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eTyres care about our customers. The
following article may be of interest.
How To Keep Your Car Gleaming New... Always!
by Fantic Carro
It's a great feeling to buy a new car. Everything's
gleaming new and the smell of fresh leather lingers as
you drive. You even catch yourself constantly stealing
glances at the 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 the 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 the 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 the 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 the 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 the 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 the 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 the
wax in a circular motion onto your car with the included
sponge. Apply the wax on one section at a time,
remembering the sequence. Finish applying it on the
entire car.
Then, use a dry soft terry cloth/cloth diaper to wipe
off the extra wax. Begin with the first panel you worked
on and go on from there. Make sure you shake off any
excess wax that accumulates on your cloth. It's easier
to wipe off wax when your cloth isn't itself caked with
wax. Finish wiping the entire car.
Check for any remaining wax residue and clean it off.
Make sure to wash your cloth with liquid softener to
prepare it for your next use. This ensures there isn't
any remaining dirt that might scratch your car the next
time you use the cloth to wax it.
3) Apply Tyre Polish To Complete The Look
Spray your tyres with Meguiar's Hot Shine High Gloss
Tyre Spray (http://www.fdcars.com/newsletter/n2-4.htm)
to complete that shiny, wet look. It's easy to apply
with the trigger spray and you'll can do it in less than
5 minutes. Having shiny tyres really makes your car look
newer.
4) Apply Leather Conditioner To Protect It
If your car comes with leather seats, make sure you
clean and condition it at least every other month.
Meguiar's Medallion Premium Leather Care conditioner
(http://www.fdcars.com/newsletter/n2-5.htm) will do the
job. Wipe the cleaner/conditioner onto your leather
seats with a clean terry cloth/diaper. Leave for 15
minutes before wiping off any extra residue. This helps
to keep your leather supple and smelling like new
For your vinyl surfaces (dashboard, door interiors,
etc), do the same thing but use Meguiar's Vinyl &
Leather Cleaner/Conditioner
(http://www.fdcars.com/newsletter/n2-6.htm) instead.
Your interior will remain looking brand new.
5) Show Off Your Nice & Shiny Car
Your car will continue to look brand new if you follow
this routine. Your friends and family will admire your
"new car" even though it's 3 years old. The best thing?
You'll fetch higher prices when you sell your car next
time. With it's gleaming paintwork and spotless
interior, you won't have any trouble getting a buyer for
your car.
P.S. The writer is not affiliated with Meguiar's. He is
just a satisfied customer.
About the Author
Fantic Carro is the founder 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 |
