It's a great feeling to buy a new car. Everything's gleamingnew and the smell of fresh leather lingers as you drive. Youeven catch yourself constantly stealing glances at thereflection of your shiny new car.
How about 12 months later? Does your car still look new ordoes it look dull, tired and old? How can some people keeptheir cars gleaming new while others look old 12 months outof the showroom?
The trick lies in how you care for your car. It is easy ifyou 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 towash it! This is especially true if your car was exposed torain. If you leave it to dry under the sun, it will leavewatermark stains on your paintwork. These are very tough toremove later.
To wash your car, get a clean & soft terry cloth or use acloth diaper. You can easily pick it up at the baby'ssection in your favorite departmental store. If you wantsomething fancier, then get Meguiar's Ultimate Wipe cloth(http://www.fdcars.com/newsletter/n2-1.htm). Apart fromcloth, you'll need a quality car shampoo. I use Meguiar'sNXT Generation Car Wash(http://www.fdcars.com/newsletter/n2-2.htm). It's cheap andwill last you quite some time.
First, hose off any dirt, mud or grime from your car. Thenmix 3 caps-full of shampoo with a small bucket (20 oz) ofwater. Use your cloth to apply it to your car. It's best touse circular motions. Wash off the shampoo with a cleancloth/cloth diaper under running water. Once you've cleanedoff all shampoo residue, wipe dry your car with a newcloth/diaper, making sure all panels are wiped completelydry.
Since brake dust accumulates on your rims, clean it withsome shampoo as well. Since you'd normally spend more timeinside your car than admiring the paintwork, it makes senseto 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 waxingor 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 bestfor you and your car if you park it somewhere shady whilewaxing it. Use a quality carnauba wax like Meguiar's NXTGeneration Tech Wax(http://www.fdcars.com/newsletter/n2-3.htm). Apply the waxin a circular motion onto your car with the included sponge.Apply the wax on one section at a time, remembering thesequence. Finish applying it on the entire car.
Then, use a dry soft terry cloth/cloth diaper to wipe offthe extra wax. Begin with the first panel you worked on andgo on from there. Make sure you shake off any excess waxthat accumulates on your cloth. It's easier to wipe off waxwhen your cloth isn't itself caked with wax. Finish wipingthe entire car.
Check for any remaining wax residue and clean it off.
Make sure to wash your cloth with liquid softener to prepareit for your next use. This ensures there isn't any remainingdirt that might scratch your car the next time you use thecloth to wax it.
3) Apply Tyre Polish To Complete The Look
Spray your tyres with Meguiar's Hot Shine High Gloss TyreSpray (http://www.fdcars.com/newsletter/n2-4.htm) tocomplete that shiny, wet look. It's easy to apply with thetrigger 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 cleanand condition it at least every other month. Meguiar'sMedallion Premium Leather Care conditioner(http://www.fdcars.com/newsletter/n2-5.htm) will do thejob. Wipe the cleaner/conditioner onto your leather seatswith a clean terry cloth/diaper. Leave for 15 minutes beforewiping off any extra residue. This helps to keep yourleather supple and smelling like new
For your vinyl surfaces (dashboard, door interiors, etc), dothe same thing but use Meguiar's Vinyl & LeatherCleaner/Conditioner(http://www.fdcars.com/newsletter/n2-6.htm) instead. Yourinterior will remain looking brand new.
5) Show Off Your Nice & Shiny Car
Your car will continue to look brand new if you follow thisroutine. Your friends and family will admire your "new car"even though it's 3 years old. The best thing? You'll fetchhigher prices when you sell your car next time. With it'sgleaming paintwork and spotless interior, you won't have anytrouble getting a buyer for your car.
P.S. The writer is not affiliated with Meguiar's. He is justa satisfied customer.
About the Author
Fantic Carro is the founder and webmaster ofFD Cars which is aresource for car lovers worldwide. Visit his site for morearticles, reviews and tips on cars:http://www.fdcars.com
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