New Year, New Shine: Auto Detailing Tips For 2024
Some people think the best part of living in Florida is the beaches, the sun, or the heat. We at Foreign Affairs Motorwerks think it’s because it is car show season all year round! December is the time of year to spend some extra time with those you love, which includes your car.
One of the best ways to spend some time with your car and show it how much it means to you is by treating it to a detail just before the new year. Here are some of our favorite auto detailing tricks you can take with you into 2024.
Familiarize Yourself With Your Car
The best way to clean your car is to understand all the nooks and crannies where dirt can build up, which may not be easily accessible. A workshop manual will show you any panels or parts that may be in your way, such as engine under trays and seats, and how they can be safely removed, washed, and refitted.
It is vital to refit parts to factory torque specs to ensure they are securely fitted and won’t fall off.
Invest In A Lift
It’s amazing how much time we spend cleaning the sections of our cars that we can see, often neglecting parts we don’t see. When last did you give genuine consideration to the underside of your car? Having the ability to raise your car so you can get underneath it will give you a whole new level of clean.
While we know it isn’t practical to invest in full lift, jack stands, ramps or a quickjack will give you plenty of access to your undercarriage. Alternatively, there are plenty of undercarriage cleaning attachments for pressure washers that do a respectable job.
Avoid Direct Sunlight
Direct sunlight causes heat. A hot surface speeds up drying, which leaves stubborn water spots, soap marks, and streaks, which undoes all your hard work. When cleaning your car, it is best to work indoors, or at the very least, under a cover or in the shade.
If you plan to wash your car after a spirited drive, it’s best to let your car cool off, both from the heat of the sun and the heat of the engine. Avoid the temptation to use water to cool off your car, as it can cause brake rotors to cool unevenly and warp.
Try The The Two-Bucket Method
The two-bucket method has been the go-to technique when auto detailing . The two-bucket method utilizes two buckets, each with a grate at the bottom. The grates are so fine that no sand deposited in the buckets gets picked up by your washcloth again.
One bucket is used for clean, soapy water; the other is for rinsing your dirty washcloth after you have cleaned a section of the car. This technique lowers the chance that your washcloth will pick up contaminants that may scratch your paint, and that your car is always being cleaned with nice, clean, soapy water.
Use Car Towels
Car towels are exactly what they sound like: big, soft towels used to dry a car after washing. The first thing to do before using is to make sure is that the towel is clean and dry. One of the biggest risks when cleaning your car is scratching it, and a clean towel is the best way to prevent scratches.
Using a towel to dry your car prevents water from drying on your car, which prevents water spots and streaks from forming, leading to a glossier finish.
Remove Contaminants
Your car’s clear coat get all kinds of contamination stuck in it, from brake dust, to soot, and even tar. After washing the exterior, the best way to remove iron fallout is to spray the exterior surfaces with a fallout remover spray.
Fallout sprays often change color as they dissolve and free the iron particles from your clear coat. Once the fallout spray has worked its magic, the iron remnants can be rinsed off. The next trick is to use a clay bar to help pull out any additional contaminants.
Add A Protective Layer
Once you’ve washed away all the dirt and removed contaminants, it’s time to seal the clear coat with a protective layer. Removing contaminants from your car has the adverse effect of leaving pits and holes in the clear coat that need to be filled. The best way to do that is to apply a wax or ceramic coating to the surface.
Not only will ceramic coatings and wax fill the clear coat’s holes, it will also act as a sacrificial layer in the future to trap contaminants. Common contaminants such as bird droppings and insect inners will get eaten away by the coating before they can cause any damage.
Don’t Be Afraid To Polish
Most auto detailers have a vendetta against polishing, as polish is an abrasive that can remove thin layers of the clear coat. Unfortunately, sometimes paint can be so severely scratched, dull, and sun-damaged that the best way to save factory paint is to whip out the orbital polisher.
Never be cheap on the polish you use, as a finer polish will be more forgiving and have a better end result. It is also highly recommended that you remove contaminants from the paint before polishing, and seal the surfaces once you have finished to get the best results.
Professional Auto Detailers In Pompano Beach
Auto Detailing at home can be a more in-depth task that most people are prepared for. At Foreign Affairs Motorsports, we’re not just a detailing center; we’re a certified auto repair center.Not only will your car be cleaned to like-new condition, any underlying damage can be addressed and repaired.
Treat your car right in 2024. Make your booking today by calling (954) 746-0488.