Car Detailers often make minor mistakes which then leads to an unexpected outcome. Find out if you are making them too.
Car Detailing is an art and you can be an artist if you know the method to care for your car like a pro. However, just shopping for the world’s topmost brand will not get you there until and unless you learn from your mistakes. In fact, you might not realize that you are making a mistake with your DIY detailing if you are not aware of the proper procedure. Let us have a look at the most common flaw made by beginners during vehicle cleaning.
Lack of Protection
As you begin with car cleaning, let’s start preparing yourself first. You might have skin allergies from any kind of car washing agent, so be careful and protect yourself with gloves, apron, proper footwear and so on.
Clay bars
Believing that clay bars help us in getting rid of scratches from our car’s exterior surface is the second mistake most detailers do. You should make the purpose of clay bars clear prior to using them. It helps in removing all bits of tree sap, bird droppings and stains settled on your exterior.
Purpose Cleaners
APCs (All Purpose Cleaners) are awesome alternatives to buying a specific product for each part of your vehicle. For instance, you are using Detailmax foam based all surface Interior Cleaner for cleaning the carpet. Here, most detailers spray a large portion constantly in the same area which can turn the solution into spots. Take care while using all-purpose cleaners so that the foam does not settle as spots. So, the conclusion is, to use APCs properly so that it cleans your interior and not stain it.
Wax / Sealants on Trim
Sealants and waxes are not for your trims. Although you don’t apply it intentionally, it might get applied accidentally to your black trims. This will resultantly cause the blackness to fade away. All you need to do is just apply the masking tape to the sensitive areas or you can stay 1 inch away from trims. Since you care for your car a lot, always opt for the best brands & if you are looking for a product which can give you a glossy finish in no time, go for Blitz Acrylic Spray Sealant.
Do you know? Ignoring the masking tape while using polishes, wax/sealants can really be harmful to your trims. So don’t miss this step before you continue with waxing.
Using Dish Soap
Substituting dishwashing liquids for carwashing shampoo is the most common mistake. The concept of beginners here could be that dishwashing soaps are made to clean up the plates from oils and it can serve the same purpose for a car.
But, answer one thing to yourself, if you want to clean away everything like a shining plate, why do we even use waxes on the exterior? Keep in mind that dishwashing liquids contain acidic elements which are harmful to your car paint. The average pH levels of common cleaning supplies range from 0 to 6 (Non-acidic), 7 (Neutral) and 8 to 13 (Acidic). Will you still use those acidic liquids for your precious car paint? Well, let’s not make this mistake again and use dedicated Car Wash Shampoos, which are all smiles for your Car Detailing.
Microfiber Towels
Is your old T-shirt found to be your washing towel? If yes, your car care will definitely don’t give results as expected. Replace it with good Microfiber Towels, which are excellent supporters throughout your car cleaning process.
The key point to note here is that microfiber towels are designed with a blend of polyester and polyamide fibres. The ideal blend ratio is 80:20, which gets to be the best for multi-purpose use to firmly hold up for a wide variety of tasks. However, using a 75:25 GSM ratio of microfiber towels is great as they are designated as buffing towels. They are fluffy and give a softer and silkier texture, thus being the perfect choice for the right task.
Detailing towels or Microfiber Towels are the #1 assistant from Car Care Products range and it is essential to keep them clean. Most people take care of and add them to the washing machine like other fabrics. But, using washing powder can make them useless soon. Also, the non-dissolved powder left on the cloth can damage the paint. So don’t do this and use Microfiber Wash Detergent Cleaner instead, which is formulated to care for and clean your microfiber towels.
Wash Location
Almost all exterior car detailing products will read you ‘don’t apply under direct sunlight’ in their how-to’s. This is because the formulations are prone to pre-mature drying under the sun and if you don’t follow the instructions, the mineral deposits in hard water, for instance, can dry and leave spots on your paint. Though there is no particular time to wash your car, it is, however, safe to do so under shades & quickly wipe off the surface with chamois.
Cleaning Wheels Last
Wheel cleaning should not be the last but first on the list. If you are cleaning the wheels last, it means that you are cleaning the paint first so you need to dry it first in order to avoid spots and stains. If your paint is dried first and then when you begin with your wheels, it is likely that your jet spray will sprinkle a great amount of water on the paint, isn’t it? So as many times as your paint is splashed with water, you will have to keep wiping it again and again, so much reworks. It will keep adding to the total time you take to wash your car. Now you know why you need to clean the wheels first!
Not Cleaning Detailing Accessories after use
All of your cleaners – brushes, microfiber towels, buckets and so on are required as clean when you begin your car washing regimen. Hence to get them clean for the next wash, you should keep them clean after the present wash. This is one simple routine which is usually avoided by many.
Right Tools & Equipment
Since you are detailing your car, don’t use anything you get. Using the right tools & equipment not only makes a difference in the result but ensures a safe and professional cleaning procedure for your precious car. When there is car detailing supplies designed and made available for each said use, why don’t you utilize it the right way?
Polishing Pad Cleaning
Polishing pads are required to be maintained in a healthy form as they absorb compounds, polishes, waxes and paint residue. It is desired to break down all these residues from it prior to its next use. When this step is missed, the polishing pads get toughened due to absorbed elements and it performs harshly on the paint when used without cleaning. As the polishing pads are expected to restore gloss and shine to our paint, we will definitely not like to let the car paint be the victim of a disaster.
Odour Removal
This last car detailing mistake is usually the one which is left out of mind by most car detailers. We all have odour removal and freshness rejuvenating sprays for our cars. Did you ever felt like the smell doesn’t stay for long? If yes then pluck the issue from the roots by identifying the cause of odour. It can be due to your unclean carpets, non-maintained leather seats and so on. When you remove the root cause of the odour, the freshness will get long-lasting.
Hope you have figured your mistakes out and found the right ways to deal with them. Start your car care with India’s only retailer of Rupes, Detailmax, and Gtechniq and grab all car detailing products for your professional car cleaning kit. You can shop any top brand you wish for with their products at the best available prices. Enjoy car care!
