DIY Auto Detailing Tips

Do you have a brand new car? Is your car older and well loved? It’s important that all cars be detailed. We will explore why detailing is essential, the benefits of doing it yourself vs professional detailing, and DIY detailing tips.

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Car Detailing

Benefits of Regularly Detailing Your Car

• Protect your investment
• Resale value
• Safety
• Prevent interior odor
• Allergies
• Professional use

Protect your investment

Detailing is good for your car and for your wallet. Many people save money for years by regularly detailing their car. It keeps your car looking new, protects the car, and overall minimizes the wear and tear of the car both inside and out.

Resale value

Detailing your car regularly will help you with resale. A prospective buyer is more likely to buy a well-maintained car.

Safety

Safety may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think about car detailing. However, there are safety benefits. Some of these include:

• Glass coatings can drastically improve driving in wet weather. The water will bead off the glass at speed making visibility much better. The glass will remain cleaner as well since less dirt and contaminants will stick to it. The wipers will also perform much better on a coated windshield.
• Headlights tend to fade over time and depending on where you live this is hard to prevent. UV coatings on the headlights wear off or yellow over time causing the lenses to become cloudy. This limits how much light they emit when they are in use. Cloudy headlights also take away from the overall look of the car. A headlight coating or restoration can improve nighttime driving safety. At a fraction of the cost of a new set of headlights, this is a very beneficial service.

Prevent interior odor

No one wants to be driving down the road in a stinky car. Detailing your car helps avoid this. Lotions can be transferred from skin to interior surfaces; dust from outside and eating in the car seem to be the main cause of odors. Most of these causes are unavoidable. Removing these particles sooner rather than later can help reduce unwanted odors.

Allergies

Pollen, dust and pet dander can build up in a car quickly. Someone who suffers from allergies can greatly benefit from interior detailing services. The routine cleaning of the interior can prevent allergens from building up.

Professional use

Having your car detailed will give you options to use your car professionally. Customers come first and your car is their first impression of you. A customer riding around in your organized, sparkling clean car makes them feel more important. Add a certain scent or air freshener to make them relaxed and more comfortable while riding around with you.

Vehicle Detailing

Detailing Supplies

If you’re going to detail your car yourself, you’ll need some supplies. Here are some essentials.

Exterior Supplies

• Eco-car shampoo and conditioner
• Microfiber washcloths
• Hose with a high-pressure nozzle
• Electric buffer
• WD-40
• Glass cleaner
• Wax

Eco-car shampoo and conditioner

When you can, select eco-friendly products that are strong enough to rid your car of dirt, dust, and grime.

Microfiber washcloths

Microfiber washcloths come in all different sizes. Stock up on these. They can come in handy for all sorts of cleaning chores.

Hose with a high-pressure nozzle

A high-pressure hose will easily blast away dirt particles from your car.

Electric buffer

An electric car buffer can give your car’s exterior paint a smooth and sleek appearance.

WD-40

WD-40 is good for keeping your car’s metal trims shiny. It will also hide scratches from car surfaces, remove rust from nuts and bolts, and clean the dashboard as well.

Glass cleaner

You should always have a good glass cleaner when detailing your car. It will keep your windshield, mirrors, and glass smooth and shiny. However, keep in mind that cleaning tinted car windows has its own specifics you need to comply with.

Wax

Wax protects your car’s exterior from temperature changes, the passage of time, and environmental factors like bird droppings, flower pollens, and the like. Plus, it can give your car that showroom shiny appearance that your family and friends will definitely admire.

Interior Supplies

• Steam cleaner
• Ozone generator
• Detailing brushes
• Auto detailing air gun
• Vacuum cleaner
• Auto detailing cleaning gel
• All purpose cleaner

Steam cleaner

You’ll need a steam cleaner to clean and sanitize your car’s interior effectively. Steam is also a powerful tool for killing up to 99% of germs and bacteria that may be in your air vents.

Ozone generator

An ozone generator will help get all those unwanted smells such as smoke, spicy food, or pet smells. The generator is relatively easy to use. Park your car in an open, sunny area. Insert the hose into one of the car windows. Seal the window with foam. Treat the interior for an hour. Then pull the hose, remove the foam, and close the window. Allow the car to bake under the sun so the ozone can work better. Then, after an hour, open the car doors to let fresh air in.

Detailing brushes

You need the right detailing brushes for your car. One example is a rubber pet hair removal brush that you will need for the thorough removal of those hard-to-get-rid-of pet hairs.

Auto detailing air gun

An auto detailing air gun will dislodge debris from the tiniest corners such as seat pockets, underneath the seats, and car edges. This tool makes it faster and easier for you to clean.

Vacuum cleaner

This is one of the most important interior detailing tools you can’t do without. A vacuum cleaner helps remove dust, dirt, hair, and other contaminants from upholstery, carpets, seats, headliner, and crevices.

Auto detailing cleaning gel

Auto detailing gel will help clean vents, cup holders, or small crevices. You’ll see all the dust and dirt sticking on the gel once you pull it out.

All purpose cleaner

All purpose cleaners can be used for cleaning and removing stains on fabric seat covers, carpets, and upholstery. Additionally, it can be used for cleaning windows. It’s great for cleaning car mats, too. You can find many car tips and tricks online via blogs or YouTube videos. DIY car detailing is made easy by these resources.

About the author

This article is provided by Katie Meyers who is an SEO Specialist at SEO Design Chicago. Before joining the SEO Design Chicago team, she interned for them, as well as interned as a Content Writer at HZD Creates. Katie is from Washington State and has an AA and a Social Media Marketing Certificate. She enjoys Gonzaga men’s and women’s basketball, and spending time with her dog, family, and friends. Katie likes reading and taking a variety of classes. Her favorite places to visit include the Oregon coast and a local lake cabin.