It can be difficult to know where to begin when it comes to carrying out a car detailing DIY job. Car detailing can be confusing because there are many different stages to it and numerous theories and techniques to consider. As a proud provider of vehicle maintenance tips and tutorials, we're here to introduce you to some of the fundamentals.
This is a beginner's guide to our 12-step detailing program:
Step 1: Clean Your Wheels
Always, always, always begin with the wheels in the first step. We can't emphasize this enough. Your wheels need a good pre-soak with a high-quality wheel cleaner because they are the dirtiest part of the car.
To reach the difficult-to-reach areas, you'll need brushes, as well as a separate wash mitt and detailing buckets from the ones you'd use on the paintwork.
Step 2: Apply Pre Cleaner
Use a pre-cleaner at all times. Spray this on any areas that have been bug-splattered as well as the lower portions of the car.
Step 3: Use Snow Foam
Before the physical contact wash stage, using snow foam helps to remove any loose particles from the vehicle and break down any stubborn dirt. Prior to contact washing, getting rid of as much dirt as feasible will help to lessen the chance of causing swirl marks to the paint finish.
Step 4: The Crucial Two-Bucket Approach Contact Wash
Put wash solution in one bucket and plain water in the other. Apply wash solution to the car, washing it in small sections (starting at the top) while rinsing the mitt in the water bucket before applying a new wash solution. By using this technique, you can ensure that your wash solution is clean and that you are always washing your car with fresh water.
Step 5: Decontamination
Prior to doing anything, you must first spray an iron dissolver on the area. Any ferrous contamination, such as rail dust and industrial fallout, that has fused to the paintwork will be removed when you do this.
To soften any tar that may be adhered to the paint, use a solvent tar and glue remover next. Rewashing the car is a crucial step in this process because solvents will melt the clay bars and seriously obstruct the next step. Detailing clay is fantastic because it does all the laborious work for you. Simply rub the block over the paintwork while using clay lubricant or slip. Next, wash and rinse once more.
Step 6: Dry Your Vehicle
Starting at the top, slowly work your way down the vehicle. The simplest way to ensure you get every area streak-free is to take it panel by panel.
Step 7: Polish
Either a hand polisher or a machine polisher can be used here. While hand polishing will result in a good finish, machine polishing will produce results that are far superior.
Step 8: Glazing
We would apply our paint glaze in between the stages of polishing, waxing, and sealant.
Step 9: Seal and Wax
All of your prior hard work from steps one through eight will be protected by applying a layer of car wax or sealant.
Step 10: Trim & Tire Dressings
Now that your tires and rims have been cleaned, it's time to polish them. Products that will restore plastics to their original colors and things that will freshen up your tires without making them greasy should be selected.
Step 11: Clean the Glass
Glass is an item that is frequently overlooked. A high-quality glass cleaner is a necessity in any car detailing kit, regardless of whether there are minor scratches or only fingerprints
Step 12: Finishing Touches
All of the previous hard work will be completed with a quick detailer's final touch-up and wipe-down. A good quick detailer will remove any possible wax or sealant residue from the surfaces, as well as any possible fingerprint stains you've left from moving around your car.
That concludes our 12-step detailing process for beginners. Check out our car manuals for more information, or reach out to us!
