Auto Detailing This Weekend? Here's Some Tips To Achieve Professional Results
Taking your car or truck to an auto detailing service is the best way to ensure it is clean inside and out. Professional detailers have all the special tools and know the proper techniques to make your car as spotless as possible. And they can do it much more quickly than you can do it yourself.
However, if you decide auto detailing will be this weekend's DIY project, here are some tips to achieve professional results:
Tip: Don't Use Your Household Vacuum in Your Car
Since the carpet in your car is not the same as in your home, you should not use your household vacuum to vacuum out your car. Residential vacuums do not have adequate suction to remove all dirt and grime in your car's carpeting.
A high-quality shop vac is the best thing you can use to vacuum your car. If you do not own a shop vac, utilizing the auto vacuum station at your local gas station is a great alternative.
Using a high-suction machine design explicitly designed for automotive cleaning will make vacuuming much faster and do a much better job.
Tip: Buy Detailing Putty and Inexpensive Paintbrushes
One of the most frustrating aspects of detailing your own vehicle is getting all the dust and dirt out of the tiny cracks and crevices on the dashboard and doors. When a professional auto detailing technician details your vehicle, they use special detailing putty and small brushes to get into those unreachable areas.
The party itself looks a lot like the slime that children play with. It is soft and squishy and molds into each little crack and crevice. When you remove it, the putty brings the dirt up with it. You can buy a small can of detailing putty at your local auto parts store, which makes getting into each of those little places much more accessible.
You can use small paint brushes for areas of detailing putty can't reach. If you don't have any small brushes, you can buy a package of them inexpensively at a local dollar store.
Tip: Freshen Up the Air Inside the Cab
No matter how clean your car is, it won't seem clean enough unless you freshen up the air. This is the biggest mistake car owners make when detailing their autos. They scrub and scrub every nook and cranny and then don't do anything about the funky smell of the old fast food bags their kids hid under the seat.
The professional way to freshen up the air inside your car's cab is by using a combination approach that includes:
- Changing the cab's filter, conveniently located behind the glove box on most vehicles
- Shampooing lingering stains and odors out of the carpet and upholstery
- Spraying the interior with an odor-eliminating spray
Skipping any of these steps will result in a less-than-fresh smell in your vehicle.
For more info about auto detailing, contact a local company.