DetailXPerts Blog: Car Wash Industry News, Professional Detailing Tips, Green Technology & More

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How to Keep Your Car Paint from Fading?

Posted by rmenon on April 26th, 2012

Vehicle Fading Prevention Methods We all assume that the car paint color has to fade off after some time, this is not true. You can keep your car in brand new condition if you avoided the fading of your car paint. Although the car paint is bound to fade but by following the right steps, you can delay the fading process and can definitely keep the car in its brand new condition. By following certain simple tips and techniques, you can prevent the fading of your car paint right from your home. However, if you are looking for the professional type of car protection and look, then you must visit a reputed mobile auto detailing center near your home.

Steps to Prevent Car Paint from Fading

Understanding the causes of fading: Start with understanding the real reasons of what causes car paint to fade. The major culprit that causes car paint to fade is the ultra-violet rays, which is ultimately the sunlight. However, that is not the only cause of car paint fading and the other factors which can cause this are the pollutants, biochemical residues and chemicals. Pollutants that are present in the air, salt, bird droppings and insects can also contribute in affecting the car’s finish. Another important culprit in this regard is the abrasive cleaners.
Dealing with ultraviolet light: As far as possible, try to park your car under the shade and not directly under the sun. However, if you cannot avoid this, then you must use a car cover with ultraviolet protection, especially if your car is parked for a long time under the sun.
Removing Chemicals: It is very important to wash your car at least once in two weeks. Washing your car properly will help you to remove a number of chemicals that your car is always exposed to. If you use your car regularly, then you may have to wash it more frequently. If your car stays in the garage for long, then you can wash it say once in 3 weeks or so. If you leave your car frequently exposed to chemicals, then the chemicals will eat the car’s finish. In order to avoid this, you must go for a clear coat on top of your car’s paint which will shield against harsh chemicals as well as against the ultraviolet rays, up to a certain extent.
Avoid use of abrasives: Most of the car polishes that are available in the market contain a lot of abrasives and these can cause the removal of tiny bits of car paint and also cause the elimination of the protection that is present in your car finish. Thus, the car paint becomes quite vulnerable with the aging effects.
Wax your Car: It is important to wax your car as it has a number of advantages over car polishing. Waxing will not remove any of the surfaces that is generally caused due to abrasion and it actually adds a new layer on top of the car’s finish which will further provide an additional protection over your car paint. However, make sure that you do not over-wax as it can affect the overall look of your car.

Although you cannot fool time and your car paint will eventually fade, but you can definitely slow down this process by taking care of your car sensibly. Taking the help of professional detailers will also help you in this regard to prevent the fading of your car paint.

How to Detail Tires and Wheels?

Posted by rmenon on April 23rd, 2012

How to Detail Tires and Wheels Detailing your car tires and wheels is not only for the sake of appearances but it is also required as a part of preventative maintenance as well. Allowing the brake dust to sit on the car wheels for a long time can cause the dust to damage the coating. Brake dust is composed of an adhesive material and with the friction and heat that is generated in the wheels; the mixture can get very corrosive. The more frequently you use your car, the more brake dust will be produced in the process. If you are looking forward to keep your tires and wheels safe, then you must indulge in frequent cleaning. However, if you are unable to give a good wash to your car, then you must seek the help of auto detailers who will be more than happy to help you.

Steps to detail tires and wheels

While washing your car, ensure that the tires and wheels are cleaned first. In this way, you can make sure that grime or overspray will not splash onto the already cleaned parts. Always use a separate wash and rinse bucket and bristle brush for cleaning tires and wheels.
Choosing the right cleaner as per the type of wheels you have is a must. For instance, you must understand that chrome and roughcast aluminum do not go well with strong cleaners. Always read the label on the cleaner before you use it on your car tires and wheels. In case you are not sure about the composition of your wheels, then you must go in for a cleaner that can be used on all kinds of wheels.
There are several kinds of tire and wheel brushes which are available in the market and you should go in for the one which has feathered bristles as it will be ideal for the wheels as this will prevent scratching on the wheels. However, tires require a stronger brush for scrubbing the rubber. Before scrubbing the tires, apply a little amount of elbow grease which will help to take off the old dressings.
When you start out on cleaning your tires and wheels, make sure that you clean one set at a time so that the cleaner does not get dried up. Once you wash and clean one tire, rinse it with a jet of water before you start with the next tire.
After cleaning, drying the wheels is a must. Use a separate terry cloth towel to dry the wheels. If you dry your tires and wheels properly, you can prevent the formation of water spots and the brake dust can be easily removed in this manner.
Waxing your wheels is a must after cleaning and drying them, and you can do this by applying a good quality wheel protectant so as to seal the surface of the wheel.
Dressing your tire is also important and you must go in for a superior quality tire dressing and apply thin layer of coat over the tires and give them proper time to dry off before you drive your car.

