Detailing. Most people think this consists of washing and waxing your vehicle. Some think it consists of a wash, wax, engine degreasing, interior vaccum and shampoo, tire and interior protectants, and basically making yourvehicle look and smell brand new. Whether yourvehicle is lifted or lowered, muddy or street clean, everyone should take time to detail! If not for the looks of your vehicle, at least for the value. Fully detailing yourvehicle at least once a month could make all the difference between getting a “fair condition” trade-in or appraisal and an “excellent condition” trade-in or appraisal.
The first step is to do an evaluation of the detailing needed on your Vehicle. There are three areas you want to assess: Paint & Body, Tire & Wheel, and Interior.
Assess your Paint
How does yourcar look? Is it obviously dirty, or is it slightly dusty? Take a few minutes to really search the body of yourcar and find tough to clean spots such as, road tar, bug splats, tree sap, and water contamination spots. Touch the paint with your fingertips. Does it feel dirty and gritty or is it smooth?
If yourcar is already relatively clean and smooth, then you just need a simple wash. You will need a lamb’s wool mitt, 3 gallon bucket, Car Wash detergent (please do not use dish soap!), and a wheel & tire brush. Always wash from top to bottom, and always save the tires and wheels for last. Brake dust from wheels can cause micro-scratches on the surface of your paint. Before washing with the mitt, do a quick rinse of the entire exterior using a back and forth sweeping motion, from top to bottom. Wash the body with your mitt, wring it out each time before you dunk it in your soap bucket, to keep large contaminants out of the bucket and prevent paint damage. Use the wheel & tire brush and your soap bucket to clean your wheels & tires only after you have washed the painted surfaces. If needed for dirty or stubborn stained wheels, use an approved cleaner on your wheels, one at a time. After washing, thoroughly rinse off all the soap, and dry with a chamois. I recommend using the real thing, and not the inexpensive alternatives.
If your paint is dirty, gritty, and possibly stained then you need a good thorough cleaning. You will want to follow the same steps above and you may want to go the professional detailers way and use a pre-wax cleaner or a clay bar system to remove heavy contaminants that washing alone cannot remove.
When your car's paint is finally clean and smooth to the touch, you should check for swirl marks, scratches, water spots, and any tough to clean spots that you may have missed. You can take out any imperfections with a good polish before you wax. If you have any deep scratches in the clear coat then now is the time to take care of them with a good scratch remover. If the scratch is through the clear coat, and into the paint or primer, then you should seek a body shop. Professionals can match your color better than a touch up paint will. Once your paint is in a clean, smooth, polished state, then it is time to move onto waxing. Be sure to let the body of yourvehicle cool to the touch before applying any wax. Make sure you are in a shaded area (not under a tree), preferably in a garage. In four to five square foot sections at a time, apply the wax according to the wax manufacturers instructions, and remember that a little goes a long way. Buff the wax off with a microfiber towel or other similar towel. Go back over it one more time with a clean microfiber towel to polish, and catch any spots you may have missed. Next, take it outside in the sunlight and do a quick walkaround, noting any smudges or swirls. Let yourcar sit for a few minutes in the sun to warm the paint up. This will help you remove any heavy wax spots, by warming the wax and making it easier to buff off. Back in the shade, use your microfiber towel too, hit the spots you noted, to make it easier use the recommended spray wax for the paste you are using and go over the entire truck again. Make sure you go back with a horsehair or similar brush, and get any leftover or built up wax out of all the crevices on your car, such as the gap between your grille and bumper (if painted or aftermarket), spaces in the doors around the hood and tailgate, and around windows. Your paint should now be in show room condition!
Assess your Tires & Wheels
If you overlook caring for you wheels it can be very difficult to get them back to OEM quality. Just like your car’s paint, they need washing, polishing, and waxing. If you don’t take care of them they can develop rust, brake dust stains, road tar stains, and even deep scratches and small pin-size holes. Oxidation is also a serious problem for aluminum wheels, but that is a whole different story.
Are your wheels dirty? Your tires lifeless and have that nasty brown build-up? If so then just like your paint you should give them a good polish, scratch remover if needed, and a wax. Be sure to get all the crevices here too, such as around the valve stem and in the area around the lugs. Those wheels should look like they just rolled off the showroom floor!
Assess your Interior
When you have finished with the Paint, and Wheels, it is time to finish up your detail by working on the interior. Those of you with children, or dirty jobs know how messy the interior can get! It is very important to stay on top of interior cleanliness. If your child drops candy or food on the floor of yourcar and it sits, hidden or in plain view, for days or even weeks, it can cause serious damage to your carpet or upholstery. Same goes for those of you with dirty jobs, things you track into yourcar from work, on your clothes or shoes or body, can stain and damage your interior.
What does it look like in your car? Do you need to vacuum it out? Is your dash full of dirt or debris? Do you have any stains or spots that need to be removed? How does it smell?
Begin by vacuuming out the interior. Move seats, up, down, back, and forth to get in every crevice and gap. Vacuum out any pockets or consoles to remove small debris not easily picked up by your fingers. Next, if you have any stains or spots, now is the time to remove them. With an approved upholstery and carpet spray you can clean up most spots, and stains. For tough stains, you may want to seek the help of a professional. Make sure to read all the directions on the upholstery cleaner before using it. Most will tell you to test it in an inconspicuous area for colorfastness. After cleaning the upholstery and letting it dry according to instructions, it is time to clean the panels in your car. Use a interior detail brush to get in small areas you can’t get with a rag, such as the a/c vents, around the stereo, a/c panel, headlight panel, various areas on your door panels, speaker grilles, and even your change holder of you have one. Using a good cleaning wipe or spray and clean lint free shop rag, wipe down all the surfaces in your car. Once it is clean, you can apply protectant to give it some shine. Remember, like wax, a little goes a long way. Remove any excess with a clean lint free shop rag. The same applies to leather, but make sure you use a leather protectant and cleaner. After applying protectants, it is time to clean your windows. Wipes work well, and keep from getting spray on your surfaces. Sprays are more readily available, and old newspaper makes a great “rag” to wipe it off. Does yourcar still smell bad? Hang an air freshener form your rear view mirror, or wherever else you put them, maybe Pina Colada…..and pretend your in the Bahamas! Your interior should now be show room quality again! Now, go out and make thatChevrolet shine!




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