It’s a great feeling to buy a new car. Everything’s gleaming new and
smell of fresh leather lingers as you drive. You even catch yourself constantly stealing glances at reflection of your shiny new car.How about 12 months later? Does your car still look new or does it look dull, tired and old? How can some people keep their cars gleaming new while others look old 12 months out of showroom?
The trick lies in how you care for your car. It is easy if you know how.
1) Wash Your Car Every Week
Dust and dirt will accumulate on your car’s paintwork. Nothing much you can do to prevent it. The only answer is to wash it! This is especially true if your car was exposed to rain. If you leave it to dry under sun, it will leave watermark stains on your paintwork. These are very tough to remove later.
To wash your car, get a clean & soft terry cloth or use a cloth diaper. You can easily pick it up at baby’s section in your favorite departmental store. If you want something fancier, then get Meguiar’s Ultimate Wipe cloth (http://www.fdcars.com/newsletter/n2-1.htm). Apart from cloth, you’ll need a quality car shampoo. I use Meguiar’s NXT Generation Car Wash (http://www.fdcars.com/newsletter/n2-2.htm). It’s cheap and will last you quite some time.
First, hose off any dirt, mud or grime from your car. Then mix 3 caps-full of shampoo with a small bucket (20 oz) of water. Use your cloth to apply it to your car. It’s best to use circular motions. Wash off shampoo with a clean cloth/cloth diaper under running water. Once you’ve cleaned off all shampoo residue, wipe dry your car with a new cloth/diaper, making sure all panels are wiped completely dry.
Since brake dust accumulates on your rims, clean it with some shampoo as well. Since you’d normally spend more time inside your car than admiring paintwork, it makes sense to vacuum your car interior when you wash your car.
2) Wax Your Car Every Month
You can either send your car to an auto detailer for waxing or take DIY route. If you have an hour or two to spend, then try waxing it yourself. It’s really not that difficult.
Make sure you wash and dry your car before waxing. It’s best for you and your car if you park it somewhere shady while waxing it. Use a quality carnauba wax like Meguiar’s NXT Generation Tech Wax (http://www.fdcars.com/newsletter/n2-3.htm). Apply wax in a circular motion onto your car with included sponge. Apply wax on one section at a time, remembering sequence. Finish applying it on entire car.
