HOW TO PROPERLY CLEAN A CAR

Cleaning a Car From Different Starting Points

    A normal wash usually consists of soap, water and towels for washing and drying. It's a simple task if those are the only steps you are taking. However, in fact there are actual steps you can take in order to properly clean up your car depending on your car's paint life. The paint job can either be new, half-life, or old and each starting point has its steps.

        

Preparation for your car before needing some TLC (tender, loving, care)

    Preparation is the most important step that is required before taking the next step. That important preparation is washing your car really well removing the most contaminants possible. Even trying your best by removing the smallest contaminants. The preparation also includes having your car set in a spot with really well shade and having the correct products for the best results. With the products required that I will list below they will make your job way easier as you won't have to put in much effort and let the products do their job. (Complete the preparation under shade with great lighting).

Tools and Products you will need:

• Quality Wash Mitt
• Car Soap
• Two Buckets
• Clay Bar
• Many Microfiber Towels
• Two Dirt Traps for both Buckets
• Quality Wheel Spray Cleaner
• Soft Bristle Rim Brush

For washing your car you can use these STEPS OF PREPARATION does not matter your starting point:

1. Start with water itself try to loosen as much dirt, debris, and grime off your car.
2.  Next, use quality wheel spray cleaner and let it do its job for a max of 5 minutes each wheel.
3. Next, fill up two buckets with water. To one bucket add the soap and the strainer together and to other just add the strainer to very bottom. The bucket with the strainer and soap will be used to submerge the mitt to apply soap to the car which will allow you to agitate any stuck dirt away. 
4. After agitating the soap, the mitt will then be submerged into the water only bucket to rinse off any dirt or grime. Repeat this process around the whole car, 
5. Once going around the whole car the wheels are last. This is where that soft bristle rim brush comes in place. The brush will be used to agitate that quality wheel spray cleaner to remove any type of debris or brake dust.
6.  Nearly done, spraying down the car and the wheels with some water to remove all of the soap and dry completely with microfiber towels.
7. Lastly, all there is to this step is to clay bar the whole car panel by panel. (Whatever starting point you have you will be told which type of duty of clay bar to use.) NOTE: KEEP THE CLAY BAR LUBRICATED WITH CLAY LUBER!  

Cleaning and Protecting your new paint

    New car or new paint job? Have you completed the steps of preparation?  If you have, then you are ready to read on about protecting your new cars' paint or your new paint job. To work with new paint it is much easier. However, you will probably end up putting more money for protection, than products to help clean. A product that will help definitively protect your paint are clear bra for cars. The clear bra for cars is very similar to vinyl wrap. The only difference between the two is that clear bra is a lot tougher. This product is stuck on like a sticker onto the front end of the vehicle protecting the bumper, passenger and driver side fender from rock chips, bugs, and other debris found on the road the that car might run into. Preferable to be installed professionally. Another product that will also protect your paint is Ceramic Coating.  (Below are some pictures of what clear bra for cars looks like).

The ceramic coating is a product that is used for detailing vehicles creating a second layer of clear coat. Its job is to protect the paint from harmful materials in the air the might affect the paint. A huge benefit of using the ceramic coating, is that it is possible for the coating to last up to 2 years depending on how many coats are done. Besides from it lasting for a certain amount of time it increases easability of future car washes. These are the most common known benefits of ceramic coating but believe me when I say, the more you use it, the more you will start to notice the benefits behind this product. (Below are a few examples in picture of what its job is and the result you get from it).

The ceramic coating kits usually come with their own pads or small cloths. You would be better off using the pad. In other kits pads look like they cant be used as the applicator, so in this case you would wrap the cloth around a sponge that comes included with the kit.

Steps to applying Ceramic Coating: 

1. Start off by applying a straight line starting from the top to the bottom to the pad or cloth.
2. Next, it is recommended that you work in small sections. To be precise the area of the sections should be about a 1ft x 1ft.
3. After, you have applied ceramic coating to a section before it dries you should wipe down the area with a microfiber towel. This is done to remove any spots with too much ceramic coating. Repeat the process around the whole car.
4. If the ceramic coating you bought comes with a silica spray, you should wait about 30 min up to 1 hour for the whole car to dry from the ceramic coating. Then spray some silica onto a microfiber towel and also to a panel of the car and wipe down the whole panel. Also let both cure together for about 12 hours up to 24 hours. DO NOT LET THE CAR OBTAIN WATER! Repeat the process throughout the whole car.
5. If that's not case with your kit let the ceramic coating to cure for about 12 hours up to 24 hours. DO NOT LET THE CAR OBTAIN WATER! Preferably keep your car in a garage over night and over the day.

Half - life of a paint job still has shine to it

    Over the years there are various situations that your vehicles' paint has gone through. However, the major damage its been through as the years pass is when it has been exposed to UV damage, which really fries out the clear coat on your car. Car paint jobs usually last up to 5-10 years all depending on the care the owner gives it. Also what they use the car for. At this range for a paintwork it can also be considered as old paintwork. The only difference there would be, is that it would require a bit more passes with the compound product and also applying protectant. Preparation to old paint work is really crucial due to the paint absorbing or being exposed to many materials that air brings around, near, and on the vehicles. 

If you have prepped your car by washing it thoroughly and clay baring it, you are in the right path. In this process you will need to do much more than when you have new paintwork. In this process you are required to compound your car using a polishing pad. 

Tools and Products you will need:

• Foam Polishing Pad
• Polisher Machine
• Microfiber Towels (many of them)
• Quality Compound Product
• Ceramic Coating

Follow the following steps to compounding and protecting your paintwork. (It is very important that this work is done under shade with great lighting):

1. First of all the important step is to prep the vehicle for polishing. (Refer back to section about preparation).
2. After wash be sure to use medium duty clay bar to remove any type of small contaminants on your paint work.
3. Since this is a messy job, be sure to cover any items or objects with plastic or a tarp you don't want this product on.
4. Next, apply compound to a damp pad. Make sure to work panel by panel.
5. After application, switch on polisher and start to move the polisher back and forth while moving to a side with moderate pressure. The way you will know when to move on to the next panel, is when you start to see the paintwork with a glossier finish. Also be careful to not compound any trim pieces as the product can damage them. Repeat this process throughout the whole car.
6. Once done, go around the whole car again and buff out any compound left on the paintwork by hand. This can be done by spraying any type of detail spray and cleaning it off with a microfiber towel. 
7. After finishing the compound job you will need to cover that job by applying a protectant or sealant. 

The following steps are to seal off your compound job. In this case is to top it all off with some ceramic coating.:

1. Start off by applying a straight line starting from the top to the bottom to the pad or cloth.
2. Next, it is recommended that you work in small sections. To be precise the area of the sections should be about a 1ft x 1ft.
3. After, you have applied ceramic coating to a section before it dries you should wipe down the area with a microfiber towel. This is done to remove any spots with too much ceramic coating. Repeat the process around the whole car.
4. If the ceramic coating you bought comes with a silica spray, you should wait about 30 min up to 1 hour for the whole car to dry from the ceramic coating. Then spray some silica onto a microfiber towel and also to a panel of the car and wipe down the whole panel. Also let both cure together for about 12 hours up to 24 hours. DO NOT LET THE CAR OBTAIN WATER! Repeat the process throughout the whole car.
5. If that's not case with your kit let the ceramic coating to cure for about 12 hours up to 24 hours. DO NOT LET THE CAR OBTAIN WATER! Preferably keep your car in a garage over night and over the day.