Keep that exterior shining like new!
Proper care of your car's exterior can help keep it's brilliant shine as well as that wonderful smooth paint feeling. There's nothing like the shine of a well cared-for car!
This section concentrates on the painted exterior of your car. Paint has many enemies, including sun, water spots, acid rain, salt, and flying rocks! Here are the best tips for keeping your car looking mint, as well as our recommendations for the best products on the market. Note: These are not paid endorsements, just our honest opinion. You should wax the car every 3 months or less, and perform the 3 step method every 6 months or so. Before you start, make sure you put masking tape over any black plastic trim, so not to get wax on it. It's hard to get wax off once it's on the trim! Also, before you wax, be sure to touch up any paint chips first so you can seal in the new paint and protect that spot.
Well, to start, you need to keep your paint clean. This goes beyond a weekly washing. Your paint gets dirt in it that must be cleaned out somewhat abrasively from time to time. This also includes oxidation and fading due to the sun. The paint should be thoroughly cleaned every 6 months or less to keep that illustrious shine of the cars in the new car showroom. What you need for this is a cleaner. This is not a cleaner WAX, but rather a slightly abrasive cleaner. We highly recommend the "DEEP CRYSTAL SYSTEM", a 3 step system by Meguiars (Mother's makes a comparable product that costs a few dollars more, as does 3M). Step number one is this cleaner. It should be applied in straight lines from front to back, one small patch at a time (2 to 3 square feet at a time). This DOES require some pressure, and should be applied by hand, not with an orbiter. This is a somewhat time-consuming process, but the results are well worth the effort.
Once the entire car has had cleaner applied and the excess removed, it's time for step 2. If you use the Meguiar's system, it's #2 - Polish. This polish is actually like a glazing that fills in and removes the swirl marks and small scratches in your clear coat. The result is a glass-like surface you just love to look at. It's really good for the looks of the car too, since it takes all those nasty swirl marks out. Black car owners - this step is crucial to a perfect finish! Do larger sections with the glazing polish. This can be applied in a circular motion, so that it fills in ALL the scratches. An orbiter comes in handy for this step. If there is a slight hazy look to your finish when you remove the excess, just buff it a little longer and it will go away. Also, the final wax coat will help clear that up.
After the entire car has been polished (glazed), you may wax it if you need the protection. At this point, you want to make sure you do NOT have a cleaner wax. A cleaner wax will defeat the purpose of what you just spent all that time doing! You want a non-cleaning wax. I HIGHLY recommend Meguiar's Gold Class or Medallion wax. It applies easily and lasts a long time. Don't use Nu Finish or 2001 or something like that. Do it right - get the maximum protection formulated to work with the steps taken before this point. In a circular motion, apply the wax to the car in sections (trunk, fender, etc) and then remove the wax. Don't do too big a section with carnuba wax (if you use this), or else you will be scrubbing hard, and it will leave an undesired swirl. Also, when you remove the wax, be sure to get all the excess wax from the crevices. Use a toothpick when necessary!
When you wax the car, make sure you cover ALL areas. The areas you miss will be where the rust usually starts, like the door seams, the gas door area, and the bottom of the doors/body. Be sure to wax all these areas, including the door jambs and the bottom side of the trunk and hood. Don't wax your windows - it's just a waste of time. Wax doesn't adhere to glass! By this time, the body of your car should be irresistable. You'll just want to.... touch it.
Once your car is all waxed up and slick looking, go to the next section of the auto detailing pages!