Auto detailing, also known as car detailing, is an activity that aims to keep a car in its best condition. While its purpose is similar to that of a car wash, the two aren?t the same.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?A car wash only requires you to drive the car through a car wash facility, and it only deals with the vehicle’s exterior. On the other hand, auto detailing is done by hand and deals with both the car’s interior and exterior. It involves numerous steps, all for the sake of enhancing even the slightest details on your vehicle and maintain its new look, hence the name. While it’s mostly for cosmetics, some auto detailing techniques can improve a car’s mechanical performance.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Auto detailing is rather straightforward, so it’s not too hard to understand how it works. But if you’re doing it as a profession, then you might need to take your auto detailing game up a notch. On that note, here are five auto detailing tips for a professional-quality finish.?
1. Tape Off Lights, Windows, And Tires?
One of the many things you can do to refurbish a car is by applying a base and clear coat on areas with scratches or any sort of damage. But before doing so, it’s crucial that you must first tape off the windows, tires, lights, and pretty much any car parts that you want to avoid painting. You can use any type of tape you want for this tip, but masking tape would work best.?
While taping these parts off should do the trick, it’s also advisable to use precision equipment to ensure that paint doesn’t get into any of those parts. Products like the Fuji Spray Auto? spray gun, for example, would work perfectly for these types of situations where precision is concerned.?
2. Dry The Car With Towel Every Time?
Whenever you leave your car to dry after washing it or applying paint, there’s a high likelihood that the surface would develop watermarks or streaks. These marks can be tough to remove, perhaps even more so than dirt or grime. With that said, after a car wash or paintwork, make sure you dry the car with a towel, especially the windows. Also, don?t use a single towel for the entire process. Prepare a couple of towels to make sure it really soaks up all the liquid.?
Similarly, you should avoid washing your car or applying paintwork when it’s out in the direct sunlight since it would dry faster, leaving watermarks before you can dry it with a towel.?
3. Use Leather Or Vinyl Brushes Over Microfiber Towels?
DIY detailers often use a microfiber towel to apply the conditioner and scrub off the visible dirt when dealing with seats. It’s cheap and it’s usually enough to deal with dirt and other types of grime.?
Unfortunately, if the grime has been in the seats for too long, microfiber towels might not be enough to remove them. For that reason, you might want to look for a more intensive solution, and that’s where vinyl and leather brushes come in. These tools are typically enough to deal with stuck-on dirt and are particularly useful for leather seats.?
4. Always Prepare An Electrical Contact Cleaner?
Spilling coffee and other types of liquids is a common occurrence inside a car. However, if it somehow ends up spilling into the buttons, you’ll have to deal with sticky car components.?
It’d be challenging to resolve when that happens since you can’t simply wash it with water as it may spill into the electrical components underneath. You can’t afford to wait any longer either since it would eventually clog the components.?
If that’s the case for your or your client’s car, consider getting an electrical contact cleaner instead. A contact cleaner is a solvent specifically designed to remove all sorts of grime without causing a reaction from an electrical component.?
5. Wind Down The Windows And Smear Its Top?
Cleaning the windows is one of the essential steps in auto detailing. But people often forget about the top of a car’s windows since it’s usually hidden when the windows are winded up. Once it accumulates too much, you’ll notice the grime dripping or streaking down the windows, which can be awfully gross.?
That’s why if you want no grime left behind, make sure you wind down the windows for a few inches and smear the top area as soon as you can. You’ll find that there’s a lot of accumulated dirt in this particular area.
Wrapping Up
Everyone who owns a car would know the importance of keeping it in its best condition. It’s used on many occasions, and it can be challenging to drive in an unclean area, especially when going on a lengthy road trip.?
With this guide, you should be able to level up your auto detailing game and achieve a more satisfactory finish, be it for your own vehicle or for your clients’.
