Don't let the rubber (and plastic) ruin your show!
No matter how clean the exterior is, if you don't make sure the rubber and plastic trim are looking really good, the car just looks plain. Dressing the tires (covered under the wheels section) and trim finish the exterior! This section also covers exterior glass and emblems.
Let's start with the exterior glass. For the BEST looks, clean the glass on the outside with a high-quality glass cleaner. You might be suprised how much difference that makes over normal washing. Do this for the mirrors as well. If you apply RAIN-X or a similar product, apply it after your final cleaning.
As for emblems, anyone who is proud of their car wants the emblems to be clean and shining. Most emblems are not friendly to clean, however. Use a toothpick to get any extra dirt or wax out of the edges or holes of the emblem. Spray glass cleaner on a paper towel and then go over the emblem. Wipe it dry with a dry towel. This is especially good on chrome emblems. Use chrome polish if your chrome emblem becomes pitted or faded at all.
Dark trim is an important part of the exterior. It acts as an accent to the bland, single-color body. Many cars do not have this, I realize. So skip this part! If you do have it, apply some protectant (Armor All, Mothers Back-to-Black, etc) in a VERY small spot on a clean rag. Rub the trim with this rag, adding more protectant as necessary. Wipe off any excess with a different rag, so that you don't get any excess on the body. Any that gets on the body can be removed with glass cleaner and a clean rag. Use this same process on the rubber around the windows and on any bottom trim or splash guards. This process may not need to be done every time the car is washed. It may be a monthly thing for you. It's your choice. Just be sure to wipe off the excess, otherwise the excess will run down the side of your car when it rains, streaking your paint (not pretty). This is a checklist of things you might want to make sure get attention with the protectant:
- Window trim
- Gas cap
- Splash guards
- Visible fender wells (if applicable)
- Cowl (in front of your wipers)
- Wiper blade arms (but not the blade!)
- Door and trunk weather stripping
- Side trim
- Bottom trim
- Tires (see wheels section)
Now your trim looks good! What's the next section?