DIY Detailing that Doesn’t Suck (or Cost a Fortune)
Most of us at this site - and probably more than a few of our readers - are of the opinion that a clean car runs better. Logic dictates this probably isn’t entirely true, but there’s a solid chance that a vehicle which is properly cared for in terms of cleanliness probably doesn’t hide a ton of deferred maintenance.
The term ‘detailing’ in that headline is a loaded word, since there are plenty of people who rightfully reserve the word for tasks which take forever and a day to complete and produce results which exceed what one would likely find in a new car showroom. Call it basic cleaning or dipping a toe into detailing, the tasks mentioned in this post are sure help improve the look of your ride.
Whether it truly runs better is up for debate - but don’t kill our vibe, ok?
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Basic Training
If a busy family or an insane work schedule only permit an hour or so on a sunny Saturday afternoon to take care of business, that’s much better than doing nothing at all. Some people will rant and rave that anything short of an eight-hour detail is cheating or not doing the job properly but we tend to disagree. Any attention paid to the cleanliness of yer car is better than letting grime accumulate without care.
Basic Training
Soaking the car with a good high pressure spray followed by a basic wash and wipe will do wonders for a vehicle, especially one which hasn’t seen the side of a sponge since Bush was in office. Use of a normal hose and sprayer is fine; a pressure washer is better but not essential. Make sure to loosen dirt before touching the paint and use the two-bucket process (described in other articles on this site) to avoid damaging the finish. Such a task will pay dividends in the form of a cleaner car and is like quickly running a cloth over the coffee table before the company shows up. Not everyone has the time to devote to a multi-step car cleaning process.
Compound Interests
After a complete wash, going a step further by applying a compound will outstrip the efforts put in by most car owners in your neighbourhood. These compounds are a minutely abrasive (but not damaging) very thin liquid intended to restore tired finishes. It’s easy to apply, since most brands include a foam applicator or three in the box alongside this bottle of liquid.
Compound Interests
Unlike a wax product don’t allow this stuff to dry on the paint, instead wiping off with a microfibre towel after letting it work for a few minutes. Any existing wax is likely to vanish - which leads to our next step in this post.
Waxing Nostalgic
Even though the process of applying a liquid or paste-based wax is very similar to what we just described with a compound, the intent and results are very different. This product is intended to help form a protective barrier over the vehicle finish, guarding against damage and (sometimes) helping eliminate some swirls and minor scratches. One might feel as if they’re repeating themselves if waxing a car after spending a spell applying a compound but both items do different jobs. By the way, this is generally the stuff ya let dry to a haze on the paint before buffing. Do all of this out of direct sunlight, of course. Most waxes have a witches brew of chemicals to produce a surface on which water will bead, just like in the commercials.
