Buying a new car is a great feeling. The smell of fresh
leather as you The fresh smell of leather as you enter the
car. The paintwork is gleaming and waxy smooth. You might
even catch yourself stealing a glance at the reflection of
your pride and joy as you drive it out your house.
Skip ahead by 12 months and see how your car looks now. Is
it still gleaming new or does the paintwork look tired, dull
and old? How can some cars look brand new even though they
are already 3 years old? Why do others look old when it
just rolled out the showroom 12 months ago?
The secret is in how you care for your car. It is easy to
keep your car like new if you know how.
1) A Wash A Week Keeps Your Car Clean & Slick
Much as you wish that your car will remain clean by itself,
it just wont happen. Dust will accumulate even if you just
keep it in your garage. Theres only one thing to do. Wash
your car! Its very important that you wash your car
especially after youve driven in the rain. If you let the
water droplets dry naturally, especially under the hot sun,
there will be tough-to-remove watermark stains on your
paintwork.
The first thing you need to wash your car is a clean and
soft terry cloth. Alternatively, you can use cloth diapers
as well. You can get these easily at the babys section in
your local departmental store. Theyre cheap and it works.
Of course, if you want to be posh, then get the Ultimate
Wipe cloth from Meguiars
(http://www.fdcars.com/newsletter/n2-1.htm). Youll need a
good car shampoo next. I personally use Meguiars NXT
Generation Car Wash
(http://www.fdcars.com/newsletter/n2-2.htm). Its reasonably
priced and a 64oz bottle will last you quite a while.
Start off by hosing down your car to remove any dirt, mud or
grime. Then mix 3 caps-full of shampoo with around 20oz (a
small bucket) of water. Apply the shampoo mixture to your
car using the cloth/diaper. Hose off the shampoo once youve
finished shampooing the car. Use your cloth under running
water to wipe off any remaining shampoo residue. It is VERY
important that you wipe your car dry with another clean
terry cloth/diaper. Make sure your entire car is wiped dry.
Next, clean your rims. Brake dust normally accumulates there
and cleaning it will make a huge difference in how your car
looks. Its pointless to have clean paintwork youre your
rims are dirty. Its also advisable to vacuum the inside of
your car every week or every other week. You spend your time
inside the car, so cleaning the interior just makes sense.
2) A Monthly Wax Keeps The Shine To The Max
Waxing your car will keep your paintwork gleaming new. You
can either send it to an auto detailer or do it yourself.
Its actually not that difficult to wax your car. If you
have an hour or so of spare time, then try waxing your car
yourself.
Its important that you wash and wipe dry your car before
waxing. NEVER wax your car before washing/drying it! Its
best to park your car under in a shady area when waxing. It
makes sense to use a good carnauba wax like Meguiars NXT
Generation Tech Wax
(http://www.fdcars.com/newsletter/n2-3.htm). Use the
included sponge and apply the wax in a small circular
motion. Wax your car one section at a time, remembering
which section you started with. Finish applying wax on the
entire car.
Wipe off the excess wax using a soft terry cloth/cloth
diaper. Start with the first panel that you applied the wax
and continue from there. Youll find the wax residue
accumulating on your cloth. Shake it off periodically and
continue to remove excess wax until youve finished all
panels.
Look carefully and check for remaining wax residue. Use your
cloth to clean any remaining residue.
To prepare your cloth for your next wax, wash it with a
liquid softener. Its fine to use the liquid softener that
you use for your clothes. This guarantees there isnt any
remaining dirt/grime that may scratch your car during your
next waxing session.
3) Wax Your Tyre Next O Sire
For that shiny, wet look, wax your tyres after every
wash/wax. Use Meguiars Hot Shine High Gloss Tyre Spray
(http://www.fdcars.com/newsletter/n2-4.htm). The trigger
spray makes it easy to apply. You literally need less than 5
minutes for this but applying tyre spray/wax makes a big
difference.
4) Condition That Leather To Help It Fight The Weather
Make sure you clean and condition your leather seats at
least once every 2 months if you car comes with leather
seats. Use Meguiars Medallion Premium Leather Care
conditioner (http://www.fdcars.com/newsletter/n2-5.htm).
Apply the conditioner with a clean cloth/cloth diaper, leave
for 15 minutes and wipe off excess conditioner. Your leather
will look and smell like new if you do this every month.
While youre at it, clean any vinyl surface of your car
using Meguiars Vinyl & Leather Cleaner/Conditioner
(http://www.fdcars.com/newsletter/n2-6.htm). This
maintains the interior looking like new.
5) Your Cars Now Shiny So You Can Be Happy
Your car will look like its brand new if you follow this
routine. An hour or so every week pays huge dividends.
Friends and family will think youve just bought a new car
even though its 3 years old. The best thing is when it
comes time to sell your car. A car with gleaming new
paintwork and a clean interior makes a strong impression and
will automatically raise the selling price of your car!
P.S. The writer does not work for Meguiars and only
recommends the products as a satisfied customer.
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Fantic Carro is the owner of FD Cars which is a resource for
car lovers worldwide. For more articles, reviews and tips on
cars, please visit his site below:
http://www.fdcars.com
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