Five tips to wash your car and make it perfect

Do you want to know how to clean the car and make it perfect?

How to clean your car thoroughly?

Here are five steps to make your car like jets of gold!

To undertake a thorough cleaning of the exterior of your vehicle, it is best to first inspect the bodywork for damage. There is a specific product for each type of persistent stain (excrement, resin, or scattered insects), use it following the application instructions.

If you find scratches, get a pencil the same color as the car and apply it after washing and drying the area. To obtain a professional result, polish the entire body afterward, in this way you will also eliminate most of those micro-grooves that are only visible when you look at a few centimeters.

The first ‘sticking point’ when cleaning the interior of the car is the trunk: remove the chains, the umbrella, and all those objects that you will not need at this time of year (scraper …). Next, use the vacuum cleaner (if you don’t have one, go to a gas station);  remove the carpet, the spare wheel, and the tools to easily remove the dirt that has accumulated in all the corners. Take the opportunity to do service: is the spare tire the right pressure? Are there any tools missing? Are they all in perfect condition? You can take advantage of it to leave the shiny tools.

The grooves on the edge of the boot tend to accumulate leaves, so it is recommended that you vacuum through these areas. Then clean these grooves with a multipurpose product. A toothbrush will allow you to reach those places where the sponge or cloth does not reach: use a soft one because if the bristles are too hard you can damage the paint. After thoroughly cleaning the rubber of the boot frame, it is advisable that you apply a protective product and grease the hinges. So you will have the trunk ready for the next trip.

It is the turn of the passenger compartment of the car. Start by cleaning the rear seats: run the vacuum cleaner over the storage tray and seats. If you can fold them or fold down the backrest, insert the vacuum tube into all the slots and folds. Do not forget the storage compartments on the sides of the seat bags (be careful when inserting the tube so as not to tear the fabric or deform it). If you want to achieve a professional result indoors, you will need more than just a household vacuum cleaner. With an injection-pressure machine -they are rented by the hour-, you can extract the sunken dust in the deepest and most inaccessible areas of the upholstery.

Remove the mats from the floor and vacuum them thoroughly: if they are rubber, give them a pressure hose. If they have large stains, use a special carpet cleaning product: apply it to the stain and leave it to act for an hour or two. Afterward, rinse it off and let it dry. It takes time, but it’s worth it. In the meantime, take the opportunity to finish cleaning the car.

Apply a plastic cleaner to a cloth and go over the back of the interior rearview mirror and the roof handles. Gently run your toothbrush through the power windows and through the grooves on the pedals. Removes accumulated dirt on the seat belt anchorage and on the underside of the parking brake. Finally, clean the windows with the help of a glass cleaner and a leather chamois: rub quickly and vigorously so that no fingerprints are left.

Tires can accumulate a lot of dirt over time. To remove it, it is best to clean them thoroughly with the pressure hose. Make sure to remove all the carbon from the brakes. Apply a specific tire cleaner product, let it act for as long as the manufacturer recommends and rinse it again with the pressure hose. There are many brands and their price starts at around three euros. Once they are well cleaned, you can use a tire sealant, which will create a protective film on the tire that will keep the tire clean for longer and will facilitate cleaning in the future.

You can also use a specific product to make the tires look shiny. In passing you can measure the tire pressure and measure the depth of the tread. To measure pressure, better use a pressure gauge that you can trust. Gas station meters can be used in an emergency, but more than 70% of this equipment is not reliable. If you can, buy yourself one to check your tire pressure at least once a month. The pattern of your tires is essential so that the grip does not decrease. If they measure less than 1.6 mm you will not be able to circulate with them.

Whether or not you go to the car wash, if you want to have the best possible visibility (here are some tips for driving in low visibility), there is nothing like cleaning all the car windows yourself. For the outside, you can use glass cleaner, but don’t use it inside because it often leaves a trace on the surface that makes it translucent. On the inside face, it is better to use a specific product. In any case, make sure you have completely removed everything, first with a cloth and, if necessary, with some newspapers or paper to finish removing all the moisture.