How to Detail Your Car by Moose Pak LLC - HTML preview

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Some say that Guido da Vigevano built the first car in 1335 that used a windmill

Copyright 2007© Moose Pak LLC. All Rights Reserved

 

type assembly to drive a set of gears to turn the wheels. I would say that if that is the

 

case, that he probably was also the first one to clean a car. Now the carwash/detailing

 

industry has become a multi-billion dollar industry. Although why would you want to

 

spend you hard earned money on having some one else detail your car? When you could

 

do it yourself, and make sure it is completed correctly and the way you want. Besides I

 

know a lot of car enthusiast out there who would really prefer to detail their cars

 

themselves.

 

After years of experience and talking with some of the best product/technical

 

representatives around today, I have compiled a how to guide for car owners that want to

 

do there own work. This guide is intended for all car enthusiasts on all levels. Maybe you

 

are new to car detailing or you are just looking for some new “tricks” to give you the

 

advantage at your next car show. Either way I hope that this guide helps you on your

 

journey.

 

First off detailing is handwork and time consuming. No matter what your reason

 

for wanting to detail your car from wanting to attend a car show to selling your vehicle

 

detailing will be well worth your time and effort. Now there are products out there that

 

say that it will cut your time in half, and that you only need to do it once a year.

 

However, several professional detailers I talked with said that many of the new cheaper

 

products are indeed too good to be true and can damage paint jobs. This is why I suggest

 

staying away from low quality products and sticking with the known products. There is

 

nothing that works as well as hard work and some elbow grease. I will make some Copyright 2007© Moose Pak LLC. All Rights Reserved

 

suggestions as I continue through the guide, but if you have a product you really like, go

 

ahead and use it.

 

Before you get started you will need:

 

• Paper towels, rags, chamois. Old t-shirts work well, and if you can find any old

 

“clean” cloth diaper use them because they make excellent rags for polishing the

 

finish and are great for windows.

 

• Brushes. You'll need a few different varieties and sizes to get into the hard to

 

reach areas. An old toothbrush works well, and several cotton swabs.

 

• Wash bucket. Make sure it is clean, and you may want to keep is as your car

 

washing bucket only. This may help prevent getting unwanted dirt and chemicals

 

in a bucket you use to clean your car with.

 

• Wash mitts and or a good quality sponge.

 

• Bug removal sponge

 

• Power Washer or a good hose nozzle with different head types. Power Washers

 

are getting pretty reasonably priced now and you can pick them up at any

 

hardware store.

 

• Shop Vacuum or equivalent.

 

• Orbital Buffer. Again these are getting pretty reasonably priced.

 

Now where to begin? Most professionals I talk to suggest starting on the interior first,

 

so the dust and dirt you brush out won't settle on a cleaned exterior. Remove any floor Copyright 2007© Moose Pak LLC. All Rights Reserved

 

mats and give the carpeting and upholstery a good vacuuming. Move the seats forward

 

and backward to get all the dirt including in the tracks, and door jams. You should also

 

use one of your harder bristled brushes to get any dirt out from the cracks; it is also good

 

for stirring up the carpet matt so you can get most of the junk out of the carpet.

 

Now if you have any stubborn stains in the upholstery or carpet this is the time to deal

 

with them. Use an all purpose cleaner to get the stubborn stains out. Saturate the stain

 

with cleaner, working it in with a damp sponge. Let it sit awhile and then blot it out with

 

a dry towel. Make sure to read the direction on the cleaner for specific precautions. You

 

can also use a window cleaner sprayed on a rag to get the headliner clean. Don't forget

 

the trunk/hatchback areas as well.

 

You can repair burns and holes in your carpet by cutting out the area with a razor

 

blade. Then cut a similar size piece from a hidden spot, such as underneath the seat, and

 

cement it in place using a water resistant adhesive. Blend in the repair by brushing the

 

repaired piece with the old. You can also go to a carpet outlet and can buy a carpet

 

sample for pretty reasonable price that could match the carpet of the car.

 

If your carpet is still looking bad you can shampoo it to get any remaining dirt and

 

grease out. You can usually rent these machines at a carpet store or even you local

 

grocery/retail chain. Start with the carpets on the driver’s side then the seats; this keeps

 

the water to a minimum. Move around the whole car until you're done. Again make sure you read any precautions from the manufacturer. Copyright 2007© Moose Pak LLC. All Rights Reserved Now move on to the interiors hard surfaces, clean them with a damp cloth and a mild

 

all-purpose cleaner. If you have leather upholstery, dress the surfaces with a leather

 

conditioner; spray it on a rag for tight areas. Never use a vinyl product on leather. Worn

 

or torn areas of vinyl can be repaired using kits made for this purpose. Repairs are made

 

with a patch that lets you match the color and grain of your upholstery. Worn areas of

 

leather can be touched up with dyes or a high grade shoe polish.

 

Now for one of the harder parts the dash. First you can blast any dust away with a can

 

of compressed air. Clean air vent grilles with cotton swabs and brighten them up by

 

misting on some spray on rubber dressing. Spray any dress up cleaner on a soft towel and

 

then apply it to the rest of the dash, be careful around the instrument panel.

 

Then move on to the windows. If you are like me, then you hate cleaning windows

 

for the fear of streaks. Some pointers in this area are to don't spray directly on the

 

window, but onto a rag. Have a dry cloth ready to wipe it dry. You can even use

 

newspaper to wipe it dry, the abrasiveness acts like a polish and it won't leave any

 

streaks. Also make sure you rinse your hands off before cleaning your windows, this will

 

help remove any unwanted dressing. If you have aftermarket window tint film, it may be

 

degraded by cleaners that contain ammonia or vinegar. Factory tinting is in the glass and

 

is not affected by these cleaners.