By following the above steps, you can easily detail your tires and wheels at home. Perhaps, your tires and wheels are not the only thing that needs to be detailed. Some of the other toys we have at home may need a good detailing. For instance, your motorcycle or boat may need a good down to earth detailing. However, if you are looking for a professional kind of look, you should visit a professional detailing service for this purpose.

Things to Consider When Choosing Car Wax Polisher Pads

Posted by detailxperts on April 19th, 2012

Car Polisher Pad Just going out and buying the first car wax polisher pads you see isn’t necessarily the best option. In fact, it never is. Car wax polisher pads are not a large purchase, but there are many different types of pads and you need to know some good strategies for picking out the right ones. Car detailing continues to evolve and become more involved all the time. It is important to remember the things that should and should not do when detailing your vehicle .

Car polish is the secret to an award-winning, dazzling shine. The right car polisher, polishing pads and polishes make the job faster, easier and more effective. To provide the best care for your vehicle, you need adequate car wax polisher pads. A polisher along with the correct pad will provide the speed and consistent motion necessary to effectively remove swirls and restore the shine to automotive paint.

Pad Material

One of the things you need to consider when you’re buying polisher pads is pad material. Pad material is made of either wool or foam. Wool pads can remove the top layers of paint. If you want a buffing pad that is aggressive, you would want to use 100% twisted wool. Twisted wool is considered aggressive in terms of cutting ability.

A foam pad, on the other hand, will cut less into the paint and rely on the heat that is produced while the pads are rotating. Foam pads are 100% foam, but they perform slightly different from each other on the basis of how they’re constructed. Under a microscope, foam pads look like a bee’s honeycomb, small uniformly shaped cells.

Cell Size

There are several other options to be considered when selecting the appropriate polisher pad. You want to consider the pads cell size. Polisher pads vary in foam cell size. Open cell foam pads have larger holes. With the larger holes the pad construction will cause the foam pad to be more aggressive, as in a compounding pad. Open cell pads also cut into the finish more as opposed to closed cell foam pads. Closed cell foam pads have smaller cells, making the construction more dense, this type of pad would be considered less aggressive, thus making it a finishing pad.

Polishing pads are available in several sizes, surface configurations and compositions. The diameter can range from six to ten inches. Larger sized pads tend to produce swirl marks and smaller sized pads lack cutting ability. The most commonly purchased pad has a diameter of 7 1/2 inches.

Pad Surface Texture

Lastly, you want to find car wax polisher pads with the right surface texture. Most foam pads are produced with a flat surface. However, there are some pads that are designed with a waffle surface. The waffle surface pads generate less heat then the flat ones.

Compare prices on different makes of pads, especially if you’re trying to decide between same pad materials but manufactured by different companies. The internet is a good resource for finding the best deals. However, after you’ve checked around, you should try the product to ensure you’re getting exactly what you want.

Taking these precautions and factoring in these considerations will help you get the ultimate satisfaction. All the different brands and models of car wax polisher pads give you some difficult choices. Make sure you make the right one. Machine polishers can be used to tackle a very heavily deteriorated finish or just as a tool to make a detailing job easier. Choose the polisher pad that fits your needs. Whether you are a weekend enthusiast, a novice, or a professional detailer, selecting the correct car wash polisher pads is not something you should decide upon quickly.

How Often Should You Clean Your Leather Car Seat Cover?

