Tips for Detailing Your Car like a Pro

Vehicles are much more than just a source of transportation to many people. Vehicles can indicate what type of person you are, how tidy you are, and how much you care about something that costs a significant amount of money. For many car owners, detailing a vehicle is a lost art. Detailing for many consists of heading to the quarter car wash, cleaning the car and drying it off. But for those enthusiasts out there who want to go a step further and make a statement with their vehicle, detailing becomes so much more than just a wash.

A great detailing job can make any car pop and onlookers will certainly be jealous. Detailing is the process of basically returning your vehicle to showroom new condition and as such it is a time consuming task that should be undertaken a few times per year. Plan on a full detailing job, both inside and out, to take an entire day of your time.

Here are some guidelines and product recommendations to help get your started. The end result will be a car with a showroom shine, a clean interior, windows that sparkle and a vehicle to be proud of.

To begin the detailing process you will need to collect the necessary materials. You will need a bucket and a microfiber cloth for washing the vehicle. You will need a microfiber towel to dry the vehicle. You will also need additional towels to detail the interior, a wheel brush and a clay bar. Products needed include a quality car wash product such as Zymol, a clay bar lubricant, an interior detailing spray, an all purpose wheel cleaner, a tire shine product, a polish and a wax.

Begin by thoroughly washing the vehicle. After washing the vehicle, use the clay bar and the clay bar lubricant as instructed. This product removes any paint contaminants. After using the clay bar, you will need to polish the paint. I recommend a gentle polish such as Klasse All in One for finishes already in good condition, or a powerful polish such as Meguiar's Compound Power Cleaner for paint in need of significant work. Apply polish according to directions. Many polishes can be applied by hand, but an orbital buffer makes quick work of the task and is much more effective at polishing the paint.

Once polishing is complete you can proceed to clean the wheels. Liberally apply the wheel cleaner, scrub with the wheel brush, rinse and dry.

Now move to the interior. Use the interior detailing spray to clean the dash and other interior surfaces. Follow by vacuuming the interior, cleaning the leather with a leather specific cleaner, and finally shampoo the carpet with a hand-held carpet cleaner.

Now that the vehicle is nearly complete we will turn our attention back to the exterior. The final step involves washing the windows and waxing the car. Wash the windows with a quality glass cleaner such as Stoner's Invisible Glass.

To wax the exterior of the vehicle I highly recommend a product called P21s Carnuaba Wax. This product is incredibly easy to work with and gives great results every time. Apply according to directions and remove after the product has set.

With detailing complete, keep your vehicle looking new by washing it every week and reapplying wax every month. Every three to four months you can repeat the above steps and your car will continue to shine for years to come.