10 Ways to Keep Your Car Looking Like New: Secrets of the Car Detailers

Washing your car is basic maintenance. Atstock Productions/Shutterstock

Cars are expensive, so it makes sense to keep them looking like new with regular detailing sessions. Regular detailing also helps preserve their value. It’s also more fun to drive a clean car. Along with saving money, there are many benefits to learning how to detail your car like a pro.

There are many professional detailing services to choose from, but they’re often expensive or don’t do the job correctly. The best way to make sure it’s done right is to make it a DIY project. The process isn’t easy or fast, but the results make it worthwhile.

Do It Yourself

Detailing a car has three steps: Cleaning, decontaminating, and protecting. Drivers may be tempted to drive through automated car washes, sitting back as the machine sprays soapy suds and huge spinning brushes whisk away dirt.

The problem is that some of the grime-removing chemicals can be caustic, harming the vehicle’s paint. The brushes can leave tiny scratches or swirl marks in the paint. To make things worse, these systems don’t always remove all the dirt.

Not only is it better for the car, but many people enjoy detailing by hand. It comes close to instant gratification to see dirt and grime washed away to reveal shining surfaces. Many DIY detailers describe the process as a form of mediation; as they focus on the process, cares and concerns melt away, replaced by serenity.

Wash With a Foam Cannon

The best way to wash a car without scratching it is to not touch it. As strange as that sounds, it’s easy to do with a foam cannon. These transform soap and water into thick suds that coat the vehicle. As they slide down, they carry dirt, bugs, bird droppings, and more off the exterior.

Professional detailers use foam cannons powered by pressure washers, but models that connect to a garden hose are also available. While some detailers rinse the vehicle with water first, others start by applying foam, working from the top down to allow the suds to pull dirt down the sides and off. If the car is very dirty or dusty, wipe it down using a soft microfiber wash mitt while it’s still sudsy. Then use the pressure washer to rinse thoroughly.

Use one mitt for painted, glass, and metal portions of the car only, with a second mitt that is only used on wheels, tires, rocker panels and trim around the wheel wells. Use a leaf blower to dry the now-clean vehicle.

Use the Right Car Wash Product

Dishwashing soaps like Dawn are extremely effective at removing grease from pots and pans, and actually can play a role in car detailing to clean dirty wheels. But they should never be used as a car wash as they tend to dry out paint and can strip away polish or wax, and could even damage ceramic coatings.

If the vehicle has been treated with a ceramic protectant, it needs to be cleaned only using certain prescribed products to avoid damage. Otherwise, the most effective product to clean it is a product formulated specifically for use on painted surfaces.

An exception to this rule is a boat wash. While it’s formulated for fiberglass surfaces, it’s safe to use on cars and trucks. These products are more expensive than liquid dish detergent, but they’re concentrated, making them economical. Some car washes (and boat washes) are labeled as Wash & Wax, but they’re definitely not a substitute for an actual hand wax or polish.

Clean Contaminants With a Clay Bar

If the car’s surface feels a bit rough after being washed, it could be a sign of contaminants in or on the clear coat that the car wash couldn’t remove. That’s when you pull out your clay bar.

A clay bar is a lump of clay that a detailer lightly glides, using almost no pressure, in a side-to-side or up and down motion—never in a circle—over the surface that has been sprayed with a clay bar lubricant, picking up contaminants along the way. Refold the clay bar to use a fresh surface as needed.

Wax for Temporary Protection

Car waxes are available in paste and liquid form, as well spray-on, wipe-off formulas. They can be made from natural ingredients, such as carnauba wax, or synthetic compounds. They can be applied by hand or with a buffer, and in addition to a deep shine, create a durable barrier against dirt, grime, and UV rays.

While dish soap shouldn’t be used to wash a car, it’s effective at preparing the surface for waxing. Use a solution of water and dish soap to strip off old wax. Then apply the new wax, working in small sections and away from direct sunlight, allowing it to dry to a haze before lightly buffing it off to reveal the shine.

A wax typically lasts from a few weeks to a few months, depending on how much UV and weather exposure the treated surface gets. A spray-on, wipe-off wax can’t come close to lasting as long or providing as durable a barrier as hand-applied waxes, polishes, and ceramic coatings.

Polish It Every Year

Some polishes are formulated with Teflon to add resistance to rain, bugs, mud, dirt, and grime, as well as create a high gloss. Polish is more time-consuming than wax or spray-on applications, but it triggers a chemical reaction that bonds the product to the surface being treated. Most polishes are applied annually, although they can be applied as frequently as the owner desires.

Apply using the same “wax on, wax off” method of waxing, buff off the haze, and admire the view. Some enthusiasts apply a coat of wax over a fresh application of polish to produce a deep, gleaming shine. Don’t reverse this process, as wax won’t properly adhere to a polished surface.

Take care to not mistake cleaner wax as a wax or a polish; these products are formulated to remove light oxidation, and aren’t to be used regularly, lest they remove too much of the vehicle’s clear coat or paint.

Apply Ceramic Coatings for High-Tech Protection

Ceramic coatings are often touted as the best protection for a vehicle’s finish. When properly applied, they offer an extremely impressive ability to shed water, dirt, bugs, and other debris. These products utilize nanotechnology to fill minor cracks or voids to create a flat and very durable coating. Originally, ceramic coatings were only available from professional detailers and could cost up to $1,000 to apply. Today, they can be found in DIY kits priced from $50.

A ceramic coating can last several years, based on how often and long the vehicle is exposed to weather, dirt, and UV rays. Like spray waxes or polishes, spray ceramic polishes are not as effective or long-lasting as a proper application of a ceramic coating.

The problem arises when it’s time to replace a ceramic coating, because the original coating, which has bonded to the surface, must be removed. That requires aggressive measures such as a significant amount of polishing and perhaps even sanding.

Needless to say, this process isn’t for the faint of heart, and perhaps best left to an expert. Care of ceramic coatings requires strict adherence to approved cleaning agents; using the wrong products can damage the coating.  

Clean the Interior

The interior of any vehicle requires regular cleaning, just like the outside. A full detailing means removing the floor mats and vacuuming every inch, cleaning the glass surfaces, and decluttering the console and glove compartment. Consider a small steam cleaner to lift dirt and remove minor stains.

Wipe the Headliner

The headliner is often overlooked when a car is being cleaned, but it can hold dust and stains, so it needs to be maintained. Whether crafted of a thin fabric or Alcantara, care needs to be exercised to avoid damaging the adhesive holding the headliner in place. Lightly dab at stains with a soft paintbrush or detailer’s brush and very gently wipe the area clean with a microfiber cloth.

Keep It Covered

The best way to keep a vehicle looking good is to store it in a garage. Wash it monthly and whenever it gets dirty. The next best option is to use a car cover designed for outdoor use to block dirt, mud, bird droppings, and UV rays.