like sunscreen for body paint. It adds a layer of protection from UV rays to prevent paint fading and some other paint enemies. It preserves high gloss finish of polish and is available in a carnauba or polymer form. Both of these waxes perform the same, but a polymer wax will not haze as it dries and can be wiped off immediately after applying. Carnauba or polymer wax both can be used. Choosing between these two is just like choosing regular or synthetic engine oil. Polymer is expensive but is easier to apply and according to some users, it performs better.

9- Maintain a Shine and Protection

After you’ve done above steps of washing, cleaning, and protecting your car paint, you can take steps to maintain it’s appearance. Buy a  clean microfiber cloth and spray detailer. Keep them in your trunk, these can be used to quickly remove dust, overspray, and also bird droppings.

If your car is already clean and all of these steps seem daunting and time-consuming, an alternative could be one-step cleaner wax. After washing your car, use it to clean, polish, and protect your car paint using only one product. It can be applied by hand or with a polisher and you’ll achieve much better results if you use a product like this instead of just going straight to wax after washing.

10- Wash the Windows

Never use Windex and other household glass cleaners. They contain ammonia which can damage your car’s window tint. Always use an auto window cleaner. It provides much better results. Apply it and wipe down twice to ensure the cleaner is removed.