Car Detailing Instructions:
Instructions that don't suck

Looking for car detailing instructions that don't suck?

We are on information overload and the Internet is just as much a problem as it is a solution. How to detail a car is a topic that covers many areas of cosmetic car care. Having been in the car detailing business for over twenty years, I have reduced the subject to the most simple and critical points of detailing tips, based on common complaints:

• Most people are confused as to what to do and where to begin.
• Most people don't have the time to learn what is needed.
• Most people lack the time necessary for proper cosmetic maintenance.
• Most people are confused by the hundreds of choices of products.

The Basics First

Let me start out by laying out the first basic car detailing instructions that are separated into paint car care, and car upholstery care:

Car Paint Care:

• Every car needs wax for protection; new, old, clear coat or not.
• There are two reasons to wax a car; protection is the most important, followed by visual enhancement.
• Every car needs to be waxed every 4-6 months for protection; some situations require more often, some less often.
• You can wax your car as often as you like for visual enhancement.
• Use of a clay bar is necessary for pollution free and smooth paint.
• To keep a cars paint truly smooth, using a clay bar every 2-3 months will be required.
• Not that a clay bar has to be used everytime before waxing, but use the clay bar prior to waxing.

Car Upholstery Care:car detailing instructions

• Simply keeping your cars upholstery vacuumed on a consistent basis, like once a week, will be half the battle required.
• If you were to take a simple terry cloth towel dampened with a mild interior cleaner, and wipe down your interior about once a month, you would then be 80% there as far as critical maintenance.
• Use the same process to wipe down your cars leather upholstery also; yes, this will be safe.
• If you are even more committed to keeping your car in shape, get a plastic scrub brush and scrub any dirty parts of your upholstery first with the cleaner, then wipe up with terry cloth towel; you will now be 95% there.

Most of You Lack the Time

Time is at an all time shortage these days; too much to do, not enough time! I am frequently asked what a person can do with limited time that makes the biggest impact.

• What schedule do I need to follow?
• I don't have a lot of time so keep it to basic requirements.

The Schedule of Maintenance:

• Wash each week; doesn't really matter how this is done, just get it done. The thing I would avoid is the automated plastic brushes.
• Vacuum once a week.
• Wipe down interior with terry cloth rag dampened with cleaner once a month.
• Clay bar cars paint every 2-9 months; this will vary from area to area of living, as air quality varies from city to city. Since the clay bar removes the embedded pollution in your cars paint, the area in which you live will be a big determinate. Also the car you drive in regards to the emissions put out by your car, will also be a big determinate.
• Wax for protection every 2-6 months.
• Wax for visual enhancement as often as you have the energy and time.

Despite this being the bare minimum, the good news is that if you simply followed these car detailing instructions, you would not only be ahead of 98% of people out there, but you would also be doing 98% of what is required for your car to look fabulous day after day, year after year.

Products that Make a Difference

One of the biggest complaints I get is what I call product over-load. I can't speak for you, but even I am overwhelmed walking down the car care aisle of the local retail store! So many voices, so many choices; all claiming to be the answer. Let me reduce to this complex area to the basics:car detailing instructions

• What is the best car wax?
• What is the best clay bar out there?
• What is the best upholstery cleaner to use?

The broad area of car care products can get complicated quickly. Most of us aren't chemical engineers and therefore don't have the ability to run our own independent tests, to verify what or what doesn't work. Just as most of you don't have the luxury that I do, to verify over long periods of time what works. So I have simplified it as best as possible with these car detailing instructions into a few areas of importance.

Car Paint Protection

• Synthetic polymers will offer the longest and strongest form of protection...period. These will be found in liquid sealers or waxes. They will usually be a blend of natural and synthetic ingredients. I would look for a simple product advertised as a blend of polymers only; Nu Finish is just one example.
• Most "experts" will try to tell you what is best, but don't separate the area of protection from the area of visual enhancement; they are separate issues that generally can't be had with a single product.

Car Paint Enhancementcar detailing instructions

• Visual enhancement is a different area or strategy of car paint care.
• For visual enhancement, a paste wax with some level of carnauba wax will be the biggest bang for your efforts.
• Spray waxes are easy to use and are an ideal choice for consistent, and ongoing maintenance of the paint.
• Despite what the "experts" tell you, there is no such thing as wax build up (we are not talking about your kitchen floors here), and it would be almost impossible to wax your cars paint too much.
• So...enhance your paint by waxing as often as you like.

Car Upholstery Cleaner

• As a general rule, all retail interior upholstery and leather cleaners will be far too mild to be effective on any dirt of significance.
• For general cleaning and ongoing maintenance, most any retail car upholstery cleaner will suffice.
• General maintenance of your cars upholstery only requires minimal effort by wiping down the interior with a dampened terry cloth towel.
• For heavy cleaning, use a plastic scrub brush with the cleaner to scrub the dirty areas first.
• A Scotch-Brite pad also makes for a good scrubber on leather, certain plastic trim pieces, etc.
• My professional experience has shown that leather conditioners and interior dressings are not necessary, and usually create the exact opposite effect due to people neglecting to clean first, then dressing or conditioner next.
• Keeping it clean is the critical factor for upholstery that lasts for years; so keep it clean!

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