How to detail your car at home

WHAT IS DETAILING?

Auto detailing involves giving the outside and inside of your car a very thorough cleaning that aims to get it back to showroom condition. Getting a professional to detail your car can set you back a few hundred dollars in most cases, but if you’ve got the time, you can easily detail your car yourself.

You’ll just need some supplies - many of which you’ll have already. If you don’t, it might seem like your money will be better spent on paying somebody else to do the work for you. However once you’ve invested in all the equipment you need, you’ll be able to detail your car to a very high standard over and over again, saving you money in the long term. If you’re a complete detailing newbie, a car cleaning kit is a great way to get started and an awesome budget option.

CLEANING THE INTERIOR

Let’s start on the inside! Here’s what you need to remember.

• Treat it like cleaning your house - you can use all purpose cleaners specifically for car cleaning, but household grade work just as well. Make sure they're not a specialty cleaner and don’t have any bleach, and if you’re going with a homemade solution, steer clear of vinegar. 
• To sponge, or not to sponge - sponges are a great option for wiping down the hard surfaces, but microfibre cloths are a must if you plan on using a UV protectant spray. This last step is optional, but prolonged UV exposure can cause discoloration on the interior plastics, rubber and vinyl, plus the spray is the secret to that showroom finish.

But what about those hard to get to places? This is where you might need some special supplies.

• Toothbrushes and detailing brushes are great for getting into the nooks and crannies to lift dirt out of vents and buttons.
• Compressed air is also a great and inexpensive way to push dirt and debris out of hard to reach places.

Once you’ve completed the hard surfaces, you can start on the upholstery and the carpeting. While car seats can get pretty dirty, they aren’t too hard to clean. Once you take the floor mats out, here’s how to tackle the upholstery and the carpeting.

• Leather seats - leather seats will stay pretty clean. All you need to do is spray them with leather cleaner and wipe them down. Afterwards, you can buff them with a soft leather brush if you’d like.
• Cloth seats - these will need a bit more attention, but nothing you can’t handle. You’ll need to first vacuum the seats to get all the dirt and debris out. You can either use your hand attachment on your own vacuum, or head to your local car wash to use their vacuums. After vacuuming, try giving them a deeper clean with a sponge or cloth with a fabric cleaner, or you can use a carpet and upholstery cleaner. You can hire these, or if you invest in one, you can use it on the carpet and upholstery in your house as well. Whichever way you scrub the seats, just make sure you air out the car afterwards so you don’t end up with mould or mildew.

CLEANING THE EXTERIOR

You can wash either the inside or the outside first, your choice. But just make sure you clean the glass last - it’ll stay cleaner this way. Start by washing the wheels, then you can wash the car from the top down, before adding a wax or polish. Here's what you’ll need to do to make your exterior shine.

• Make those wheels sparkle - inexpensive foaming detergents are a fine option for cleaning your tyres and the rims, but a specialised wheel cleaning product will make them really shine.
• Don’t use dish soap - it's super important to use a specific car cleaner because products like dish soap are too abrasive.
• Use two buckets - one bucket for soapy water and the other for clean water. Trust us, your washer will stay much cleaner.
• Get rid of animal poo - bird poo in particular is high in uric acid and will corrode your beautiful paint job. It’s best if you get it straight away when it’s easiest to get off, but if it’s been there for a while, leaving a damp cloth with some of your all-purpose cleaner on the area to sit for a bit will hopefully do the trick.
• Have a variety of washers - wash mitts make cleaning the outside of your car a breeze, but have microfibre cloths and sponges on hand for the parts that are too tough for you mitt.
• Wax or a polish - once you wash your car, dry it off with a microfibre towel or a chamois. Then go in with some wax - you’ll need the microfiber cloth again to apply it. This will protect your car’s paint and prevent water spots.

THE WINDOWS AND WINDSCREEN

Glass is notoriously difficult to clean, and unfortunately cars are mostly glass. Luckily, there’s a few tried and true ways you can make sure your windows and windscreen are streak free and gleaming. Here’s what you’ll need.

• Glass cleaner - while you can use that all purpose cleaner or soap and water again, it’s best to use a glass cleaner. This is the best way to ensure no streaks and the cleanest glass you can.
• Detailing clay - if you’re noticing a coating of fog or film on your windows that just won’t go away, it might be a buildup of pollutants or paint stains. A little bit of the clay will pull that stuff on your windows without damaging the glass, and can do the same for your exterior as well.
• Bring out the microfibre cloths and sponges again - microfibre cloths are great for cleaning glass because they're durable and don’t leave streaks, but you might need a sponge for the tougher stains.
• A squeegee - cloths are perfect for drying off windows, but squeegees are even better. They’re not necessary, but they’re great for preventing streaks and water spots if you hose down or power wash your car.

While all this sounds like a lot of work, experts recommend you should be detailing your car 2 to 3 times a year. Detailing your car yourself is a great way to save on costs, and you are more than capable of doing a great job.