When most of us think of washing a car, we picture splashing water, a soapy sponge, and a couple of buckets. While this can handle light dust or bring back the shine to windscreens, achieving professional-level results requires a more comprehensive approach. Car exterior detailing involves using a range of specialized products to tend to every part of the vehicle, addressing contaminants that aren’t immediately visible but could lead to costly repairs in the future. Companies like Refine Detail Co offer a variety of these specialized products, ensuring every part of your vehicle gets the attention it deserves.
Detailing your car is about restoring it to showroom condition and adding a layer of protection against dust, grime, grease, and road debris. This meticulous process of cleaning, restoring, and protecting your vehicle provides numerous benefits. Car owners can choose to have their vehicles detailed at a shop, which can be expensive, or buy the necessary products and do the work themselves at their own pace.
Why Exterior Detailing is A Must
Just like observing regular maintenance and keeping mechanicals in line, detailing your car with exterior car cleaner products brings several benefits beyond good looks:
- Protection from environmental damage – protective coatings such as sealant and wax shield the bodywork from harmful UV rays, airborne contaminants and pollutants, harsh weather and birdlime. Part of that showroom sheen is preventing painted panels from oxidising or fading with an extra layer of protection.
- Reduced maintenance needs – detailing the exterior involves every nook and cranny, including the engine bay, fenders and undercarriage. Getting rid of ingrained mud, dirt, oil, grease, salt spray and debris in all areas prevents rust and flaking, and reduces daily wear and tear.
- Improved safety – dealing with windscreen glass, headlight plastics, brake calliper dust and contaminants in areas where they shouldn’t be helps with overall safety. Increased visibility, safer stopping distances, and more responsive steering are just some of the improvements a well-detailed car brings.
- Higher resale values – while most car owners put off detailing until necessary or when thinking of selling, a thorough detailing can net a few extra pounds. A clean car is also one that sells itself.
- Improved hygiene and health – prevent allergens, bacteria, mould and bad smells from ruining your daily drive or your health for that matter. Dealing with the seat cloth, carpets, dash and plastics with decent interior cleaners, and changing out cabin filters means easier breathing, fewer allergies, and a more pleasant ride.
Of course, let’s not forget appearances. Scratches, scuffs, fading paint, clouded lights or grease-stained wheels aren’t head turners, not in a good way anyway. While most of us won’t reach that showroom sparkle in new cars, there are dozens of interior and exterior car cleaner products that get close. And they’re widely available, cheap and easy to use.
How It’s Done
Detailing should be done in dry weather, in the shade, and with plenty of time. Some cars might need less attention, while others could take the better part of a day. The process starts with thoroughly cleaning the interior, using the right cleaners for different materials, and then focusing on the exterior. Exterior detailing involves three basic steps: cleaning, restoration, and protection. Each step includes several stages, depending on the vehicle’s condition.
Gathering Your Gear
The first step is to gather all the necessary detailing products and accessories. Investing in a pressure washer can help remove more dirt, grime, and contaminants with each pass. Also, consider compatible lances. For washing, drying, and rinsing, you’ll need microfibre cloths, drying towels, mitts, a washing and rinsing bucket, a pre-wash solution for ingrained dirt, and a decent car shampoo to remove remaining stains.
The restoration stage involves dealing with surface damage. You’ll need products like bug, glue, and tar remover, iron fallout remover for brake dust particles, clay bars for rough paintwork, limescale remover for water stains, and birdlime remover if you park your car outdoors.
Finally, get the right polish and wax to add a protective layer and address fading from sunlight. All these products, including pressure washers, are available from specialised stores. To save money, or if this is your first time detailing your car, look for packaged sets that include everything you need.
Start With The Wheels
Wheels accumulate the most grime and road debris and are often the dirtiest part of the car. Start by giving them a good pre-soak and spray some wheel or general-purpose cleaner to tackle stubborn stains. Rinse with warm water and use brushes to reach difficult areas.
Pre-Wash Foam and Shampooing
Using a lance filled with pre-wash foam, spray the car from top to bottom. Let it sit for a few minutes, then rinse with a pressure washer or hose. Follow up with shampooing. Car shampoos are gentle on the paint but effective at removing grime. They come in matte or gloss finishes and are applied from top to bottom using mitts. Ensure you cover the entire vehicle.
What About Hardened Stains?
Stains, grime, droppings, and contaminants that won’t wash away can be removed with the right cleaners. Clay bars are effective for tar and asphalt remnants, birdlime remover prevents rusting and flaking, and iron fallout remover deals with corroded metal. Once you’re done, rinse thoroughly and use limescale remover to prevent swirls or watermarks.
Add Polish and Wax
Polish tackles swirls and scratches and restores the paintwork. It can be applied by hand or with a machine polisher for better results. Choose the right polish based on the damage to your vehicle. Different types vary in abrasiveness and provide different results. For minor scratches, you can use a scratch remover, while deeper dents require more abrasive polish. This also leaves a protective layer and comes in either a gloss or matte finish. Consider using filler or glazing polish to fill in minor scratches.
After polishing, apply wax to prevent water and dust buildup and protect against harmful UV rays and chemicals. Waxes are applied by hand, either with a dry microfibre cloth or waxing pads.
Tending to the Glass and Finishing Touches
Use glass cleaner on windshields, windows, and mirrors to remove bugs, birdlime, grease, and swirl marks. Complete the detailing process by attending to plastic and rubber trim, adding tyre cleaner or dressing to revive the wheels, and applying headlight sealant to bring out the sparkle in the lights.
Enjoy the Results
The final step is stepping back to admire the fruits of your labour. Detailing is physically demanding and time-consuming, but the reward is a clean, protected vehicle. By adding layers of protection against various external factors, you extend the lifespan of your car, remove potential safety hazards, and enhance its overall appearance. Regular detailing ensures that your car remains in top condition, providing a more enjoyable and safer driving experience.
