CAR DETAILING – QUICK & EASY

Most of the car detailing instructions available out there are complicated for most. They require so many products, accessories, and tools, and seem to take such a long time. The method I am explaining here requires very minimal tools and products and it is extremely easy, faster, and a lot more enjoyable. So, let’s get started.

1. TIMING: Outside temperatures of 40 – 70 degrees Fahrenheit (4 – 21 degrees Celsius) are the most ideal. Otherwise, choose the coolest time of the day if the outside temperature is at least 40 degrees Fahrenheit. If you can, do it in a shaded area. When it is too hot, the products dry on unnecessarily too quickly.

2. GATHER YOUR TOOLS AND PRODUCTS: To be time-efficient, you should gather and organize everything you will need to use, first. This saves you time searching for items. You will need the following tools: pressure washer, hose, long-handle nozzle, sprayer, spray bottle, scrabbing brush, soft bristle long-handle brush, microfiber towels, detailing brush, vacuum cleaner, pressure steamer, microfiber applicator pads + handle, and leaf blower. You will need the following products: multi-surface washing detergent, iron & fallout remover, all-in-one interior detailer, glass cleaner + water repellant, leather cleaner + polish, engine bay dressing, bucket + grit guard, car wash mop, scratch remover, finishing polish, exterior quick detailer, interior protectant, leather cleaner + conditioner, engine bay dressing, and car deodorant.

3. ENGINE BAY DETAILING: For vehicles made in 2006 to the newest available, all the engine components that would be damaged by water are already covered. However, check the engine bay to make sure that all the hoses and covers are intact before you start the wash. Never use a pressure washer in the engine bay. Connect the hose to the hose bibb (outdoor water faucet). Then, connect the long-handle nozzle. Turn on the water and pre-rinse the engine bay, including the interior of the hood. As much as possible, limit water contact with the spongy part of the hood as it may fall off if it gets too heavy due to waterlogging. Mix the multi-surface washing detergent in a ratio of (simple green) 1:4 (water) – you will use this for all general cleaning of the exterior and interior. Use the sprayer to spray the diluted detergent on all surfaces of the engine bay. Then, use the long-handle soft bristle brush to scrub as many areas of the engine bay as you can get to without accidentally disconnecting and opening covers. Spray more detergent as you need to. Hose to rinse off. Immediately, use the leaf blower on as many surfaces as you can safely reach to dry all engine bay and hood parts/ surfaces. Perform extra drying off with a microfiber towel. Finally, lightly spray on your favorite engine bay dressing. Enjoy the new look of your engine bay.

4. TIRES: Connect the water hose to the pressure washer. Double-check to make sure all windows and doors are tightly closed. Power up the pressure washer. Pressure-rinse all tires to get off all the loose dirt. Tire by tire, spray on the (simple green) 1:4 (water) mixture (as in step 3). Scrub the tires with the hard bristle brush. Scrub the rims with a rim brush. Use the small detailing brush to brush between and around the lug nuts. Then, thoroughly pressure-rinse. Using the bottle sprayer, spray on the iron and fallout remover [diluted by (Griot’s garage iron & fallout remover) 1: 4 (water)] on especially the metal parts, including the brakes, wheels, and rotors, wait about 5 minutes for it to work, and then pressure-rinse.

5. EXTERIOR: Remove all interior carpet, thoroughly clean it with the (simple green) 1:4 (water) mixture so it dries as you clean the rest of the vehicle. Pressure-rinse the entire exterior to get off any loose dirt. Using the sprayer, spray the entire exterior with the (simple green) 1:4 (water) mixture. Pressure-rinse again. Spray the entire exterior with the (simple green) 1:4 (water) mixture again. Pour some of the (simple green) 1:4 (water) mixture into the car wash bucket with a grit guard. Soaking the wash mop into the bucket as needed, scrub the entire exterior quickly, but effectively, before the detergent dries on. Pressure rinse. Spray the entire exterior with the (Griot’s garage iron & fallout remover) 1: 4 (water). Wait about five minutes. Pressure rinse. Dry with the entire exterior with the leaf blower first and then with microfiber towels. To all the painted surfaces, working on one panel at a time, use the microfiber applicator pads to rub on the scratch remover. Use a microfiber towel to buff off to reveal the shine. Move on to the next section until all the painted sections of the exterior are complete. With the wax (car polish), repeat the same procedure as the scratch remover. Lower all windows to halfway. Spray the glass cleaner onto a microfiber towel and clean each glass-top portion that goes into the rubber seal. Pull all the windows up. Spraying small amounts of the glass cleaner onto the glass. Working on one glass at a time, thoroughly cleaning the glass exterior. Spraying a minimal amount of the quick detail, working on a section by section, gently rub in the quick detailer and buff off to reveal the ultimate shine. Do this final step with all surfaces of the exterior except the glass.

6. INTERIOR: The interior includes, all internal surfaces and compartments of the interior, the trunk, and door jambs. Remove all items and all garbage. With the soft bristle detailing brush, dust all vents, compartments, seats, panels, dashboards, and electronics. Thoroughly vacuum the interior. With a spray bottle, use the (simple green) 1:4 (water) mixture to clean all surfaces as needed. Spraying a very minimal amount onto the microfiber towel and then thoroughly wiping clean, clean all electronics first. While avoiding spraying over electronics, you may spray directly on other surfaces and wipe off to clean thoroughly as needed. Get the pressure steamer ready. In quick movements, spray the steam in each door jamb, cleaning and wiping down thoroughly. Spray a very minimal amount of the interior protectant onto a microfiber towel, reapplying as needed, and wipe all rubber, vinyl, and plastic surfaces. Apply a minimal amount of the leather cleaner and conditioner to the microfiber applicator pad or microfiber towel, thoroughly clean all leather surfaces. Spraying a minimal amount of the glass cleaner, thoroughly clean the interior of each window. Return all floormats to their respective positions. With all windows and doors completely closed, turn the air conditioning on to full blast and in air recycling mode. Spray a moderate amount of the deodorizer in the front under up at about 30 degrees by the driver’s footrest, accelerator, and brake pedal so that the deodorizer is uptaken by the air conditioning system and pumped into the rest of the car. Let the air conditioning run for about 15 minutes. Minimally spray the deodorizer into the trunk.

If you followed all the steps above, your vehicle is now completely detailed. Perform this complete detail every six months or at least yearly. Keep up with simple general cleaning as needed until the next complete detail. Enjoy the clean and shiny look of your vehicle inside-out.

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