Preserve Your Detail

You paid for it – so here’s how to make it last!

If you’ve just bought a new car, or had your vehicle detailed by a professional there’s a few things to absolutely never do if you want to keep your car looking great.

Things to Avoid

1. Drive Through Washes: First and foremost, shun automatic car washes, including those “touchless” washes. Automatic car washes damage your paint by embedding harmful chemicals into the swirls and scratches made by the giant brushes. Many even include cleaning products with chemicals that adversely effect your wax and sealant while doing a barely adequate job at actually cleaning your vehicle.

2. Dish Soap Wash: Dish soap is for dishes. Case closed. Use only cleaning products designed for cars, as other types of soap have properties that will strip away the wax and sealant. Also, other household cleaners like Windex have ammonia which dries out plastic, rubber, and window tint.

3. Free Car Wash! Finally, your local dealership or body shop means well when they offer to wash your car “for free!” after it’s been serviced, but more often than not the lot guys aren’t trained in safe detailing methods or products. When your car goes in for servicing, simply post “Do Not Wash” signs on the drivers’ window, the dash and the seat, that way they can focus on their area of specialty (car repair) and leave the detailing to the experts.

Things To Do:

1. Hand Wash & Dry: If you have the proper space as well as the time, wash your car yourself using the two-bucket wash method. Give yourself enough time to do it right, even if you’re in a hurry never dry wipe any towel across the paint, because without the lubrication of soap and the rinse of water, you’ll be dragging dry dirt and grit across the surface of your paint.

2. Proper Products: Again, only use automotive-specific detailing and cleaning products with high-quality microfiber towels or a wash mitt. Microfiber has a special weave that locks dirt into the fibres, instead of pushing it around like cotton. There are many types of wash mitts and sponges available, and I suggest using a microfiber wash mitt. These are gentle and won’t damage your finish or paint as long as you follow proper washing techniques.

3. Maintain it Weekly: If you have had a wax and cut polish recently, the best way to make it last is to maintain the clean each week. You can easily wash your vehicle yourself, or you can bring it by a few times a month to Island Detail for a Quick Clean. Keep contaminants off the paint is the key to making your detail last, and it is so easy to do it is worth the quick attention.

If you have any questions about DIY detailing, which products we recommend, or what a professional detail can do for your vehicle, send us a note or give us a call, we would love to hear from you!