No one has to tell you that your car is an investment! That's why you want to do everything you can to protect and extend its life.
You've got to perform regular maintenance to keep your vehicle running smoothly. And if you want to keep it looking like new, you have to clean the interior and exterior.
What do the pros do? Here are 9 car care tips they swear by!
Wash Your Vehicle with the Right Suds
Don't assume that dishwashing liquid is the right cleaner for your car! Yes, it's a great degreaser for dishes, not for vehicles. Not only will it remove dirt, grease, and old wax, but it also sucks out the oils from your car's finish.
Using dishwashing liquid repeatedly will shorten the life of your car's paint job. Instead, use a cleaner formulated for washing vehicles. Check an auto parts store to find what you need.
Once you've mixed up the suds, take your car care one step further. Fill a second bucket with clean rinse water. Use that bucket to rinse your wash mitt often.
This will remove most of the road grit from the mitt preventing scratches to your car. When the job is done, throw the mitt in the washing machine to get it completely clean.
Pluck the Finish
When you're flying down the highway at 70 mph, your car is a magnet for any crud that's flying with you. While your vehicle's clear coat deflects some of the damage, it can hold the sharper grit.
Get a clay bar kit that includes a lubricating spray and pieces of synthetic clay. This removes the "darts" and gives you a glass-like finish.
The Pro Touch: Polishing Your Car's Finish (Not the Same as Waxing)
While waxing protects the finish and adds more gloss, polishing removes scratches, small surface imperfections, and buffs the finish to a shine.
Most DIY car care enthusiasts skip polishing because it is an added expense and it requires hand polishing. But polishing your car is the key to a great gloss. And it's one the pros never skip.
Save the Carpets Til Last: Suck Up the Dust First
You might want to clean those carpets first because they look so grimy and dirty. But hold that thought until you clean the upper surfaces. Otherwise, your carpets will just pick up the dust and deposit them on your freshly cleaned carpets.
Vacuum the door panels, the console, headliner and dash. Clean all the glass, dust the nooks and crannies, and sweep out the cracks with a car detailing brush. Vacuum it all up. Now you're ready to clean those carpet!
Deep Clean the Upholstery and Carpet
For best results, use a carpet cleaning machine to get the dirt that settles deep into the carpet. You can also clean cloth seats like this too.
Get That Junk Out from Under the Seats
It's a mystery how so much stuff gets under the seats and behind them! Slide the seats forward and get to work. You'll probably find enough change to buy a snack.
Window Washing Also Includes This
Washing the windows is a given, but don't forget to wash that line of grime on the tops of the window. You'll see it when the window is partially rolled down. A few minutes with Windex and a rag and you're done!
Brush Out the Air Vents
Air vent louvers are a real dust magnet. Vacuuming won't get the job done but an artist's paintbrush will do the trick. Give it a light shot of furniture polish and work it along the crevices to remove the dust.
De-Stink the Interior!
Cigars, cigarettes, fishing trips, harrowing trips to the vet that had you gagging and rolling down the windows to kids with carsickness...it's time to de-stink the interior! Buy a can of neutralizer and go to town on the dash, seats, door panels, and carpets. You'll want to leave the windows closed for at least one hour but the stink will be gone!
Clean the "Oops!" Out of Leather
If you've got leather seats, keep a leather cleaning kit on hand in the car. If you clean up lipstick, ink, or dye transfer from clothing and shopping bags right away, you'll preserve the newness of your seats.
Otherwise, these stains will become a permanent part of your leather seat in as little as 24 hours.
