Last week we covered the things we should do to our vehicles
to get them cleaned up from this brutal winter. In addition to the basic tips
given last week, there is more you can do to help clean, protect and prolong
the appearance of your vehicle. I will mention a few product names in this
column, this is not a recommendation for you to purchase these products, only a
statement that I personally have had good results from them. There are many
fine car care products on the market and everyone has their own personal
preferences. The only thing that I definitely recommend is that you research
and purchase a quality product, as often buying a cheaper product may not yield
the same results and could even adversely affect the finish on your vehicle.
TIRES - it is always a good idea at the
change of seasons to put a little extra work into cleaning up your tires with a
good tire and whitewall cleaner. After cleaning, a good application of a tire
protectant/tire shine does much to help renew the rubber and improve the
appearance of your tires.
WHEELS - it is recommended to
thoroughly clean your wheels, especially if you have alloy wheels. Brake dust
is very abrasive and corrosive, and can completely ruin the finish of expensive
alloy wheels. There are quality wheel cleaning products on the market such as
Wheel Brite, which do an effective job under normal conditions. If you wheels
are extremely coated with brake dust of other corrosives, it may be necessary
to seek out a professional detailer to have them use an industrial strength
wheel acid.
WINDOWS AND WIPERS - clean your windows
and your wiper blades with an ammonia-based window cleaner. Cleaning the wiper blades also removes any
salt residue from the blades and will help to keep them soft and pliant. After a
thorough cleaning, an application of a product such as RainX will really help
your visibility in wet weather. It appears
we are going to see a lot of rain this spring!
PAINT- after a through washing, on a
nice afternoon, find a shady spot and give your car a coating of a quality wax.
My personal preference is Meguiars products, however use whatever brand you
prefer, but be sure it is a product suited for the type finish on your vehicle.
I like to use a carnauba-based wax, but there are many types available. I
recommend apply the wax in the shade for a few reasons. First of all, it slows
the drying process of the wax. Wax will
set up very quickly on a hot paint finish, and a dark car on a hot sunny day
can become very hot. Also, doing a wax job and buffing it out properly requires
some serious physical effort. If you are
like me, I can spend a couple hours doing this so being in the shade is also
for your own comfort. And, make sure you have some of your favorite beverage of
choice so you do not dehydrate while you work.
If you complete these car care
tasks on a semi-annual basis, you will add years to your vehicle’s good looks.
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