Car Cleaning Tips
For many vehicle owners the task of cleaning a car by hand is therapeutic. Many owners take great pride in the appearance of their vehicles, which in-turn may extend the lifespan of their vehicle. By cleaning a vehicle frequently it maintains the new-car finish for a longer period of time. It is best to start from the inside and work your way out. The following are some tips not to accidentally scratch or ruin the finish of your vehicle.
Interior Cleaning
Be sure to give your carpets a good vacuuming to remove as much dirt as possible. If you want to clean the carpets more aggressively, you can scrub them with a stiff brush then give the carpet one final vacuum.
Before you start wiping the interior of your vehicle, it is important to do a patch test of cleaners first to make sure that your vehicle’s interior does not react badly to the cleaners that you will be using. Start off by wiping a little bit of the product to see spot and wait to see if there is a reaction. If nothing happens, then that is a safe indicator that your cleaners are good.
The interior of the vehicle builds up dust very quickly, especially in the heating and air conditioning systems. By simply using an air compressor, you can blow out all the dust from the ducts, which will allow your vehicle to smell fresh and keep the dust down for a longer period of time.
Exterior Cleaning
Make sure not to wash your vehicle when the body of the car is hot, or if your vehicle was in direct sunlight for a long period of time. The more hot the body of the vehicle is, the faster the soap and water will dry up, which will make the process of cleaning the vehicle more difficult and there will be a higher chance of spots.
- The exterior of your vehicle should begin at the top of the vehicle and work your way down
- If possible, your vehicle should be washed by hand. It does take longer to do than going through an automatic car wash, but car washes tend to leave patches of dirt on the vehicle.
- When cleaning the tires of your vehicle, use a separate cloth or sponge in combination with a non-acid base cleaner on your wheels
- If you still see dirty spots on your vehicle after you finish cleaning it, clean it using a cleaner
- Clean the exterior windows using an ammonia-free glass cleaner. Do not forget to roll the windows down a bit so the top of the windows can be cleaned as well.
- Over a period of time, the original wax application from your vehicle will wear off. Wax is crucial to protect your vehicle from bumps and scratches, stains and the sun.
- Be sure your vehicle does not air dry as this will leave water marks. It is best to hand dry your vehicle after you finish cleaning it.
