Who doesn’t want a shiny, clean car that looks like it came straight off the dealer’s lot. But it takes a lot of cash to have your car professionally detailed—and not a lot of time to dirty it up. Fortunately, you can get the same, fresh-from-the-dealer look yourself with a few simple and cheap tricks.
Clean Your Wheels First
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Image via Flickr by willc2
Shiny wheels are a sure sign of a well-cared-for car. If you take good care of your wheels, your car will look like you just pulled it off the lot of a top-quality dealership, such as Olx used cars. Clean your wheels once a month and before you clean the rest of your car to remove any built-up brake dust that can dull the shine. Never use the same wash mitt on the body of your car that you use on your wheels.
Shine Your Tires
What’s a sparkling wheel next to a dull, cracked tire? Proper tire care can prevent cracking and discoloring. There are a number of commercial tire shine products on the market. Choose one, spray it on and let it sit to achieve a perfect, dealer-fresh look.
Don’t Forget Your Carpets
If you have access to a pressure-washer, use it to clean the dirt and debris from your floor mats. You shouldn’t use a pressure-washer on the inside of your vehicle, but you can use a vacuum cleaner and a commercial carpet spot-cleaner to remove debris and stains from your interior carpets.
Invest in a Buffer
Buffers cost a bit of money, but the purchase will pay for itself after just a few uses that eliminate the need to have a professional wax your car. A buffer is a tool that creates a smooth, shiny finish similar to what waxing does, and they’re actually used by most professional detailers. Buying your own will save you not only the money you’d spend on a pro, but the time you would otherwise spend waxing your car’s finish.
Use a Clay Bar
Using a clay bar to remove spots on the exterior body of your car is non-abrasive. It won’t harm your paint job, but it will remove tough-to-get spots that regular soap and water won’t get during the cleaning process.
Duct Clean for the New-Car Scent
If you’ve ever purchased those new-car-scented air fresheners at a retailer, you know full well that they just don’t cut it. So what’s the real secret to obtaining that fresh-off-the-market aroma? It’s simple—duct cleaning. An air compressor works great to blow dust and debris out of your heating and air conditioning ducts, which are the likely culprit. Enhancing that with some new-car scented freshener is just the thing to achieve the ideal result.
Attention to detail is the true key to a shiny, perfect car. That’s why they call it detailing. But instead of spending hundreds of dollars to have your car professionally detailed, get the same result by doing it yourself with these easy and affordable tips.
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