Prepare your car for Spring with these detailing tips!

As Spring is finally here there is lots to do. What should be on top of the list is some Spring detailing. Winter can be brutal and it can have a nasty effect on your vehicle's finish. If you want to keep your finish looking its best then proper maintenance detailing is absolutely crucial. We take a look at some of the things that should be done after Winter to ensure your keeping up on your maintenance.

1. Wash

As you could imagine step one would be giving your car/truck/suv or even motorcycle a proper bath.

Using lots of soap is always helpful in creating a slick surface. The best way to lubricate the surface before you bring your wash mitt to the paint would be to use a foam gun. We recommend the MTM Hydro foam gun generation 2.

Using a soap designed to strip away any prior protection is always a great idea as well. We want to ensure we get as many as contaminants removed from the surface as possible during the was process as this will help later. Using a soap like CarPro Reset or Limitless Strip Down would be an idea solution.

After you perform a wash we move on to our next strip

2. Decontamination

In order to ensure we are dealing with a perfectly smooth and clean surface before we move on to the next phase we want to make sure the paint is free of any contaminants invisible to the eye. Sometimes you can feel these contaminants on the surface when you glide your hand across your finish. It will often feel like sand paper or even sound rough instead of smooth and buttery. During the wash process after you have performed an initial cleaning, you can remove iron contaminants and other various road debris embedded in the paint. You could use a product like CarPro Iron X Snowfoam as your soap, which is PH balanced, and contains degreasers that cut through road film and heavy grime with ease. Or, if you choose you can add the additional step of using a iron particle remover such as  CarPro Iron X. The key to using this product is after you cleaned the surface but the car is still wet. You want to apply to painted surfaced and even wheels if you choose and watch as the formula turns purple indicating it is working. Lower areas of the car such as side skirts and the bottom of doors are especially prone to heavy contamination. Once you have waited a few minutes your free to once again do a basic wash and then dry the car.

Once the car is dry it is ideal to further ensure a smooth contaminant free surface by claying the paint. We recommend using a  clay mitt for ease of use such as the Griot's Garage Fast Surface Prep Mitt. The mitt will last you many uses and make detailing a breeze. Make sure you use it with a proper lubricant however such as Adam's Detail Spray. If you prefer the traditional clay bar you can also try using a fine or medium grade clay bar. If you car is maintained routinely a fine clay bar will probably do the job. Once the whole car has been clay barred your ready for the next phase.

3. Paint Correction and Protection

After you have dried the car off, and have ensure the surface is smooth and clean you can move either straight to protection or if your ever so inclined paint correction. Giving your car a light polish is always helpful in further refining the surface. Just like skin your car will have dead paint and be oxidized which can harm your shine. Refining the surface will allow for a shine like no other. You can polish by hand using something like Adam's Revive Hand Polish or with a machine of your choice and any number of possible compounds, polishes, and pads. The choice if yours to do this step.

After this step your ready for Protection. You can choose to wax your car if you have the time to keep doing so every few weeks. If so a paste wax like Griot's Garage Premium Carnauba Wax will work wonders or if you like a liquid wax you can try Adam's Buttery Wax. If you won't have time to detail again for quite some time try a long lasting sealant like Sonax Polymer Net Shield and you will have protection for month's not weeks. If you want to protect your finish for a year or more at a time you can use a ceramic coating such as ServFaces Ultima. The choice is yours but it is important to protect your freshly cleaned surface as it will help prevent further contamination for the seasons ahead.

As long as you do this routinely you will find your vehicles finish constantly looking like new. And remember if you have any questions you can always ask us by sending an email to Support@DetailingConnect.com