All right, it’s the New Year and time to make your car look like new again. The first step is pretty obvious – clean it. Don’t go through an automated carwash if you want the best results though, as even the most advanced car washes can leave dirty spots on the outside of your car, and some can even damage the paint surface on your car. Read on for more details from DCH Toyota of Oxnard.
But first, a description of the paint on your car. It’s made up of several layers of paint, usually a primer, one or more layers of color paint, and a clear coat on top of it all to protect the color paint. The scratches that build up in car paint are often only damage to the clear coat and it is this that you want to repair. Buy a reputable brand of cleaning products – they usually come as a multiple step system, but this is what you essentially want. First item necessary is a good detergent. Don’t use dishwashing liquid or household cleaners, as they can strip layers of wax and clear coat off. Next, you will want to use a good quality wax. This not only protects the clear coat, it fills in the scratches in the clear coat itself. Apply a layer of polish for the final gloss. At all stages use a new, clean cloth – never brushes or sponges. The idea to keeping care of your paint is using the least aggressive way of cleaning it.
Larger scratches and paint damage, such as the result from getting into a scrape with another car or a pole can often be buffed out using a cutting wax. This has tiny abrasive particles in it that strip contamination off the car. Even when it looks like your paint has been badly scratched, it is often the case that whatever the car has contacted has left some if it’s paint on top of your paint, and with a cutting wax it can quite literally be wiped away.
On the inside of your car it’s always a good idea to have a set of good quality floor mats. These not only cover the carpet under the mat and keep dirt off it, but it also means you don’t need to be too aggressive when cleaning the carpet itself. Most cars have synthetic carpets, and if you move the head of a vacuum cleaner over it too fast and with too much pressure, the friction can actually cause enough heat to melt the fibers together and cause a big scratch-like mark.
Dust builds up on the dashboard and center console, and this can be removed by simply running a damp cloth over the surfaces. As long as the cloth is damp and not actually wet the electronics in your car should not be affected. If you want to go further there are plenty of interior cleaners and polishes that can give a glossy effect, but always try the new formula on a piece of trim you don’t normally see so you can gauge whether you want your entire dashboard to look like that.
If your car has leather upholstery, you can go with a high quality leather cleaner. This not only cleans the leather, but like the polish on the outside of the car, it protects the leather from certain damage. Again, be careful in choosing a cleaner as some can make the leather extremely slippery.
Alternately, find a detailing company with a good name and reputation and have them do it all for you. Completely cleaning a car can take a long time, and that’s why there are many professionals around to do the job for you.
