Does Your Car Need Detailing? Here’s Everything You Need to Know

Difference Between Car Washing And Car Detailing

Many people don’t realize there’s a difference between just washing a car and detailing a car. Detailing is a lot like it sounds. It’s a very thorough, deep cleaning process that gets into every part of the interior and exterior of your car. Detailing can also include everything from steam cleaning the upholstery to the use of fabric guard and UV protection to prevent further wear and damage.

Detail The Car Yourself

Get Your Car’s Exterior Looking its Best with the Right Supplies

First things first. Before you set aside time to detail your car you’ll want to make sure you have everything you’ll need to get the job done right. According to car detailing experts, there are a few essential items you’ll need to start detailing your car as a beginner. These include:

Car Cleaning Cloths

In the post, we recommend using microfiber. These really are the best because they are extremely absorbent and soft. Microfiber soaks up a lot of water, saving time while washing, and serves the dual purpose of making a great drying cloth. These clothes can be found everywhere from big box retail stores and auto supply shops to discount and dollar stores.

Car Shampoo and Conditioner

Yes. Shampoo. Not soap. You should never use something like dish soap to wash your car. Besides having harsh surfactants and other chemicals that aren’t eco-friendly, detergents can leave behind a residue on your car, making it look dull. A car shampoo and conditioner is a two in one that is meant specifically for your car. These products are less harsh on the surfaces of your car and the environment.

A Car Washing Nozzle And Hose

Obviously having a hose to rinse your car is much easier than doing it with a bucket. You most likely have a hose but you should also have a nozzle with adjustable settings. You can find one at your local hardware store easily enough. Having a high- pressure nozzle will allow you to clean stubborn, caked on dirt on your tires and under the body.

Here are some in-depth reviews of the car washing nozzles, so you can easily pick one that works best for you.

Auto Glass Cleaner

Another item you probably already have under the sink is glass cleaner. Using a cleaner meant for glass is going to make your car look much better than just shampoo and water. Glass cleaner takes away streaks and spots easily and makes your mirrors and windows shine

WD-40 Multi Use

Yet one more handy every day item you might have somewhere in your garage. You might not have thought of WD-40 as a something you’d need for detailing your car though. Apparently it can be used to clean dashboards and keep your metal surfaces shiny as well as rust free.

Long Lasting Car Wax

If you’re going to put in the effort to wash your car why not really make it shine? Besides, wax protects your car’s surface from things like temperature change and things like pollen, bug splatters and the like. Waxing your car is a major part of detailing and a nice finishing touch.

Electrical Car Buffer

An electrical car buffer is recommended by the Detail Experts. Now, that may seem like a step to far for the casual DIY detailer but if you’re serious about maintaining your car you’ll want to invest in at least the most basic tools to make your new hobby easier. It could take a beginner some practice to avoid scratching your paint so it’s best to check out a tutorial first.

Start with the Big Stuff to Save Time and Effort

Before you start washing, vacuuming and getting into the smaller parts of detailing your car you’ll want to do some prep work first. Now that you have your supplies, get them in order near your work area. Use a caddy to stay organized.

Take a look at the outside of your vehicle and see if there’s any major dirt and debris just spray it off now. This will make doing the shampooing much easier and less messy.

Don’t Forget The Garbage Bag

One item not on the above list is garbage bags. You’ll probably need them for any forgotten items or garbage floating around in your car. Put those gym shoes, that sweater and any thing else you want to save in one bag. Then use the other for garbage like food wrappers, cups and other trash that may be floating around.

Finally, put loose change and smaller items in a container, and remove all the paperwork in your glove compartment. The goal is to have all these items out of your way to make a thorough cleaning as smooth as possible. Now remove the floor mats and do a quick vacuum with the largest attachment to grab major debris, kind of like you did for the outside. Then you can move on to the thorough cleaning.

Don’t Forget those Details that Make Your Interior Shine

All that prep work on the interior served a purpose. With everything removed from your cup holder, door panels and glove box it’s easy to see into those neglected spaces and get them clean.

You may want to invest in some more items specifically for your interior. These items include things like green scrubber pad and small handle brushes to deep clean the dash and steering wheel vinyl and get into small spaces.
There’s also an abundance of cleaning products out there for your car interior including upholstery cleaners and other specialty products.

The car experts at Napa have some great, easy to follow tips on products and techniques for cleaning your interior.
The goal with cleaning the interior is not only to get it clean, but to protect it from further wear just as you would with the exterior. Once you’ve meticulously cleaned every surface until it gleams and vacuumed all dust and debris you should protect that investment in your time.

Use an upholstery protecting spray on all your carpeted and upholstered surfaces. Include your floorboards and the carpets and even inside your trunk. Just make sure whatever you use is recommended for your upholstery type.
It’s also important to use a protectant on the vinyl of your car, such as the dash and steering wheel. Most of these types of protectants are meant to prevent UV damage. Many of these products come in sprays as well, making them easy to apply.

Impress Your Passengers by Going the Extra Mile

If you really want to do a bang up job of cleaning your car’s interior than there are a few important things to remember before you go to the effort of applying all those protectants. If your upholstery has stains or if your car is older and never been detailed before, there’s a few extra things you can do to really make it look and smell like new.

