HOW TO MAINTAIN A DETAILED CAR
Maintain your car, maintain your life. It takes a fair bit of work to make your car spotless, inside and out. In a perfect world, it would stay that way. Unfortunately, we don’t live in a perfect world. Schmutz happens. Thankfully, there’s several easy steps you can take to maintain the cleanliness of your vehicle and preserve the integrity of the paint.
USE PAINT PROTECTION. Your car’s paint is constantly subject to the destructive forces of both Mother Nature and mankind. Perhaps the most important step in preserving your vehicle’s beauty is making regular use of a sacrificial layer, aka a ceramic coating, wax, or sealant. These products are designed to protect the integrity, flexibility and shine of your paint.
DON’T TAILGATE. Not only is this exceptionally rude, but driving too close behind someone will also cause extra rock chips on your front end. Think of when you’re on the interstate. You’re going 70 to 80 mph (or perhaps 100+) and every little pebble in the road is getting kicked up into the air. Do you want rocks hitting your car at 70 to 80 mph, (or perhaps 100+?) I would hope not. Stay a good 2 - 3 miles away from the car in front of you.
PARK AT THE BACK OF THE PARKING LOT. Parking lots are great places to receive door dings. Whether from a fellow human or stray shopping cart, you’re pretty much guaranteed to eventually get dents and scratches in your doors from careless people. Park as far back as possible. Not only is the back of the parking lot much emptier and safer for your vehicle, it’s also a great opportunity to get a few extra steps in.
AVOID TUNNEL WASHES LIKE THE PLAGUE. It may be tempting to swing by the local tunnel of scratches to quickly “clean” your vehicle, but it’s not worth it. These places are notorious for destroying paint. Those spinning rags of death are embedded with all manner of contaminants from every muddy vehicle prior to yours, and those contaminants are guaranteed to swirl your paint from the very first time you go there.
USE EMERGENCY SPRAY WAX. When you’re out and about and a proper wash isn’t feasible, it’s an excellent idea to keep a dedicated emergency spray wax and microfiber towel in your car. Take note of the term EMERGENCY. Avoid using it as a full vehicle wipe down. Rather, it’s sole purpose is for quick, on-the-fly touch ups. The most common and most important application is for bird poop. This can happen anywhere, at any time. Bird poop is highly acidic and will etch your paint if left to bake for too long.
BE MINDFUL OF RINGS, KEYS, AND FINGERNAILS. Sometimes, you’ll see a vehicle with wildly severe scratches in the door handle pocket. This can happen on any part of the vehicle you touch. Your fingernails, rings, and keys are hard and sharp and can easily scratch your paint. Watch them closely as you open doors, trunks, hoods, gas caps, etc.
DON’T SPILL GAS. Speaking of gas caps, fueling up your vehicle is an unfortunate and dirty reality that we all have to deal with. Gas can easily leak onto your paint, leaving a slimy film and damaging or staining the surface. It can also get on your hands, which will in turn get in your interior. Safely filling up your car is a complex dance that requires careful, controlled movements, additional steps, and some extra patience to combat the disgusting mess that is gasoline. To start, when you pull the nozzle off the pump, give it a few extra seconds to drain onto the ground before inserting it into your tank. (don’t let it splash onto your shoes or wheels.) Once the nozzle is drip free, fill up your tank. When finished, give it a few extra seconds, shake the nozzle around to free up any remaining drips, and slowly pull it out, keeping a close eye on it and ensuring it doesn’t drip onto your car. Sometimes, it’ll keep dripping and dripping so you have to time your pull out between drips. Move slowly and steadily so as not to disrupt the predictable timing of the drip, and you should be home free. Once the nozzle is back in the pump, make sure there’s no gas on your hands. If so, it’s in your best interest to run into the gas station and thoroughly wash your hands. Moreover, if you happen to drip some onto your paint, use your emergency spray wax to quickly clean it off. If you don’t have any of that, you might consider rinsing the gas off with some of the window wash in the bucket next to you. Not ideal, but I’d rather have window wash sitting on my paint than gasoline.
KICK YOUR SHOES OFF. A quick, easy, and effective habit to get into is to always kick the loose dirt off your shoes before you get into your car. Sit on your seat, but leave your feet outside the vehicle. Kick your shoes together for 5 - 10 minutes, then pull them into the car. This quick and easy step will leave your floor mat considerably cleaner over time.
PARK INDOORS. Obviously this isn’t always going to be an option for everyone, but if your car has a pristine finish that you want to maintain, you may have to invest a little extra to preserve it. Personally, I don’t have a garage, so I keep my car in a nearby storage unit year-round. If you live in area that’s prone to hail, indoor parking is a must.
WASH AND DRY PROPERLY. No matter how many steps you take to keep your vehicle clean for as long as possible, it’s still going to get dirty eventually. When the time comes for a wash, do it properly. Use microfiber towels, dedicated cleaners, and always dry with a drying aid.
Follow these quick and easy steps, and your car will stay cleaner for longer. This means that you will be a happier person for longer. As a result of that, your life will be better for longer and you will eventually die a happy man knowing that you did all you could to take care of your car, and in return, it took care of you.
