Car Care Tips - How to Keep Your Car in Immaculate Condition

By: Paul MacIver

There are several things you must do to keep your car in
immaculate condition and retain its value. Apart from regular
mechanical servicing and maintenance, your car must also be
groomed regularly to keep it looking like new. This means more
than simply putting it through the carwash each week. Although
it takes a bit longer, you'll find that hand grooming your car
achieves a far better result. There's no need to spend a lot of
money on car care products, however you will need to buy a few.
These are some tips I use every time I clean my car.

Exterior

Rinse your car down to get rid of excess dirt, and then wash it
with a sponge and soapy water. Once you've washed the whole car,
rinse it off and then dry it with a soft cloth. If you don't dry
your car afterwards, water droplets gather dust, and when they
dry out, you're left with many spots all over the body of the
car. This is especially noticeable with dark colored cars.

Every month or so you should use a bug and tar removal product
on the body of your car. There are many of these types of
products available at most car care stores. A great product to
go for is one which removes bugs, tar and other spots, while
polishing the car's surface at the same time.

Polishing and waxing your car regularly maintains the "shiny
look" and also protects the paint from being damaged by the sun.

Always clean the wheels and shine the tires. If your car has
alloy wheels, dirt shows up more easily and makes them look
dull. You can buy wheel cleaning products which remove the build
up of brake dust, but if you clean them each time you wash your
car, you should only need to use water and a cloth. When shining
the tires, I always use a spray-on tire shine which is quick and
easy to use. This not only keeps them looking like new, but
protects them from the sun and makes the whole car look
magnificent.

For other external areas, use a surface protecting product which
is designed to protect rubber, vinyl and plastic from the sun's
UV rays. This can be used on bumpers, rubber seals around doors
and windows, and for the interior as well.

Interior

Purchase some car seat covers to protect your seats from getting
worn out. They can easily be taken off and washed once in a
while. I vacuum the seats and carpet every time I clean my car.
Dirt and grit which falls deep into the carpet causes it to wear
out quickly, so regular vacuuming is the best way to prevent
this. Buying a set of floor mats will keep the majority of dirt
from getting into your carpet.

Clean the inside of your car's windows with a glass cleaning
product and a soft cloth. I use a normal household glass
cleaning spray for this and it seems to do the job. When
cleaning the dashboard and other interior surfaces, be careful
you don't use a product that will damage them. Some vinyl and
plastic surfaces can be ruined simply by using the wrong product
when cleaning. Once cleaned, you can use a surface protecting
spray on these areas also.

When you aren't using your car, park it in the garage. This not
only keeps it out of the weather, but also prevents it from
getting dirty. If you don't have access to a garage, consider
buying a car cover. Protecting your car from the weather as much
as possible will ensure it remains immaculate.

For info on vehicle
covers, auto accessories, or car seat covers visit
the Auto
Accessories website.