7 Tips on Detailing Your Exterior

1. Proper Prep

Wheels 

Everyone has a preference on whether you should wash wheels first or not. Personally, I do them first, because I like to allow the wheel cleaner some time to penetrate. Afterward, I prep the rest of the car, then I rinse off the wheels, to avoid any accidental splashing. 

Proper prep

It's important to properly prepare with the right tools prior to getting your hands wet. A lot of professionals tend to use multiple buckets, for varying areas of the car. Three is generally good enough, with one to be used for the wheels, another for rinsing the and the other for suds. Multiple sponges are a must. Make sure to have one for each section of the car, coming from top to bottom. Three will suffice, as you can use one for the top section, the second and third for the bottom panels and wheels. Also, make sure to get a brush, so you can clean off any built up grime and brake dust from the wheels. 

Lubrication

Automotive Cleaners are specially designed for vehicles as its ability to maintain a constant level of lubrication while you clean the vehicle. It also very important to have a constant stream of water, if accessible.  If not, at least have some additional buckets with water to keep the car wet. Although if using a hose is an issue, you can check out no rinse cleaners, which are claimed to a good job keeping the car’s surface wet. 

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2. Top to Bottom

Don’t just start randomly washing panels on the car, begin at the top and make your way down. This keeps a constant stream of water flowing towards the bottom and dirtiest part of the car. When washing the top portion make sure you do small section by small section. Take your time, and keep the sponges soaked with soap, wash a portion and then quickly rinse it off in the second bucket. You want to keep the sponges free from any additional debris. so it's able to constantly pick up the dirt. 

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3. Side-to-side versus Circular Motions

Another argument that tends to pop up is whether Karate Kid was right, or is the side-to-side method the way to go. Since paint is applied in a side-to-side manner, it’s supposed to be recommended that you clean a car and apply wax in the same manner. This is to help prevent against swirls or scratches. However, people have had excellent results using a circular motion, so the decision is really up to you. Personally, I prefer the side to side method, especially on dirtier sections of a car, as I believe it picks up more dirt, then the ladder. 

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4. Drying

The best tool to use to dry your car is a paint safe squeegee or water blade. These things work like magic, and remove most of the remaining water in one fell sweep. After sliding a squeegee over the surface of the car, make sure to rinse it off and continue. You can finish drying the rest of the car with a microfiber towel, using a patting motion to avoid creating streaks. 

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5. Clay Bar

A clay bar is a special resin compound that is used to remove any additional pieces of dirt or contaminants that were left after a wash. It’s soft and elastic, and when properly lubricated is able to flow over the body panels of your car. As it attracts contaminants, the clay bar will catch a bit on the car. Once it freely glides across the body panels, it's done. Make sure only tear off enough for what you need, have a microfiber towel ready and proper lubricator on hand.  

Also, note that there are three types of clay bars available. Medium clay bars should only be used once or twice a year. An aggressive clay can be used for tougher to remove contaminants, and the most gentle clay is able to be used once a month. So when you’re making your purchase, be sure you’re getting the right one for its intended application.

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6. Buffing and Polishing

What’s the difference between buffing and polishing? It seems the difference is almost relative to the person talking, as a lot of time, buffing and polishing are used interchangeably. However, the process and reason a car is buffed differ greatly from polishing. To do either method, you require a special rotary tool and either a buffing pad or polishing pad. Each process also requires a special compound. 

Buffing is a bit more aggressive and used to remove a thin layer of paint in order to fix any swirls or scratches. It's only used about once of year to upkeep the paint. Also, fair warning; buffing does remove a layer of paint, and doing it incorrectly can lead to damage. If you are planning to buff, it's best to practice first on a spare piece of metal. On the other hand, polishing is a bit more forgiving, often used after a buff, or about once a month–in conjunction with a clay bar. It follows similar techniques and helps bring a sheen back to the car. 

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7. Sealants and Wax

For that ultimate clean, finish the job up with either a sealant or wax or even both, is the way to go. To apply either purchasing a polisher is the way to go and considering one can be had for around $40, there’s little reason not to get one. It cuts a lot of time required for applying wax, sealants, and polish and saves you a lot of energy. 

A sealant is a synthetic coating that provides long lasting paint protection and a long-lasting shine, while the wax is made from more natural compounds (carnauba) and provides a short-term protection, accompanied with a deep shine. There are people that choose one or the other, with sealants being a lot more popular on newer cars because of its ease of use. However, applying both will provide long lasting protection and the deep shine that only a carnauba wax can give. 

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