Steps For Do It Yourself Car Valeting
When your car was brand new, you just can’t get over the fact on how great looking it is. The paint is shiny and has that luster that you can be proud of showing off in public and you also have those great leather seats that is so soft and comfortable. However, as years go by, you will see that the luster of the paint will disappear and scratches may develop that you definitely dont want to see in your car.
You will also notice that the leather in the seat will become a bit stiff and quite uncomfortable.
You have to remember that even if you are extra careful or cautious in driving your car, the environmental factors will significantly affect the look of your car. The paint will lose its luster and will eventually fade away because of the environment, such as acids, the suns harmful rays as well as the harshness of snow and rain.
Most cars manufactured today only have a thin coat of paint. In fact, the overall thickness will be 4 to 6 millimeters, which will include the anti-corrosion coatings and the scratch resistant coating. The thickness of the clear coat can be compared to the thickness of a piece of paper.
Even the bumper and other soft parts of the car will have thin coats of paint.
These are the facts that you need to consider when you plan on detailing or valeting your car. Basically, you may want to evaluate the paint of the car before undergoing a detailing or valeting project.
The first step in car detailing is by removing any contaminants in the exterior, such as tar, bugs, grime, dust and other things that affects the look of the car.
You must thoroughly wash the car first with water and use a car shampoo to completely remove the dirt. Then, with a chamois, polish the car and make sure that no water droplets remain.
There is commercial grade tar and bug removers that will help you remove any unwanted stains that may have stuck on the paint of the car. Usually, most professional car detailers will use a clay bar that has a fine abrasive property which can remove any stains without harming the paint job on the car.
After giving your car a good scrub with the clay bar, the next step is to remove the clay residue from the car. After removing the clay residue, you are now ready to apply a professional grade car wax. Then, you may want to use a liquid polisher compound. Carnauba is also a great addition as it will contain carnauba fat which will provide a thin coating on your car which will give it its shine and give the paint more depth and luster.
There is also chrome refinishing products that you can spray on damaged chrome. With this, you will be able to make the chrome shine like it was brand new as well as recondition it and remove and damages.
For the engine, there are engine detailer kits that you can use. However, you have to follow the instructions first. There are basically two things that you need to apply. The first is the dirt and grease remover, and the second is the detailer which will make your car’s engine shine like it just came out of the factory line.
For the interior, you may want to use a vacuum to remove dirt from the carpet as well as the seats. There are also chemicals that will moisturize the leathers on your seats which will make it soft like it was brand new.
Car detailing/valeting kits are quite inexpensive. All you need to do is follow the instructions on how to apply each of the compounds and you can be sure that you will have great results.