7 Car Valeting Suggestions
Do you drive around in style or in a sty? Do you take pride in your automobile or are you going to wait for it to fall apart and then purchase a new one? Naturally it is your car, you do what you like but a clean car is safer than a grubby one.
If you have cold drink cans and empty potato chip packets rolling about the floor, they could interfere with your feet. If you do not keep the outer surface clean, rust will set in and your car will become less structurally safe – less able to endure a crash.
So here are seven tips to help you valet your car. They might not all be life-savers, but they should all alleviate some frustration and make your driving experience a little more pleasant.
1] Keep your windows spotless and clear. You need as much forward, rear and peripheral sight as possible. Remove anything hanging from the rear view mirror and exchange big speakers on the rear shelf for low, flat ones.
Remove all stickers from the windows especially the daft one that says: ‘Drive Safely – Baby On Board’. No one is going to drive more carefully because you have a child with you, that is your job!
2] If your aerial sticks, it is better to rub it with graphite powder than to squirt WD40 into it. The oil will just leak out and what remains will soon have dust sticking to it, which will cause it to stick more.
3] You get better results whilst cleaning, waxing or polishing, if you spray the liquid onto your cloth rather than onto the car. Spraying directly onto the car creates puddles in some patches which normally result in streaks and lots of extra rubbing, meanwhile abrasive dust can be getting stuck on this surplus and the motion of your cleaning may cause scratches. You also lose less spray to the wind.
4] When cleaning the glass, clean up and down on one side of the glass and side-to-side on the other so that you can see where the streaks are. It could save you half the work.
5] Wash bird droppings from your car as soon as you can. This is because they are very acidic and will attack your paintwork every time they get wet. Never park under a tree because of this and because the rain dripping through the tree, especially in warm weather, will bring sap or oil from the tree and it is quite difficult to remove once it is dry.
6] While washing the exterior with a bucket of soapy water, begin on the roof, the bonnet and the boot; change the water and do one side of the car, change the water and wash the other. Never throw the residue dirty water in the bucket over the car or its wheels. This water is filthy, but you often see individuals do it.
7] Clean the engine from time to time. You will be happy you did if ever you have to get under the bonnet. The same goes for the spare wheel and stash an old pair of gloves in the wheel well for if you have to change a wheel.
Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on many subjects, but is now concerned with auto interior detailing. If you want some suggestions on detailing cars come over to our website now at Detailing Car Interiors.