If I Had 10 Minutes – Exterior Tips To Watch Out For Detailing

Okay perhaps 20 minutes. When washing your car there are certain wash mitt danger areas which you want to be a little more methodical gliding your wash media.

Be careful around trim, emblems, tails, and rubber seals.  Conventional wisdom would indicate I am referring to a polisher in the polishing process.  But an equally great concern comes from the regular washing process.  The concern is the fabric from a wash mitt latching onto the spaces in these areas and pulling the material apart.  This becomes a significantly greater concern with older vehicles.  A description below:

Instead of trying to scrub stuck on contamination, use dedicated products with patience.

There are products that if given an appropriate window of time are a more effective in addition to being a better alternative than scratching your car from being in a frenzy to get bugs off.  A bottle of Gyeon Bug & Grime is in the picture above.

Be mindful of what is above you.

You might be in an environment which trees are positioned above or near your car at your home.  Even without much wind, debris can fall and accumulate quickly.  This will lead to scratches in the wash and especially the drying process.  Be mindful and have a plan.

Rinse Thoroughly.

When you are using iron remover products, bug removal, all-purpose cleaners, and or tar removal products make sure you are thorough in the rinse process.

This is seldom mentioned but needs to be talked about much more, what you do between detail/washes and how you care for your products is just as important as the wash or detail.

The theatrical display of 50 stages pre-soaking, rinsing, soaking, washing carefully with multiple mitts (2 grit guards & buckets), rinsing, blow drying, and drying aid with plush detail, is wonderful.  I love it!  I am judged for being too meticulous for my approach.  There is nothing wrong with going to the extreme.  But what is the point of an elaborate wash if you take a random dry towel and micro scratch the surface in a panic over dust and moderate debris?  What is the point of investing in nice microfiber towels and mitts if you are going to store them in open spaces and immediately use a (now dirty) towel?  Why would you rub droppings, bug guts, and sap off your paint with your hand and fingernail?  Paint is not only scratch sensitive when you decide to two bucket wash it.  I would trade going from two extremes to being consistent.  Also store the products meant to be delicate on your paint away from areas that attract (including dust) harsh contamination.