The Key To Exterior Car Detailing

There is nothing quite like the satisfaction that comes from detailing the exterior of the car. I don't know why it is but it seems that black cars are the ones that have the most reflective qualities when they are clean. This is probably because black as a color when it is clean tends to have the most mirrorlike finish. Having said that it still is something that very few owners are willing to commit to over the long term. I've often said that detailing as a hobby is a fine line between mental illness.

Most owners get into the act of detailing her car once or twice but then give up on it, simply because it is just too much work especially if the vehicle is driven regularly. I know this is true in my own case especially with vehicles that are driven in the winter or in cities where it rains a lot. Detailing your car's exterior involves various levels of commitment.

For example you may be what I would call the weekend detailer. The weekend detailer is somebody who is adamant about washing and keeping the exterior of their car clean. This individual is not afraid to experiment with many of the wash and spray and wipe products that are on the market. Some of my favorites include Meguiars Quick Detailer which is a terrific product to be used on a vehicle just after you've washed it.

The reason I like this product is because it has some of the most advanced technology for providing a very quick gloss to the exterior of your car, without the usual cutting cleaning and waxing that is involved in more comprehensive jobs.

For those that are selling a car it makes a lot of sense to have the car professionally detailed on the exterior. This is because research has shown that vehicles with really clean paint will sell for 5 to 15% more than a car with dull paint.

There are increasingly more and more products on the market for those wishing to do professional level detailing at home. For example there is a product called the Ultimate Detailing Machine which is an orbital polisher that comes with different paths and a heavy-duty motor for heavy-duty work. This product will cost a few hundred dollars and does not come with any of the wax and cleaning compounds that you would use it with. I think it is a good idea for people who want to take extra good care of their vehicles paint to have a product like this on hand so that they can detail their car and polish the paint a few times a year.

It is amazing how much longer your pain will last, and how it will be more able to handle the elements and all of the junk paints have to deal with throughout the year.

The bottom line with detailing your car whether you are the weekend detailer or you are serious about using a machine to polish and keep your paint looking good, is to keep it all in perspective and not go overboard with too many products. While yes it is just a car, it is also a thing of beauty... and the most important thing is keeping contaminants OFF the paint with regular washes and little polish so that it lasts for the life of the car.

What is Car Detailing Clay For?

There's a new car cleaning product in town and it is about to become one of the staple weapons in the car owners arsenal in the fight against the dirt found on the car.

I am talking about detailing clay. Detailing clay is used for removing what's known as bonded contaminants from your paintwork.

You might find that after washing your car, although it looks all clean and shiny, it actually feels kind of rough or bubbly to the touch. The next time you wash your car, once it is dry, try running your hand gently over the paintwork. Does it feel a bit rough to the touch? Those are the contaminants left behind after the washing process that have bonded to your car's paintwork. They could come from anywhere and include things such as break dust and other airborne contaminants encountered while driving, tree sap or bird droppings etc.

Detailing clay has been developed to remove the above contaminants from your car's bodywork to leave it as smooth as glass. In fact, you can also use detailing clay on your glass work and wheels. One word of caution though, use a different one for each, the last thing you want is for the brake dust that has been removed from your wheels and transferred to the clay to then scratch your paintwork.

So how do you go about using detailing clay?

Well, just to re-iterate, a detailing clay is all about removing dirt that ordinary washing leaves behind. It should leave you with a smooth to the touch finish that can then be polished, waxed and sealed. Simply waxing your car straight after waxing will simply wax over those hard to remove contaminants.

If you are new to using detailing clay, you need to ensure that you start off with a gentle one, as they are available in different grades depending on how stubborn the contaminants are on your paintwork. The least aggressive clays should be adequate enough for most people. Only move onto a more aggressive grade if you have demonstrated your current clay is not up to the task.

The detailing clay works by simply pulling off the dirt particles which are then held onto by the clay. It is important to note here that you use detailing clay along with a suitable lubricant. It is also necessary to knead the clay to move the contaminants that have been removed from your car from the surface of the clay. If you don't do this, or you don't use enough lubricant then you could cause marring on the surface of your paintwork. If after properly kneading the clay you can no longer see a clean surface to use then the clay should be discarded and a new piece used.

Examples of lubricants that you may want to consider can be found by manufacturers such as Meguiars, Clearkote and Pinnacle, and there are others.

You should constantly knead the clay while you are using it to ensure that it remains soft and warm. When it goes cold, it may become brittle and it will not be effective in lifting off the contaminants from the paintwork. This could also leave surface marring.

Work on small areas of the car body at a time, say one panel at a time. Wet the surface thoroughly with your lubricant and then gently work the clay over the surface. Use only light finger pressure. Don't press on too hard. Let the clay do the work.

Don't use the clay on dry panels, if the lubricant dries before you get to a bit, spray on some more. Once you are happy that the surface is smooth, wipe off any clay left behind with a soft cloth.

Car Detailing, Sound and Fury of Competitors in Auto Detailing

Many auto detailers say that the car washes with their quicken version of the complete auto detail; the Express Detail; has cheapened the auto detailing profession and is ruining the artistic value of today's professional auto detailing experts. I tend to differ completely from this line of reasoning. Having been on both sides of the Industry for some 27-years, I take a more observational and rational view. Let's discuss business and free market philosophy for a moment.

