If you want to keep your new car looking as good as possible then this is the guide for you. It’s ever been easier to maintain your vehicle, and if you implement these tips, you should see a positive improvement in no time at all.
Hand-Wash your Car
The first thing you need to do is hand-wash your car regularly. If you can take the time to hand-wash your new car then this will remove all of the filth, dirt, salt, bird droppings and insect guts that might have accrued in the time of buying your car and bringing it home. If you take your car to an automatic car wash then sure, this will speed things up but at the same time, it could damage your car. The brushes at the car wash will often pick up pebbles or debris, and this can cause some serious damage to your car. It’s also important to make sure that you have all of the right tools to get the job done. Using two buckets, a wash mitt and towels that are made out of microfiber will help you a lot here. Open the doors, wipe down the sills and keep an eye on the wheel arch. Salt tends to accumulate here over time and this will cause major corrosion problems. If you want to eliminate salt, blast it with high-pressure water. If you want to stop your car from dragging water into your garage after being washed, then don’t be afraid to look into TruContain Containment mat.
Paint Shielding
The clear coat on your vehicle’s exterior is what will keep it looking great for years to come. Ideally, you should take the time to preserve it with some paint sealant. The main reason for this is because it will give it a rich gloss and shine for months to come. Car waxes are available from just about any car shop. It doesn’t matter whether you use a synthetic polymer or whether you opt for one made out of liquid paste. It will form an invisible barrier on your car, and it will be protected from this point on from the wind, rain and snow. Paint sealers can be compared to waxes, but most of the time they are just synthetic. This means that they last between four and six months.
Do a Touch-Up Wash
You should leave a two-week gap during your car washes and a lot can happen between this time. You may acquire a bit of mess from bird droppings or even insect guts. Take a microfibre cloth and touch them up if you can. The main reason for this is because insect guts can be acidic, which can permanently harm your paint.
Clay Bar
Have you ever passed your hand over a car after it has been detailed, and felt as though the car itself feels like smooth glass? A lot of this comes down to clay bars. This isn’t the type of clay you model with. It’s a specialist clay that has abrasive qualities. It polishes the environmental dirt that might be on your car’s surface. When you use this with good lubrication, such as car wash soap, it gives you a really good finish. It is impossible for you to obtain this finish if you try and achieve it through normal cleaning. It does take time to fully clay bar a car but the instant effects and the advantages over the long run are worth it. You should always do it after you have manually washed your vehicle if you want to get the biggest benefits.
Swirl Marks
Even the best-kept cars develop swirl marks over time. A lot of this comes down to cleaning but it can also come down to ordinary wear and tear. Swirl markings tend to be imperceptible in cars but you do have to remember that they are avoidable. Get some medium auto polish after you have given your car the clay bar treatment. This is an abrasive but it is way harsher. You can use the polish applicator or a foam pad if you want. If you want to avoid harming the paint then you need to try and use a modest speed, and never use the buffer in the same location for more than a couple of seconds. The polish will remove a very thin layer of the clear coat, which will reveal the swirls underneath. When you have finished polishing, you can then clean the car with a spray, and then apply wax.
Watch where you Park
You may be used to parking in the nearest space but you need to avoid this where possible. If you park underneath a tree every single day then you may find that you need to park somewhere else. Tree sap could be ruining your car paint. Birds will often fly to trees as well, and this can make your car a target for droppings. Parking away from the entrance could be a good idea if you want to avoid parking dents. Fewer cars will park near to you if you park away from the entrance too. This means you can lower the chance of someone opening their car door, and hitting yours.
Invest in a Car Cover
There is a lot of variety when it comes to automobiles and car coverings. Believe it or not, you may be able to extend the life of your car’s paint by buying a quality custom-fitted cover. You can even find some that have a fleece lining, which is great, to say the least. If your car spends a lot of its time in the garage then you will probably want to invest in an indoor car cover. It’ll keep dirt and debris away from your car and it will also stop it from being exposed to dust and grime, which can potentially scratch the paint. A bespoke cover lets a lot less dirt in when compared to a generic cover, so make sure that you keep this in mind.