Posted by rmenon on April 17th, 2012

How Often Should You Clean Your Leather Car Seat Cover Most of the car manufacturer’s, especially those of high-end cars, install leather car seats which definitely offer the vehicle a sophisticated appearance. Leather is a natural material that is porous, and it helps to absorb dirt, odor and grime, however, it requires careful maintenance for a healthy finish. Two important factors that can cause damage to your car seats are sunlight and heat and these can easily cause the seats to get damaged and can cause the leather to fray or crack. The frequency of cleaning your leather car seats mostly depend on your frequency of driving the car and how long it sits in sunlight. Depending on these aspects, you can choose to clean your car seat once in three months, which will help you to retain the healthy color and appearance of leather. Leather needs lot of care and attention and it can easily be damaged if it is not taken care of properly. If you are unable to clean your leather car seats properly due to your hectic schedule, then you can seek the services of professional detailers for this purpose.

Cleaning Leather Car Seats at Home

In order to clean your leather car seats, you must start by vacuuming the interior of the car completely. Make use of any attachments to the vacuum cleaner which will help you to remove the dirt and dust from the crevices of the car seat.
Next, take a white cloth or sponge and by dipping it in water, wipe away the grime, dirt and residue that is present on the seats. After doing this, immediately, dry the seats off by using a dry towel.
When you are using the leather cleaner, you must first check it on a concealed area inside the car. Use a fresh cloth or sponge and work the cleaner into the leather car seats so as to form foam. Make sure that you keep the foam for at least ten minutes before you wipe it away with a dry towel.
Leave the test area for at least 24 hours and check for any discolorations. If the color of the leather seems to be just the same, then you can start using the leather cleaner on rest of the car seat.
Repeat step 3 on a larger area of the car seat. Make sure that you make the foam sit for at least ten minutes and later on you can wipe it away using a dry towel.
Clean all the leather surfaces using leather seats and also use it on the leather trim which might be present inside the car interior or on the door. You can also repeat the process for tough stains.
Make use of a leather moisturizer and work it on the leather with the help of dry sponge or towel. You can also spray the leather sunscreen onto the leather seats which will indeed help you to create an extra cover of protection against dirt and drying from sunlight.

Leather car seats needs to be given great attention as without the extra care and maintenance, their majestic look will diminish over the period of time. For professional care for your leather car seats, you must visit a renowned mobile auto detailing services near your home.

What Is The Right Car Upholstery Cleaner for Me?

Posted by rmenon on April 12th, 2012

What-Is-The-Right-Car-Upholstery-Cleaner-for-Me Using the right car upholstery cleaner is important in order to protect your car’s interior in the right manner. If you keep your cars’ interior clean, you can easily save your car for a good couple of years and it can stay brand-new. Cleanliness is one of the major things to look forward to while maintaining your car. There are several car upholstery cleaners that are available in the market which needs to be used in accordance to the kind of upholstery which your car has. The experts at mobile auto detailing services have the correct knowledge to use the correct upholstery products in accordance with the kind of upholstery the car has.

There are several products that are available which specialize in different types of upholstery. Some of the major types of product include:

Leather cleaners
Lather conditioners
Vinyl cleaners
Vinyl conditioners
Carpet Shampoo

When you choose an automotive upholstery cleaner or protector, make sure that it matches with the interior of your car. Never use general household items for your car’s interior, as it may result in irreversible damage. For instance, leather car seats must be protected using automotive leather conditioners so that you can avoid long-term damage as this will help to preserve the natural oils of your leather car seat. The auto leather conditioner will definitely help to restore the natural oils and will also keep them from drying out.

Steam cleaning is the best way to preserve the interior of the car and definitely does a great job. When you make use of steamer tools, it gets into areas which are not reached by water and this will definitely help in a thorough wash. Steam is the best way to clean seats, dashes, vents, consoles, doorjambs, etc. Steam detailing is a very strong method to clean the hard surfaces of your car’s interior and it will also help to prevent the growth of molds and mildews. Steam works well on sticky and sugary sodas and removes crud completely, even from the nook and corner of car seats.

Using eco-friendly products not only keeps your car parts safe but it also protects your investment from damage. There is a difference from having your car professionally detailed or bringing it to a regular car wash. There is also a wide variety of green upholstery products that are available and this will help you to make the best choice in keeping your vehicles clean. If you do not have a good idea regarding the right upholstery cleaner, you must ask about the right one to any of the professional detailers who will be happy to help you.