Saying that fixed site car washes have destroyed the meaning of the word 'detailing' may be true to some extent. Yet one must ask, "Did McDonalds destroy the definition of "breakfast" when it introduced the 'Egg McMuffin' in Santa Barbara, CA?" Comparing 'express detailing' with a complete detailing service is merely another apples and oranges issue. We as professional detailers realize that there is no comparison. Why does this make so many of us angry? Do we see it is as all those years of perfection being thrown out the window? We shouldn't; do not look at it that way. Look at it as an incredible opportunity. Channel the frustration and anger into energy and perseverance.

The fixed site car washes with their quick wax, 'express detail' have popularized the phrase 'detailing' to an entirely new group of consumers who normally might not be interested in your services prior to this introduction. It is up to us to expand upon this and take advantage of the fact that now the general workforce is buying detailing services. Sure it's inferior, but a need, a want and desire to spend money for detailing has been formally introduced. This has opportunity written all over it as Bud Abraham said in a speech he delivered at the ICA (International Carwash Association) annual conference in Las Vegas.

Many feel that this new spin on the old terminology of detailing has adversely affected the professional detailers retail business. Fixed detailers must adapt to this market challenge or loose a large percentage of their retail detail volume and thus have their profitability affected. By differentiating their service and educating customers to the definition of a 'Full Detail' or 'Complete Detailing Service' the professional detailer is able to cater to the ideal retail customer in the middle to upper income classes. Generally members of this market segment understand the difference and are aware of the value of a real detail versus an express service. This high-end crowd can be as much as 15-35% of the professional detailers retail clientele. Let's say that a Professional Detailer has 70% of its business in new and used Car Dealerships and other fleet customers who occasionally need detailing. Vehicles such as rent-a-cars, work vans, or sales cars for corporations and 30% in individual retail, the higher per car profit of all services offered. It is not good business sense for a Professional Detailer to simply ignore that much of their customer base, and therefore they must develop a strategy to help customers and clients understand the difference between the express service and full detail.

Some of the communication problems come into play when a customer is convinced that the $50.00-$60.00 (sometimes as low as $35.00) he or she paid for an express detail is the same service they will get when they pay a $100.00+ complete detailing service. Even when the higher price comes from a professional and reputable detailing establishment and not a 30 minute 'express service' from a car wash. Unfortunately unless otherwise educated, perception becomes reality. Think on this when looking for ways to set yourself apart from the competition.

Car Detailing Tips - Cleaning Your Floor Mats

One of the most abused places in a car (like in most places where there are people) is obviously the floor area. In a car, the floor is usually covered by floor mats. Likewise, these mats are the parts that collect the most dirt and thereby needs frequent and regular cleaning.

For car owners, cleaning these floor covering devices can sometimes becomes a bore. The chore is also aggravated especially with some types of dirt that can be hard and stubborn to remove. For new car owners who want to do their own cleaning, what should one do? How should it be done?

Regular cleaning

Floor mats in cars come in different materials - fabric, plastic, or rubberized molded materials. These man-made synthetic materials have become popular among practical car owners who do their own car detailing and cleaning. The main reason is ease of washing and cleaning. Even drying these mats is not a problem. For a really immediate use, you can manually wipe off the water in a matter of minutes and they are ready for use. Floor mats with hard-to-remove stains and discoloration as well as those made of fabrics or a combination of synthetic and natural materials have their own methods of cleaning.

Washing fabric-based mats

Like the floor mats made of synthetic or man-made materials (plastic, rubber), mats made of natural fabrics have to be handled differently. The first step is to physically remove the mats and bring them out of the vehicle. Thoroughly vacuum the car's floor (carpeted and otherwise) to remove grits, sand particles and dust that accumulated inside the car. Next, fill up a large container (big garbage cans, bath tub, big plastic containers, etc) with water.

Add enough non-chlorine liquid laundry detergent to the water. Without using your hands, stir the mix to make sure the detergent's density in the water is uniform.

Cleaning mixture

The amount of the cleaning liquid you can work on (and to be used as your basis to the estimated water-detergent mixture ratio on any container you may use) is one cup to a big garbage container. (You may use other size garbage plastic containers or other receptacles, but keep the same ratio.) Soak all your floor mats in this soapy water-detergent mix for at least half a day (12 hours). After which, proceed with the cleaning process - scrubbing off the dirt and other particles embedded in the mats.

Stains

For stained mats, make sure that they are soaked a bit longer than usual (3 to 5 more hours). After soaking, use a nylon brush or any soft fiber brush (metal brushes are out) to scrub out the stain in the area and the few inches around it. After the scrubbing, return the floor mats to the soaking solution for another 12 to 15 hours more. Rinse the mats with regular water in the open, using high-pressure garden hose water.

Hang the clean mats in open air to dry. You can have them under direct sunlight, although this can cause fading the colors after several cleaning. To preclude possible allergies and other adverse reactions, use rubber gloves and some paper masks.