Cleaning your car isn’t rocket science, but it can be surprisingly tricky to get the job done just right. Keeping your car clean and free of dirt and grime takes some time and dedication, and the best practices can vary from vehicle to vehicle or even from owner to owner.
Have trouble keeping your car clean and making it look new and shiny all the time? The best way to do so is to give it a spray wax or a clay wax treatment so that any dirt or dust particles don’t remain on it and just slide off.
However, there are other ways as well. In this article, we’ll go over how to best keep your car clean using our tips and tricks, and we’ll also provide you with some helpful resources that you can use to learn more about taking care of your car in the future.
Best Tips and Tricks to Keep Your Car Clean
In many respects, one's automobile is a physical representation of who they are. You don't want your car to reflect poorly on what you stand for if it's in poor shape.
You've put in a lot of effort to acquire your four-wheeled partner.
Here are some of the best ways to keep your automobile looking its best, no matter how old it is.
- Give it a deep wash
Water, a bucket, a cup, and a bottle of auto shampoo are required. Microfiber cloth/Microfiber mop, hosepipe, and hosepipe nozzle are optional.
To eliminate any remaining loose dust and dirt, thoroughly clean the vehicle with a stream of water. Dry dust severely dulls a car's appearance, and a simple water wash is practically half the fight fought.
After that, just mix water and auto shampoo and use it to wash the vehicle. The clear layer of paint is unaffected by the removal of tougher stains. Using a microfiber cloth, thoroughly clean and dry the vehicle.
Every weekend, it's a good idea to go through the complete procedure, which takes around 10 minutes.
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Use different contaminant cleaners and get your car rid of those contaminants
There are impurities on your automobile that soap won't be able to eliminate.
One of the benefits of using a professional vehicle wash is that different chemicals are required to remove various types of impurities.
Those that are water-soluble may be removed by using car wash soap.
To remove wax and grease, you'll need something that's made from petroleum. In the case of road tar, it is a good illustration. You'll need a tar remover to get rid of it, not soap.
Another chemical is used to remove the remaining traces of bugs.
Another with a lot of water stains. A clay bar or even a machine buffing is required to remove rail dust (small pieces of steel grit that adhere to your paint and create rust-colored stains) and other surface impurities.
After you've washed your vehicle with soap and water and found more impurities, you'll need to apply the proper cleaner to get rid of them and maybe re-wash the affected areas.
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Maintain smooth operation by applying grease to the locks and hinges
The hood latch is an item that many drivers don't think about until their hood won't open.
Clean and lubricate the latch regularly using a 3-in-1 oil or similar protectant. The trunk latch is in the same ballpark.
Your door hinges may be maintained by applying lubrication to them and swinging the door open and closed to get it used to the new lubricant.
Your hood hinges' pivot points aren't always visible. White lithium grease, if you can access it, may help prevent them from clogging up in the future.
Take care of your vehicle's lock cylinders while you're at it. Remote locks that may be engaged by pressing a button on the key fob are now commonplace in most automobiles.
You're unlikely to ever use the keyhole on your automobile if it has one. So utilize it. Insert the key and spin the lock cylinder a few times a day to ensure that if you ever need to open the door (say, if you have a dead battery) the key will turn.
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Touch the paint chips a bit
Having a white speck appear on your black hood is a frustrating experience.
Well, seeing a lot of them, that's simply intolerable. Paint chips may occur on any color car. When you drive over rocks on the road, the topcoat chips off, exposing the undercoats below.
It's a good thing that automakers employ primers that are highly long-lasting and typically stay put. If you want to keep your panels from corroding (and looking bad), you should "touch up" any chips that you find.
Auto parts stores and dealerships often have an approximation of your desired hue. There are, however, a few fundamental realities that must be acknowledged before you can proceed.
An example of this is that a touch-up cannot take the place of an expert paint job. You're not going to be able to restore the finish to its original luster with a dab of paint.
