How to Properly Detail Your Car

Keeping your car clean is very important to most of us. Apart from the good feeling you get from seeing your vehicle shine, proper cleanup can repair some damage and prevent others from taking place.

Giving your car a thorough cleanup help with resell for one, if you plan on selling your vehicle, then proper detailing may help you get some extra dollars out of it.

Here’s how you can get professional results by doing it yourself:

Vacuum Out Crevices

 Check out every nook and cranny of your car. You’ll most likely find some stray items like change, pens keys some mud and dirt. You are already off to a good start with a small profit! When you are cleaning the larger pieces, keep a firm but soft utensil to take out the debris that is logged between sill lips. Make sure to vacuum the entire area making use of your cleaner’s crevice tool. The amount of debris that can get into the cracks will amaze you.

Clean The Cup Holders

This part of the vehicle is often overlooked, and it’s probably one of the dirtiest parts of the car. To clean, place a cloth sprayed with window cleaner over a travel cup. Put it in and twist to remove dirt and crud. To make your cup holder much easier to clean, you can purchase rubber liners that are easily detachable and can be washed. 

Clean The Corners

There is no need for special tools to achieve this. Cotton swabs and wooden tongue depressors are a great choice to get into smaller spots like buttons and switches, vents and seams. Discarded toothbrushes or old makeup brushes could also come in handy when cleaning the levers and vents.

Lubricate the Hood Hinges

Always wipe the hinge area with a clean rag sprayed with lithium grease. Make sure to work the grease into the hinge. Ensure it gets to both sides of the hinge. Finally, take out the excess grease to avoid  collecting dirt.

Scrape Off Annoying Stickers

Those long-standing stickers may call to mind some good old memories. But as time goes on, they begin to accumulate, they can become obvious hazards. Carefully pull them free at a 90-degree angle. The good ones will leave without a trace while others would leave a gummy residue behind. This requires more attention to clean. Cover the dash with a towel and dab on a degreaser, scrape and wipe it off.

Be Careful With Plastics

Make sure to clean your plastics with approved detail cleaners such as Armor-All This is because ammonia can make surfaces to bleach

Make Sure Your Rims Sparkle

The tires and rims of your car get covered with brake dust, road grime and tar. This can be very difficult to remove. To make your rims sparkle, look for a wheel cleaner that is safe for all surfaces. You should see this in the label. Also, avoid caustic cleaners that can do damage to the factory finish of your rims. Scrub with a sponge and a soft bristled toothbrush for tighter areas. Rinse with water, repeat the process to make sure all spots are reached.

The above tips would definitely give your car its much needed face lift. You will appreciate the outcome of a detailed cleaning of your vehicle. The sense of accomplishment and pride is another immediate effect of a clean car.