Improve Vehicle Shine, Health With Tools Of The Trade
Keep your shine this spring by finding the right tools and products for the job. There are a wide variety of tools from a long list of car care specialists.
Proper tools help you clean your vehicle efficiently while avoiding damage to vehicle surfaces. Car care experts recommend tools specifically designed for vehicle surfaces rather than household items, which can cause permanent scratches and discoloration.
Interior Cleaning
The variety of surfaces inside your vehicle call for a variety of tools to simplify the job.
Non-abrasive microfiber towels and small foam brushes help clean those hard-to-reach edges and crevices. They also make it easy to apply and buff interior products such as sprays, foams and paste.
On leather products, start by using a vacuum on surfaces to remove heavy particles and then apply a foam-based product. Make sure the vacuum hoses are clean to avoid transferring contaminants into your vehicle cabin.
Use a soft bristle brush and upholstery cleaner to loosen food, sap and other contaminants. Wipe surfaces down with a clean microfiber towel to remove excess cleaning agents.
Exterior Cleaning
All home car care enthusiasts need three basic tools of the trade: two buckets and wash mitt.
Fill one bucket with plain water and the other with your car wash solution.
Follow the dip-rinse procedure. Soak the wash mitt in the wash solution and apply it to the vehicle. Then rinse it out in the plain water.
Dip, then rinse. Dip, rinse again.
Ideally, wash your vehicle from the top to the bottom, leaving the trunk for last.
Don’t allow water to sit for too long on the surface without drying, because this can result in hard-water spots. Set aside three or four absorbent, waffle weave microfiber towels for drying. Or consider the all-purpose chamois–a good choice that is gentle on vehicle surfaces.
One note of caution: Do not use your wash mitt to clean wheels and tires. Abrasive contaminants on wheels and tires can ruin vehicle surfaces.
To finish off the exterior, remove any embedded dirt with a clay bar, which usually comes in a kit with a quick detailing solution. Some people like to rinse or wash their car after using a clay bar.
Tires and Wheels
The nooks and crannies of modern wheels make cleaning them a chore. Enter wheel and tire brushes.
You may work with the same cleaning solution and buckets from the car exterior. Tools and towels used for cleaning wheels and tires should not be used for other vehicle surfaces, however.
Wheels and tires contain abrasive contaminants that can destroy painted surfaces. Wash wheels and tires last to avoid transferring contaminated water to other vehicle surfaces.
Bristles on wheel brushes are designed to clean without scratching surfaces. They also are easy to clean and handle.
For tires, specially designed foam pads remove build-up of blooming–the brown haze that makes tires look old and dull. There’s good news: You can return tires to a beautiful luster with tire brushes.
Tire tools are gentle enough not to scar the rubber sidewall but rough enough to remove browning.
Glass and chrome cleaning
No need for specialized tools on glass and chrome surfaces.
The all-purpose microfiber towels work well. A note of caution: Make sure to read product directions before applying to surfaces.
The right tools and products make washing your vehicle easier in the future. Here is our list of essential car washing tools, products, and equipment:
- Two buckets, one for rinsing and one for wash solution.
- Non-abrasive waffle weave microfiber towels. These are an inexpensive must for car care at home. They can be used for washing, drying and buffing.
- Small foam brushes for interior vents, seems and tough to reach places.
- Soft bristle brush for wheels. Get a product specifically designed to reach the nooks and crannies of modern wheels.
- Wheel cleaning pads to removing blooming haze. These types of brushes are gentle on rubber but have a rough surface that works effectively.
- Vacuum. Any home vacuum will do; just make sure the nozzles are clean to prevent transferring home contaminants into your vehicle cabin.