Cleaning the car is a task we associate with the weekend. It is convenient to perform periodic cleanings to ensure that our vehicle looks good, both exterior and interior. But do you know the tricks of professionals? In this article we are going to give you 10 recommendations so that you leave your car as if it had been washed by an expert in the field.
1) Start from the inside
Your vehicle needs care both inside and out. The board, the carpets, the plank or the seats deserve as much attention as the exterior paint, the hood, the wheels, or the tires. Do not finish your car wash before your time because you have run out of coins in the water pressure machine. If you start on the inside, you will not forget to perform the cleaning that makes the difference: the interior.
2) Compressed air and brushes for carpets
The first step to clean your car like a professional is to start in the interior, as we have seen in the previous point. And the first thing you should clean are the holes, the mats and the floor. If you can use an air compressor to blow dirt embedded in the carpets, much better. If you do not have one, you can use a powerful vacuum cleaner and a stiff brush to shake off dirt.
3) Do not forget the air ducts to “smell new”
The compressed air from a small portable compressor is an easy way to remove dust and dirt from both the heating and air conditioning ducts. The trick is to point towards the ventilation grilles, where dust and dirt adhere and cause musty odors. If your car has an air filter, you can replace it from time to time, or remove it and blow dust and dirt out.
4) Use low-acid wheel cleaner
Before going to clean the body, the first thing is wheels and rims. For the latter we can use some of the many products on the market, but the less acidic, the better, because acidity can cause tires to lose their shine or color.
5) Use a sponge for the body
The best tool to clean the body is a sponge. But do not use a dishwasher detergent or dish soap like most, since you will remove the protective wax layer. Instead you can use a specific shampoo to wash the car. Prepare a good bucket of soap and water, and get to work! Once you have cleaned the outside of your car, rinse with plenty of water and dry the surface with a towel or microfiber cloth, which does not scratch the paint and has a great absorption power. This will prevent stains that occur when the water evaporates, caused by traces of dirt and minerals.
6) Remember that clean paint shines
Often it takes more than a simple wash to clean the paint. Bird droppings and artificial contaminants are deposited in the paint and, after a while, can penetrate the color layer. With the car in the shade, he runs his hand over the painted surface. If you notice it rough it means that it needs to be cleaned. In more extreme cases you can use paint cleaners, fluids that remove the wax and also clean the top layer of the paint by removing unwanted environmental chemicals that have been attached to the paint.
7) Do you need to polish?
When polishing the body, you will soften the surface of the paint. It will shine, and your car will look new. Some brighteners contain wax, which also protects the paint, but the wax itself does not soften the paint. To polish the paint we can use an oscillating polishing machine. The professionals use a rotating polishing machine, which works faster but can damage the paint if you do not take special care.
8) Protects the paint with wax
When it left the factory, your car looked shiny. Over time, the paint deteriorates because of the weather. That’s when we need to polish the body with wax. The professionals usually use two layers of wax. The purpose of the second layer is to cover the areas that in the first layer did not finish penetrating. Keep reading These are all the Speedster with which Porsche has made us dream
9) It’s the turn of the crystals
The windows and glass of the car are the last elements that we will clean. We can use a good glass cleaner (better if it does not contain ammonia) and, once rubbed with a sponge, make sure that we have removed the entire product with a cloth. To make it cleaner, we can dry the surface with newspaper.
10) Use wax every season change
Between cleaning and cleaning, spots and scratches may appear. Especially if your car spends the nights and days outdoors. In these cases it is recommended to clean the car in each season of the year by applying wax to the body to protect it to the maximum.
