So how much did you pay for your car? $10,000? $20,000? More? It's important to take steps to protect your vehicle's resale value. One of the best ways to do that is to keep the exterior of your car well maintained. Consider these tips for detailing your car without breaking the bank.
1. Stock up on the right supplies. Before you begin working on your car's exterior, arm yourself with a supply of 100 percent cotton terry cloth towels, as well as foam applicator pads. They're ideal for the tasks ahead.
2. Choose the right auto-detailing products. Select products specially made for automotive surfaces. Dishwashing or laundry detergent and other household cleaning products are designed to cut grease and oils, meaning they can strip the wax off your vehicle's finish and possibly burn the paint.
3. Set up shop in the right location. Be sure to wash, polish and wax your car in a shady spot. Otherwise, the sun can leave water spots on your vehicle or, even worse, bake polishes and waxes onto your car's paint job.
4. Ready, set, wash. Hose the car off before you begin washing it. Wash with a terry cloth towel or a lamb's wool mitt, and work from the top of the vehicle down.
5. Take special care with convertible tops. Use a scrub brush with soft bristles and tiny, circular motions to clean the top. You can use the same water and cleanser you used to wash the car, unless the top is really dirty. If it is, consider buying a cleaner designed for convertible tops.
6. Assess the paint. After your car is washed and dried, can you see a film of tree sap? Other deposits? Scratches? Oxidation? If you spot none of the above, you can proceed directly to polishing your car. But if you do notice any of those defects, don't despair: They can be removed via a good cleaning.
7. Apply extra cleaning power where necessary. You can use a cleaner with a mild abrasive to remove the imperfections adhering to or imbedded in your car's paint. Try the least abrasive cleaning product on the worst spot first. If that doesn't work, opt for a slightly more abrasive cleaner on the worst spots only. Go one section at a time and clean by hand, being careful not to apply too much pressure.
8. Polish things up. Once your car's surface feels silky smooth, move on to polishing your car. Use a foam pad to apply a quality polish to a section of the car, then remove the polish with a terry cloth towel well before it dries.
9. Provide a layer of protection with wax. If you keep your car in a garage, a quality carnauba-based wax should shield your car's surface for three or four months. If you must park outside, more frequent waxings are in order.
10. Remember the windows. Here's an area of the car where you can use the same standard glass cleaner you use around the house - that is, unless your windows are tinted. If they are, clean them with distilled water to protect the tinting film. Again, terry cloth will work wonders on your windows and help prevent streaking.
