At New Again Auto Detail, we take great care to help you make your vehicle shine like New Again – both inside and outside. It’s a passion.
The primary way we can add more value, is to share some tips with you to keep your freshly detailed vehicle looking great between professional detailing appointments – if that’s what you do.
Let’s look at some ways you can keep your vehicle looking good, both between professional auto detailing appointments, and for the long haul.
Tip 1 – Wash When Wet
Don’t let the rain fool you into thinking the dirt is just washing away in the showers. That might be true of the dust that settles on your paint – as long as you NEVER drive it!
The truth is, road spray carries considerable grime that sticks like a magnet to your paint. It’s important to continue to wash your vehicle throughout the rainy season – even if it looks pretty good when wet.
Let it dry, and you’ll think differently.
An easy way to keep the road grime manageable is to use local drive-through car washes. Of course if you’re a fanatic like us, we get the hose and bucket out even during a rain storm.
A permanent diet of drive-through car washings is not a recommendation. However, if you need a very inexpensive “sprucing up” and want to help your paint live a long time, keep it clean. A good choice is any of the “soft cloth” style operations.
Check with the operator about the chemicals they use and avoid those with harsh products. Soap is really all you need, since chemicals can be extra hard on painted and plastic surfaces.
Tip 2 – Dry Door Drips
In spite of clever Tip naming, these really are serious suggestions! After returning home from the drive-through wash, take about 4 minutes to wipe out the door jambs. Remember, it is dirt that is the enemy of paint and plastic. The grit causes micro (or macro) scratches when touched.
Keep some old bath towels in the garage. It will just take one to gently wipe things down and get that last bit of dirt the drive-through didn’t catch. The water in the jambs provides just the right amount of wetness to clear away the dirt without hard wiping, which can cause scratches. But be gentle!
Tip 3 – Vacuum Vigorously
Many drive-through car washes offer free vacuum service. You can certainly do this at home, but the extra power of the commercial vacuums will make the job a lot easier. In the same spirit of wiping out the door jambs above, the few minutes it will take will make a world of difference.
In addition to helping keep odors out of your vehicle, regular vacuuming can extend the life of your carpets and floor mats considerably. The same grit that can harm your exterior’s paint and plastic surfaces will break down the carpet fibers more and more every time you get in. A quick vacuum will keep the grit to a minimum, and the life expectancy to a maximum.
Tip 4 – Wash Windows With Wipe
A quick way to keep interior windows clean is with a microfiber cloth. Microfiber does a surprisingly good job, and no spray cleaner is needed. It will brighten up the glass that has developed that “hard-to-see-traffic-when-looking-into-the-sun” haze.
You know that look.
Start with a damp cloth to get ahead of fingerprints and smudges. Once you knock those down, simply use the microfiber cloth to remove any residual streaks. You will be amazed at how good it makes your glass look – and how easy it is to use.
Tip 5 – Rinse and Repeat
It’s a great feeling when your care has been made “New Again.” I tease my wife about not being able to drive it, since it’s clean in and out, and sitting nicely in the garage.
She doesn’t see the humor in that.
But Tip 5 is serious: wash frequently and it continues to be an easy job. If you do, dirt will never have a chance to really take up residence. And that’s what you want for your baby.