Keeping your car clean is work that demands time, but if you do it regularly, the results will be worth it. A car needs maintenance every now and then, to keep its engine parts in optimal condition and the vehicle looking presentable. Cleaning your car does not only have to do with the way it looks but will extend the life and longevity of its other parts, and a good-looking car will help keep your vehicle’s value up.
If your car is not cleaned properly and regularly, it will slowly fade in vibrancy, and there are risks of permanent damage like rust to the car’s exterior. There are many DIY tips for car-cleaning sessions that have proven to be quite useful. Have a look at some of these handy suggestions.
- Make Your Car Look Shiny
A car’s detailing is what protects it from other elements. Your car’s interior and exterior  will be subjected to discoloration, cracking and peeling when you don’t clean it regularly. A weekly wash is recommended to keep  off the pollen in the clear coat. A monthly wash and wax will make sure your car is covered with a shiny shield. You can use a hair conditioner to give the car a proper shine. There are cleaning products in the market for this purpose, but a hair conditioner will do the same job. To give your car a fresh and waxed look, use a hair conditioner with lanolin in it. It will help the car’s surface to repel rain.
- Prep Your Car for Polishing
A lot of people either overlook this step or think of polishing as a tiring and hectic task, when it is not that complicated if you have all the equipment at home. Polishing is used for removing any scratches and dirt on the car’s surface.
Before polishing, tape off all the key areas of your car, cover the glass with newspaper and wrap the exhaust tips in plastic. Make sure there is no grit or contaminant on your car, or the polishing process will not be as effective. A semi-permanent paint sealant can help you avoid any scratching on your car’s surface.
- Polish Your Car Effectively
Be careful and not apply too much pressure while polishing or it will leave marks on the car. In the polishing process, the car is first washed, and when it is almost dry, an even coat of compound is applied to the surface with an orbital disc.
The key to achieving excellent results is to apply the polish with slow movements and even pressure. An aggressive approach will neither make the process faster or better. In fact, it will only hurt your car. Do the polishing panel by panel. It is important that the car and polisher have a slight amount of water, so the paint is protected. After polishing the car, rinse it off, put on a coat of wax and your car will be ready! Occasionally rinse your polish disk because sometimes dirt and debris can accumulate on the pad. Polishing is not something you need to do often, because if done in excess, your car’s clear-coat will be damaged.
- Clean Your Windshields and Wipers
Vodka and cola can serve a greater purpose. Nothing cleans your windshield better than a solution of vodka. Mix some water, vodka, and dishwasher liquid, shake well, and pour it on your windshield and let the wipers do their job.
Cola is also there to help clean the water stains on your windshield. Pour the cola on your windshield, but also protect your hood paint. All the grime and dirt on the glass will frizzle away in no time. Wash away the beverage from your screen afterward. These tricks will help you make your windshield look better than it has in ages.
When your windshields have been cleaned, you cannot drive your car with dirty wipers, or they will ruin the screen again. Make a mixture of household ammonia and cold water. Dip a cloth in the solution and clean those dirty wipers.
- Car Wax
When your car is washed and polished, car wax is used as a layer of protection and to act as a paint sealant. But you do not need to use a car wax all the time your car gets dirty. Instead, you can get the same results at home with some Kerosene. Rainwater can make your car rusty, and that does not look good. Mix three gallons of water and a cup of kerosene, and you will have a cleaning solution that can solve your car’s rust-problems. Dip a rag in the solution, and then wipe your car with it. Your car will be clean and shiny, and it will not cost you much.
- Remove Stickers
We all have old stickers on our cars that we get tired of as they do not look as attractive as they once were. Remove these stickers with a razor blade. Hold the blade carefully and push it under the edge of the sticker. Keep pushing until the sticker is completely gone.
With these weird but helpful tips, you will have no trouble cleaning your car and getting pro-quality results.
Editor’s Note: Anthony Henson has been covering consumer technology for a decade now. He currently covers consumer electronics in the PC Labs as the in-house home entertainment expert, reviewing TVs, media hubs, speakers, headphones, and gaming accessories. He regularly writes blogs at https://www.helpful.reviews/en.
