How To Care For Your Car's Exterior In Four Easy Steps

It doesn't matter what type of vehicle you have; whether it's a hybrid, a sports car or a sports utility vehicle, most people want their ride to look as good as it possibly can. The problem is that most people don't know how to go about caring for their car's exterior aside from the usual wash and dry. Whilst this can give your vehicle a nice clean exterior, if you want it to look shiny and as good as new, there are a few steps that you need to follow. These are described below.

Wash

The first thing you need to do is wash your car. This is pretty straightforward and something that almost all vehicle owners do on a regular basis. Any road grime, dirt, insects or tar can all be removed in the washing stage decreasing the chances of your car picking up any scratches. When washing make sure that you are using a specific car wash soap and not dish soap as this can end up ruining the exterior of your car making it more susceptible to elements as time goes on. It's also a good idea to use a wash cloth that is specifically designed for cars, again eliminating any chances of scratching during the process.

Use A Clay Bar

Most people have never heard of a clay bar but most automotive stores will sell them. Basically they are used after washing your vehicle as they remove whatever the wash fails to. To complete this step you will also need a microfiber towel and some clay lubricant. After moulding the clay into a disk shape, spray the lubricant on both the clay and the car and then go over your whole car, including the windows. Finally, use the microfiber towel to wipe off any excess lubricant.

Buff

Many people feel sceptical about using a buffing wheel so if you don't fancy using one of these look into using an orbital buffer instead along with a buffing compound (make sure to choose a compound that is right for your vehicle as these differ depending on the finishing coat). To buff your car spread a little of the compound on the car's surface, and then using the orbital wheel move in straight lines along the car's surface. You don't need to place much pressure on the buffer unless you have some obvious scratches and going slowly back and forth along the car's surface should be enough to buff it nicely.

Polish

The final thing you need to do is polish your car. To do this you need a polishing wax that is again specifically intended to be used on cars; you can either apply this manually with a microfiber applicator or with the buffing wheel that you used in the previous step. Microfiber towels should then be used to remove any remaining wax.

You may find the above four steps to be tedious but when done correctly you are guaranteed to have a car that looks as good as it did when you purchased it.