Getting Your Car To Look and Smell New Again

Have you ever wondered how the car dealerships are able to make used cars look so new? Not only do they look new, but they smell new. What the dealerships do is no secret and even something you can do yourself - it is called 'detailing.'

How do you detail your car?

1. Examine Your Car's Paint Before Washing - Why would you need to do this? If there are minor scratches, these details will need to be dealt with before washing. There are scratch removers on the market and filling scratches before washing and waxing is an important way to start. When you do finally wash your car it will be important to clean it from the top down. If you start at the bottom, as many people do, the dirt from the top will drip down onto the bottom half and you will have to start again.
2. Evaluate the Interior of the Car - In evaluating the interior of your car, use a notepad to item out what needs to be cleaned, what types of cleaning products you might need to get it clean and whether the upholstery needs scrubbed or just vacuumed. Are there weird smells in the car? You may need a disinfectant. Stains will have their own way of needing to be dealt with as well. What do you use on those stains?

Common cleaning agents for interior stains include:

Neutral detergent (Ivory Liquid) & water (1:20)
Mild ammonia & water solution (1:5)
Distilled white vinegar & water (1:1)
Dry-cleaning fluid (Carbona, Renuzit, Perk)


Tools you'll need to remove interior stains include:

Spatula or putty knife
Clean, white terry cloth towels
Soft bristle scrub brush
Wet-dry vacuum

3. Now For The Tires - Tires often get neglected in the cleaning process and yet they make a huge difference when clean. Check the color of your tires - is there dirt buildup on them. Many car washes now have tire cleaning products and scrub brushes you can use.

4. Cleaning Your Glass - One would think just using a bottle of cleanser will do the trick when cleaning the glass in your car. Fact is, if you have tinting, an ammonia-based product will ruin it. Ammonia can also release dangerous fumes. When cleaning your windows, first make sure you are working out of the sun. There are various glass cleaners out there you can use along with microfiber towels. Make sure your towel is clean as well, don't use the towel you just used to wash the tires with. Roll down your windows slightly to get the edges of the windows.

5. Detail Cleaning - Working inside the vehicle, clean all of your plastic gauge lenses with a glass cleaner - not wax. Remove knobs and clean bevels underneath. Dry with a clean soft dry cloth. To make it shiny, spray plastic polish and spread it evenly with soft brush. Don't spray fluids directly on the stereo, use a brush instead to get into tight spots.

6. Final Body Wash - Again, work in the shade if possible when washing your car. Use carwash soap, not a household detergent, and work in sections, from the top down. The lower panels tend to accumulate more abrasive dirt. To do a final rinse, remove the spray head from the hose and flood the finish. The water will tend to run off in sheets, minimizing spotting. Dry with a good-quality chamois or a soft thick-nap terry cloth towel. Spray out the wheel wells with a high-pressure setting. Once the car is completely cleaned, you can now polish or wax it. Don't forget the small areas like doorjambs, door hinges, behind the bumpers. You can polish out many minor scratches. There are nongloss finish products you can add to rubber and plastic on your car. If you accidentally get wax on the rubber, you can wipe it down with a towel or apply microwaved peanut butter with a toothbrush - the peanut butters oils will dissolve the wax and lift the stain.

If you want to clean under your hood, cover your electronic components with plastic and then spray a diluted all-purpose cleaner on metals, hosing it off with light water pressure. Vinyl/rubber protectant will dress up nonmetal areas. Let it soak in if you like the glossy look, or wipe it on and off for a more matte finish.

Your car now can have that brand new appearance. While most of us don't have the time to completely detail out our cars monthly, doing it even twice a year will make you feel as if you have purchased a new vehicle.

Greg Chapman of Greg Chapman Motors is a knowledgable and leading provider of used cars, trucks, and SUV’s. Since 1959, Chapman motors has supplied reliable used cars in Austin and the surrounding area. For more information please visit http://www.gregchapmanmotors.com.