Automotive How To - Detailing Your Car

Are you tired of paying to have your car interior look like new again? Do you want to learn how to make your favorite car shine like you just brought it home? Here are some tips on how to detail your car.

Tools: There are some items you will need before you start on your car detailing project:

Bucket (For the water)

Car Wash (Soap for the outside)

Wash Pad (Or other type of sponge)

Drying towel (Microfiber works the best)

Wax

Vinyl, Rubber and Tire Cleaners

Carpet or Upholstery Cleaner

Leather conditioner

Q-Tips (For those hard to reach spots)

Vacuum Cleaner

Windex

Paper Towels

Toothbrush

Get Started Detailing: Start with the cars floors and carpeting first so you aren't kicking dirt up onto already washed surfaces. Take out the floor mats and vacuum the carpet and upholstery. Also vacuum the dash and rear window shelf. Remember to move the seats as far forward and then back, as they will go to get underneath them. If there are spots in the carpet or upholstery use the cleaner to clean the spots. Don't over saturate the spot or you could end up with mildew. You can repair burns or holes in the carpet by cutting out the area and replacing it with a piece from underneath a seat. Use a small amount of cement and a water resistant adhesive. Blend in the repair by brushing. If the floors mats are rubber wash them otherwise vacuum them.

Interior Surface Detailing: The inner surfaces should be cleaned with a damp cloth and mild all-purpose cleaner. Use the proper chemical for the material you are working with. You can purchase vinyl and leather repair kits at your local auto store that will help you fix wear and tear in the vinyl or leather. The dash can prove to be very difficult and will take some time. You can try things like compressed air, q-tips and toothbrushes. Be careful with the cleaning products you use on your dash that you don't put a glossy product on a flat surface. Don't get the cleaners on the plastic that covers the instrument panel because it can cause the panel to fog up. Air vents can be cleaned with q-tips as well as compressed air.

Window Detailing: The windows should be cleaned last so as to not get dirt from inside the car onto them. First roll down the window slightly and clean the upper part of the windows and then roll it back up to finish the lower part. If you have polishes of any sort on the door panels take caution when you get near the panels.

Outside the Car: Now that the inside of your car is detailed and clean it is time to start working on the outside. Always start at the bottom and work your way up. Once you have washed the car, rinse and look for any areas that need rewashing. Then proceed to drying the car. When the car is thoroughly dry you can wax the car and finish up by polishing the lights, and tires.

Detailing is a very time consuming project to do yourself but can save you a lot of money as a professional detailer is quite expensive. Take your time when detailing and remember that this project will keep your car looking beautiful and pristine.