Removing Stains

Obvious stains make your car look dingy and uncared for, even if it’s ultimately clean. There is no way your car can look it’s best with a bunch of stains your upholstery.

Luckily, there are some amazing spot stain removers out there on the market today. Banishing those stains is often as easy as a spray and a bit of scrubbing. Just make sure to test the product on an inconspicuous spot first to make sure it doesn’t fade or damage the upholstery fabric.

There are also a lot of tips and tricks on online sources,like Angie’s List,for using everyday household products to beat stubborn stains.  With some effort and maybe a little experimentation you can get rid of those stains for good.

A Powerful Deep Clean With Handheld Steam Cleaner

You’d be surprised how much dust and dirt gather in your upholstery fabric over time. Vacuuming alone won’t remove this deep down dirt. You’ll need a shampooer or steam cleaner. Renting equipment is a good option for this, though there are some affordable machines on the market that you may want to consider.

Steam cleaners even work on leather upholstery and vinyl. Unlike shampooers, steam cleaners use heat to soften and loosen dirt before pulling it out of fabric. A shampooer recirculates water and shampoo from the machine to the fabric.

It’s up to you which to choose but a steamer is more versatile and may be worth the small investment.  Steam cleaning your car’s interior is actually fairly easy with the right attachments and techniques and it adds a nice finishing touch.

Turn Heads With That Sparkling Clean Exterior

Here’s the part you’re probably really interested in—An exterior that turns heads. If you’re putting in all the work to detail your car, you want others to see it, right? Newly waxed and buffed paint, gleaming tires and sparkling windows are definitely going to get noticed. There are a few things you can do to really make your car stand out.

Don’t Overlook the Tires

Let’s start from the bottom up. According to Detailing Spot,tires are often overlooked but play a critical role in the overall appearance of your car. In their detailed piece on tire detailing they explain why detailing your tires is important for their care too. “Considering the fact that tires are in continual contact with the road and suffer from adverse effects of road tar, dirt, grime, water, salt, brake dust, grease AND ultra violet radiation (UVR), ozone, and oxygen, it is understandable that they require great care. Over time, tire rubber simply degrades.”

Really getting your tires clean will require their removal. You can go as far as cleaning the undercarriage thoroughly but that requires a garage and equipment and isn’t totally necessary if you don’t have those pro-level tools available.

The simple and effective version just requires a tire iron and jack to get the tire itself off of your vehicle. Once that’s done, you’ll use plenty of soap and water to wash your tires one by one. Go ahead and let the tires soak for a few minutes before scrubbing them. Then rinse and repeat the process. Remember, tires are going to be the dirtiest part of your car.

After the tire is washed and rinsed you can move on to the wheel wells and brake calipers of the car. Repeat the same process for these.

Now that the tires, wheel wells and brake calipers are clean it’s time to add protectant, called dressing. This can be sprayed on and left to soak in before buffing off with a dry cloth. Then you’ll wax your tires. Finally, you will repeat the process of protecting the tires with dressing.

Getting your tires looking their best and protected against wear is a bit of a tedious process but take it step by step and you’ll have it done before you know it.

Make Your Car Look Like it has a Fresh Paint Job

By waxing and buffing surface of your car, you’ll make it freshly painted. It takes a little extra effort as well, but the results are well worth it.

After washing the car with the shampoo mentioned earlier, it will be ready to polish and wax. Remember that list at the beginning? This is the part where all those recommended tools come in handy.

You’ll also need:

• Those microfiber cloths
• The shampoo and conditioner
• Wax to protect
• The electric buffer

While the order seems obvious, there are some little details you don’t want to overlook. Popular Mechanics has a good basic guide to follow for this. And remember that video link at the top about how to use an electric buffer.  Oh, and don’t forget to really make your windows sparkle by finishing up with a good glass cleaner.

Solve those Stubborn Smell Problems

Now that your car is meticulously detailed and thoroughly gone over with a steamer it smells like new too, right?
Let’s hope the answer is yes. But if moisture has been allowed to sit for any time and you have mildew or even mold, there may yet be some work to do.

What about cigarette smell? That is a real tough one. But it is possible to get those odors out with some effort. Let the pros from Turtle Wax help with that.  Or take the advice this pro detailer from Chemical Guys gives in this helpful video.

Time to Get Car Detailing!

There you have it! Everything you need to know about detailing your car like a pro.

We’ve covered everything from washing your windows to getting into the nitty-gritty and cleaning your tires. You’re armed with the resources and information to get your car smelling great, looking new and impressing friends with your detailing skills.

Don’t get overwhelmed by the whole process. Just take it one step at a time, starting with the big stuff. Then, all those last minute finishing details will seem like nothing at all. Maybe you could even talk some friends into helping, if you don’t mind sharing the glory.

Well, what are you waiting for? The weekend? That seems valid. Just don’t wait until next weekend, or the one after that. Do it this weekend. Make a day of it. Then celebrate your efforts with a drive around town to show off your work. While you’re out, stop at the beer store. Then get home, sit back and admire your car in the sunshine with a beer in your hand. You deserve it.