Maintaining Your Clean Car
Once your car has been properly cleaned, polished and protected it will be much easier to work on and take less time, effort and products to keep it looking as though it has just had a major clean. A weekly or biweekly wash using a mild, wax friendly shampoo product will be sufficient to remove any light dirt & contaminants that have recently been picked up and will help to prolong the durability of any wax or sealant that has been applied. Paintwork and glass can be restored to a high standard from a basic wash & dry.
Wheels that were once heavily ingrained with dirt and brake dust can now be fully cleaned and brought back to standard with the same shampoo product used to wash the rest of your car. Generally most of the exterior of your car can be satisfactorily cleaned and maintained regularly using a just mild shampoo product, wether it be a convertible top, your plastics & trim, tyre walls, arches or door shuts.
In between a regular wash routine however, another step can be added to prolong the clean look of your car even further. Provided your car has only very light contaminants that have been picked up from the last day or two, a detailing spray used with a damp micro fibre towel can be used to keep your car as contaminant free and clean as possible. Simply spray the vehicle generously and lightly wipe over with the damp micro fibre towel to lift off the light dirt and reveal the recently cleaned surface underneath.
This can be used to rejuvenate all areas of the exterior of your car as well as the paintwork. It is not advisable to use a detailing spray and micro fibre towel to maintain your car if it has anything more than very light dust/contaminants on as this could lead to swirl marks or scratches being inflicted on the paintwork.
A small ‘kit’ comprising of a detailing spray, micro fibre towels, an all purpose cleaner, a dressing product, and a selection of soft brushes can be kept in the boot or trunk of your car ensuring that it can be easily and conveniently maintained wherever you are. This would also enable you to immediately remove things like bug splatter or bird droppings from your recently cleaned car should they suddenly occur.
Car Paint Maintenance: How to keep your car looking brand new.
For some, nothing is more exciting than buying a new car. The feeling you get when you first get behind the wheel is indescribable. Understandably, you want to do everything in your power to ensure that you can hold onto that feeling for as long as possible. That means keeping your car looking brand-new for as long as you can. That also means taking care of your new car’s paint is especially important. Maintaining that new-car look requires a lot of time and dedication, but you probably don’t need an excuse to spend time with your new car, anyway. Here are a few of the most important tips that can tell you how to keep your car looking new.
1. Wash It Regularly
Get into a regular routine of washing your car properly. Giving your car a bath once a week will remove any dirt or grime that it may have picked up on the road and keep it from doing lasting damage to the finish. Make sure you use a soap that won’t be too harsh on your paint. Also, always use a separate rag for cleaning your wheels to avoid rubbing brake dust into the surface.
2. Dry Your Car Properly.
Just letting your car drip-dry in the sun certainly is easy, but it’s definitely not good for its paint job. When water droplets evaporate, they leave any minerals or dirt they may have been holding onto — meaning, it’s as if you hardly washed your car. Grit and dirt can scratch and damage your paint job, leading to that dull, faded look that’s the opposite of what you want. After giving your car a thorough washing, follow it up right away with a good drying tool, The Absorber from CleanTools. Its unique poly vinyl alcohol composition means it acts like a sponge, drawing water away from your car’s paint. Because it can be wrung and used repeatedly on the same vehicle, The Absorber is the perfect tool for drying your new car.
3. Polish Regularly.
Polishing your car not only makes it look good, it also protects the painted surface. It isn't necessary to polish your car every week, or even every month, every six months or so will do. Use a quality polish and apply it with a quality applicator made for the purpose, follow the instructions that come with the polish, and remove the polish using a soft, clean rag that won't scratch the paint. Don't attempt to polish the whole car in one go, do it panel by panel, or if it's a large panel do it a section at a time.
4. Remove Any Splotches Immediately.
Tree sap, bird droppings and other splotches are unsightly, but there’s more than one reason why you should clean them up right away. Not only can these deposits become much harder to remove after they dry and set, but they also may contain acids that can break down your car’s finish. Use a rag with mild soap and lots of water to gently scrub these splotches away before they have a chance to harden and cause damage to your car’s paint.
5. How to remove scratches from the car?
Spotting a scratch on the car isn't the end of the road. "Depending on the severity of the scratch, if it isn't too wide or too deep, you can remove, or make that light scratch or car park ding look less obvious, with a simple hand polish or scratch remover," says Bowden."For most cases the scratches are best polished out with a machine, something any good professional detailer will be able to do for you. But when a scratch goes through the base coat it is all over and you have to respray it."
6. Stay Away From the Car Wash
Do not take it to the car wash. Many automated car washes use detergents that are formulated to You’re eager to show off your new car and keep it looking nice, but avoid the urge the extra-tough on dirt, which also makes them extra-tough on your paint. That’s not even mentioning the spinning brushes that can take off more than dirt. Washing your car by hand is the best way to help ensure that your car’s paint will continue to look new.
The feeling of buying a new car is a great one, and it’s one you’ll want to hold onto for as long as possible. If you’re interested in knowing how to keep car paint looking new, check out everything CleanTools has to offer for automotive care.