| |
| |
|
How To Keep Your Car
Gleaming New... All The Time!
by Fantic Carro
Buying a new car is a great feeling. The smell of fresh leather as you The fresh
smell of leather as you enter the car. The paintwork is gleaming and waxy
smooth. You might even catch yourself stealing a glance at the reflection of
your pride and joy as you drive it out your house.
Skip ahead by 12 months and see how your car looks now. Is it still gleaming new
or does the paintwork look tired, dull and "old"? How can some cars look brand
new even though they are already 3 years old? Why do others look "old" when it
just rolled out the showroom 12 months ago?
The secret is in how you care for your car. It is easy to keep your car like new
if you know how.
1) A Wash A Week Keeps Your
Car Clean & Slick
Much as you wish that your car will remain clean by itself, it just won’t
happen. Dust will accumulate even if you just keep it in your garage. There’s
only one thing to do. Wash your car! It’s very important that you wash your car
especially after you’ve driven in the rain. If you let the water droplets dry
naturally, especially under the hot sun, there will be tough-to-remove watermark
stains on your paintwork.
The first thing you need to wash your car is a clean and soft terry cloth.
Alternatively, you can use cloth diapers as well. You can get these easily at
the baby’s section in your local departmental store. They’re cheap and it works.
Of course, if you want to be posh, then get the Ultimate Wipe cloth from
Meguiar’s (http://www.fdcars.com/newsletter/n2-1.htm). You’ll need a good car
shampoo next. I personally use Meguiar’s NXT Generation Car Wash
(http://www.fdcars.com/newsletter/n2-2.htm). It’s reasonably priced and a 64oz
bottle will last you quite a while.
Start off by hosing down your car to remove any dirt, mud or grime. Then mix 3
caps-full of shampoo with around 20oz (a small bucket) of water. Apply the
shampoo mixture to your car using the cloth/diaper. Hose off the shampoo once
you’ve finished shampooing the car. Use your cloth under running water to wipe
off any remaining shampoo residue. It is VERY important that you wipe your car
dry with another clean terry cloth/diaper. Make sure your entire car is wiped
dry.
Next, clean your rims. Brake dust normally accumulates there and cleaning it
will make a huge difference in how your car looks. It’s pointless to have clean
paintwork you’re your rims are dirty. It’s also advisable to vacuum the inside
of your car every week or every other week. You spend your time inside the car,
so cleaning the interior just makes sense.
2) A Monthly Wax Keeps The
Shine To The Max
Waxing your car will keep your paintwork gleaming new. You can either send it to
an
auto detailer or do it yourself. It’s actually not that difficult to wax your
car. If you have an hour or so of spare time, then try waxing your car yourself.
It’s important that you wash and wipe dry your car before waxing. NEVER wax your
car before washing/drying it! It’s best to park your car under in a shady area
when waxing. It makes sense to use a good carnauba wax like Meguiar’s NXT
Generation Tech Wax (http://www.fdcars.com/newsletter/n2-3.htm). Use the
included sponge and apply the wax in a small circular motion. Wax your car one
section at a time, remembering which section you started with. Finish applying
wax on the entire car.
Wipe off the excess wax using a soft terry cloth/cloth diaper. Start with the
first panel that you applied the wax and continue from there. You’ll find the
wax residue accumulating on your cloth. Shake it off periodically and continue
to remove excess wax until you’ve finished all panels.
Look carefully and check for remaining wax residue. Use your cloth to clean any
remaining residue.
To prepare your cloth for your next wax, wash it with a liquid softener. It’s
fine to use the liquid softener that you use for your clothes. This guarantees
there isn’t any remaining dirt/grime that may scratch your car during your next
waxing session.
3) Wax Your Tyre Next O’
Sire
For that shiny, wet look, wax your tyres after every wash/wax. Use Meguiar’s Hot
Shine High Gloss Tyre Spray (http://www.fdcars.com/newsletter/n2-4.htm). The
trigger spray makes it easy to apply. You literally need less than 5 minutes for
this but applying tyre spray/wax makes a big difference.
4) Condition That Leather
To Help It Fight The Weather
Make sure you clean and condition your leather seats at least once every 2
months if you car comes with leather seats. Use Meguiar’s Medallion Premium
Leather Care conditioner (http://www.fdcars.com/newsletter/n2-5.htm). Apply the
conditioner with a clean cloth/cloth diaper, leave for 15 minutes and wipe off
excess conditioner. Your leather will look and smell like new if you do this
every month.
While you’re at it, clean any vinyl surface of your car using Meguiar’s Vinyl &
Leather Cleaner/Conditioner (http://www.fdcars.com/newsletter/n2-6.htm). This
maintains the interior looking like new.
5) Your Car’s Now Shiny So
You Can Be Happy
Your car will look like it’s brand new if you follow this routine. An hour or so
every week pays huge dividends. Friends and family will think you’ve just bought
a new car even though it’s 3 years old. The best thing is when it comes time to
sell your car. A car with gleaming new paintwork and a clean interior makes a
strong impression and will automatically raise the
selling price of your car!
P.S. The writer does not work for Meguiar’s and only recommends the products as
a satisfied customer.
Fantic Carro is the owner and webmaster of FD Cars which is a resource for car
lovers worldwide. Visit his site for more articles, reviews and tips on cars:
http://www.fdcars.com
This article is
reprinted with permission from www.WritingCareer.com |
|
 |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Australia-Wide products/services |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
| |
 |
|
Automotive Articles |
 |
|
Hennessey Powers Up Jeep Grand Cherokee |
The extra power of the Cherokee SRT600 is made possible by a Garrett turbo that is strategically positioned underneath the transmission. The SRT600 with its additional 200 hp power upgrade makes it the world's quickest SUV and Hennessey assures that it is tamable.
|
|
|
|
Toyota Personal Robots |
Designed to function as personal assistants for humans
|
|
|
|
Jeep Hurricane Concept |
It's two 5.7 litre HEMI engines face opposite of each other!
|
|
|
|
Mercedes Brake Rotor Accents System |
Brake rotors are the rotating discs
on the Mercedes-Benz
disc brake system.They are a key component in the Mercedes brake
system.
|
|
|
|
Rick Wagoner Attends Racing School Annual Dinner |
The Philly-based Urban Youth Racing School that promotes careers in motorsports for city kids through the school's board chairman James Farmer has invited General Motors CEO Rick Wagoner for its 8th annual dinner last night. His appearance gained the praise of many.
|
|
|
|
 |
| |
|