 

Now it’s time to move to the exterior of your car, well kind of, detailing your engine.

 

First you will need to cover any sensitive equipment such as electrical components. Try

 

using a heavy duty aluminum foil for this step. If you use a home pressure washer for

 

this, be careful, you can blow water in areas that weren’t meant to get wet. I prefer using Copyright 2007© Moose Pak LLC. All Rights Reserved

 

a regular garden home for this step. After you have sealed everything off, spray a heavy

 

duty degreaser on to the cool temperature engine. Again read any warnings or precautions

 

on the degreaser. Use a pointy brush to get any stubborn deposits. Then spray down with

 

your hose, making sure you get all of the degreaser off. Once you're satisfied, start up the

 

motor and let it run for a while with the hood down. Then remove the foil and use a rag

 

sprayed with the degreaser and wipe down any parts covered. Now you can wipe

 

everything down with a rubber dressing or shining product. However, do not spray or

 

wipe down your belts, and make sure you read any precautions on the product.

 

Were finally on to the part about actually washing your car. Make sure that you are

 

using a clean wash mitt or sponge, and that your bucket is free of dirt and contaminates.

 

Work in the shade and make sure the surface is cool. Make sure that you are using a

 

good carwash, and don’t use dishwashing detergents. The dishwashing detergent

 

damages the finish, stripping it of vital oils causing it to dry out.

 

Presoak the car first making sure you get rid of any of the big dirt. Also remove any

 

bug and tar items time using tar & bug remover with a sponge. Move on to the rims, since

 

rims collect brake dust and road debris. Use a wheel cleaner that is made for your type of

 

rims such as being clear coated or not. Don't overlook the under side of the vehicle, and

 

the gas cap lid as well. Now start at the top of your vehicle and move your way down.

 

Make sure that you get all areas, and rinse often. 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. When drying the vehicle off, you can use a chamois to get the bulk

 

of the water, but finish it off with soft towels. Copyright 2007© Moose Pak LLC. All Rights Reserved

 

When you're done washing and the car is mostly dry, apply your rubber dressings to

 

the tires, bumpers and any plastic parts you want to shine. This gives the car to finish

 

drying and you can then look for missed areas or water runs.

 

Most people stop here and say they are done, if they even get to this point. They over

 

look one of the most important steps in detailing and preserving a vehicle, and that is

 

waxing. Now the market is full of different types of waxing products, but how many of

 

them actually work? Most of the average cheap waxes contain a very small portion of

 

wax in them, and use petroleum instead. Products that are like this do very little in

 

preserving and waxing the paint, if anything they just waste your time and money. Also

 

be aware of the spray on wax with water. These waxes might give some protection for a

 

day or two, but nothing like the protection of a carnauba wax.

 

Before you wax you need to get rid of any oxidation you may have. Typically, you

 

will not have to do this every time. Oxidation depends on how much you wax, when you

 

wax, how much sun the car is exposed to, and other weather conditions. Oxidation can

 

usually be removed with a clear coat compound. For standard finishes you can step up to

 

polishing compound, which is mild but still too harsh for clear coats. If you do use these

 

products, you must seal the paint after.

 

If you decided to use a compound for oxidation, then you must seal the paint. You

 

can buy a glaze/sealer to do this. Most sealers or glazers you apply by wiping on. Then

 

use soft towels to remove it after it has hazed over. Copyright 2007© Moose Pak LLC. All Rights Reserved

 

Now you are ready to wax. Make sure you are using a good wax, preferably one with

 

high amounts of carnauba wax in it. Again, start at the top of your vehicle and do small

 

sections as you work your way down. Don't let it sit more than 5-8 minutes before

 

removing, and two thin coats of this is much better than one thick coat. Also apply it with

 

a side to side motion instead of circular to prevent swirls. Be sure to include doorjambs,

 

and the areas beneath door hinges and behind bumpers. Minor blemishes may be

 

neutralized by wrapping a cotton cloth around your index finger and burnishing the

 

polish into the finish.

 

If you machine-buff the polish/wax to a high luster, go with an orbital rather than a

 

rotary model, which would be more likely to burn the paint. The rotary buffer is much

 

faster than orbital but in the wrong hands can easily damage paint. Treat the plastic

 

chrome as if it were a painted surface and protect it with a light coat of wax. Try and not

 

get any on the black rubberized parts. If you do, spray it with a mist and wipe product and

 

wipe it down with a terry cloth towel. If that doesn't work a professional detailer gave this

 

as a suggestion: Microwave some peanut butter and apply it to the stain with a soft

 

toothbrush. Peanut butter's oils dissolve the wax and its abrasive enough to lift the stain.

 

If you get a polish/wax residue around emblems or in crevices, break out the cotton

 

swabs and toothbrushes. After removing it all go around and remove any excess from the

 

cracks and emblems using a brush and towel. Cloth diapers are excellent for buffing up a

 

shine. Copyright 2007© Moose Pak LLC. All Rights Reserved

 

Here's a tip: break the car down into equal sections. Apply the prep/sealer/wax to one

 

section at a time before moving on to the next. This let's you concentrate your efforts on

 

small areas at a time.

 

Also keep a good car duster around for getting the dust that some products leave

 

behind.

 

Plus remember to protect your cars finish from the elements as much as possible. This

 

means storing the car in a garage, covered area, or with a good quality car cover. A car

 

that is constantly exposed to sunlight and other environmental hazards will deteriorate

 

quicker and require significantly more cosmetic maintenance.

 

We hope that you found the information helpful.

 

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