Even if you’re not the type of person who spends hours under the hood fine-tuning your car, you probably still take a lot of pride in it. You want to be sure that your car looks and performs its best for as long as possible. While there are many details about keeping your car running smoothly that should be left to the professionals, keeping your car looking great is something you’re more than capable of handling yourself.
Detailing your car at home is a simple matter of knowing what to do and having the right tools to get it done. What follows is a quick guide to car detailing at home.
Exterior Detailing
Your car’s exterior is exposed to a lot of elements that can damage and dull its finish. Exterior detailing removes as much of this as possible — leaving a clean, shiny, showroom look. Here’s what you need to do to detail your car’s exterior:
- Give it a good wash with a high-quality cleanser. The Wash Mitt from CleanTools gives you complete control and ensures you won’t miss a spot. Clean your wheels with a brush to remove caked-on dirt and brake dust. For cars with a dipped or matte finish, DipRagz™ is the perfect tool to clean this surface without leaving lint behind.
- After rinsing your car, make sure you dry it thoroughly to prevent water spots. The Absorber’s unique polyvinyl alcohol construction makes it extra-absorbent and easy to clean.
- A clay bar pressed onto your car’s surface will remove any particles that remain stuck to the clear coat.
- Next, it’s time to wax and polish your car to give it a protective coating. The Glosser is one of the best car-detailing products, thanks to its tri-layer construction that includes a layer of wax between its microfiber cloths. Its 2-in-1 technology is designed to give your vehicle that final showroom shine. For chrome and aluminum details, Buffing Balls deliver superior buffing action without overheating or caking.
Interior Detailing
Having a clean and shiny exterior is important, but it won’t make as much of an impact on your passengers if your car’s interior is left dull and dingy. Here are the basic steps you should take to make sure the inside of your car is just as pleasing to look at as the exterior:
- Vacuum the carpets and upholstery to remove all crumbs, dirt and anything else you may have tracked into your car’s interior from the outside.
- Give your dashboard, console and all other surfaces inside your car a good once-over to remove lint, hair, and dust. The Dash Gear microfiber interior cleaning cloth works great at trapping and picking up all of those without needing moisture or chemicals that could damage your dash.
- Clean the inside of your windows and windshield with a specially formulated cleanser to protect its coating.
- Shampoo your floor mats and upholstery to give them a deep clean and remove any unwanted odors they may have collected over time.
You’re proud of your car, and you want to do everything you can to keep it looking its best. With the proper tools and the right knowledge at your disposal, you can maintain your car’s showroom-quality look by yourself at home. Take a look at everything CleanTools can provide you with to keep your car in pristine condition.