Unless your automobile is completely black, the most you can hope for from a brush-touched place is a near match to the original color where a white divot formerly stood, plus the knowledge that you have avoided some deterioration. If you want your paintwork to be flawless, be prepared to spend a lot of money.
5. Windshield Wiper Blades
Tips to keep your windshield wiper blades clean include inspecting them before every use. If they are cracked or encrusted with dirt, they should be replaced with new ones. You can also wipe the blades with a damp cloth if you do not have replacement wipers on hand.
Windshield wipers work best when the rubber has a good layer of rubber squeegeeing against the glass as it wipes up water; that is when you'll see the best cleaning action. If you find any hard debris, such as insects, tree sap, or loose gravel that might break a windshield wiper blade, remove it from the edge of your window before wiping it down.
6. Dashboard
Start with the roof, then work your way down to the hood, the headlights, the taillights, and finally the windshield. Wet a microfiber cloth with water and wring it out so that it's damp but not dripping. Use this cloth for shining windows; if you need an extra tool for scrubbing purposes, pick up some glass cleaner or distilled white vinegar from your local grocery store.
A vacuum is great for getting deep into all those hard-to-reach places in your car like crevices, behind seats or under them, between seats, along edges of seat backs and armrests. To do this simply turn on your vacuum cleaner nozzle at a high level and use the hose attachment to get right in tight spaces.
7. Door jambs
One of the best tips for cleaning your car is to thoroughly clean all door jambs. It's often overlooked, but it makes a difference! All you need is an old toothbrush, some gentle detergent, water, vinegar, or one of those green cleaning products with no fragrance that have been pre-mixed with water. Either way, if you get in all the cracks around the outside of your doors and scrub them down with a damp cloth you'll be amazed at how much better your vehicle will look! When you're done, use a dry rag to remove any excess moisture from the surface of the car.
Do this on all sides and in between each side as well (this is where mud gets stuck!) If there are any grime spots on your bumper, give them special attention. These are more difficult to reach because they're hidden behind the bumpers most of the time so don't overlook these areas when doing a general sweep of your vehicle. And finally, never forget about those pesky mirrors! They can accumulate dirt like nobody's business so make sure you do both sides on each mirror before finishing up with rags!
8. Wheel Wells
When it comes to cleaning the wheel wells of your car, a great way to start is by placing your vehicle in the sun with the headlights on. This will allow you to see any debris that has built up there, which makes it easier for you to clean them up. To get rid of that pesky brake dust, try using brake cleaner spray or a solution of water and vinegar (both are found at local supermarkets).
For those who want a deeper clean without power tools, try using some buckets of warm water with dish soap as well as an old toothbrush or similar brush. Once everything has been thoroughly scrubbed, move on to rinsing away all the soapy residue with fresh water.
9.Tire Rims
Trim the vines that grow out of your tires with a pair of scissors ____. Wipe off any bird droppings with a paper towel ____. Use baking soda, water, and lemon juice for a natural cleaning solution. When you have enough dirt to make it visible on the car's body, don't forget to wash it!
Final Thoughts
If you are passionate about making your car clean and shiny then this article is a must-read where we discussed;
First of all, always give your car a deep wash. Dry dust severely dulls a car's appearance, and a simple water wash is practically half the fight fought.
Second, you want to use different contaminant cleaners for your car.
There are impurities on your automobile that soap won't be able to eliminate.
One of the benefits of using a professional vehicle wash is that different chemicals are required to remove various types of impurities.
Those that are water-soluble may be removed by using car wash soap.
After you've washed your vehicle with soap and water and found more impurities, you'll need to apply the proper cleaner to get rid of them and maybe re-wash the affected areas.
Third, apply grease to locks and hinges.
The hood latch is an item that many drivers don't think about until their hood won't open.
Clean and lubricate the latch regularly using a 3-in-1 oil or similar protectant. The trunk latch is in the same ballpark.
And finally, touch the paint chips a bit.
Paint chips may occur on any color car. When you drive over rocks on the road, the topcoat chips off, exposing the undercoats below.
Use a primer on your car to keep the paint chip intact.