SAVE YOUR GLASS FOR LAST
Once the carpet is clean of dust and dirt, it’s time for a carpet shampoo. Using Turtle Wax POWER OUT! Carpet & Mats Cleaner, thoroughly work one section at a time. Use the built-in brush or a stiff brush to agitate the cleaner and work it into the carpet. Then, use a wet-dry vacuum or steam cleaner to remove the foam and contaminants. Don’t forget to pop the trunk and apply the same treatment.
Once everything is clean, we move on to protection. Application of Inside & Out Protectant protects interior hard surfaces, such as the dash and console, from future grime and stains. It also looks great, with just the right amount of shine. Apply with one microfiber cloth and buff out with a second one. Use leather conditioner on leather seats and upholstery to restore moisture and prevent fading and cracking.
We save the glass for last because it’s the most sensitive to other interior auto detailing operations. Using a non-ammonia glass cleaner and microfiber cloths, clean all exposed glass, such as the windshield, side windows, back window, and rear-view mirror. Wet one cloth with glass cleaner, for cleaning, using a second cloth to buff out any streaks. Don’t forget the sunroof instrument cluster lens and dome light lens.
Pro Tip: If your doors have upper window frames, roll the windows down a few inches and clean the top edge of the glass, first. Then, roll the windows up and clean the rest of the glass.
auto detailing guide - turtle wax - interior glass cleaning
Like interior detailing, exterior detailing involves a few more steps than simply washing and rinsing, but the results can be significantly better. Exterior auto detailing should be done out of direct sunlight to prevent water spotting and make everything easier to work with. Now that the interior detailing is done, pop the hood and fuel door and close the doors and windows.
Using a garden hose or pressure washer, thoroughly rinse the outside of your vehicle, starting from the top to the bottom. This starts loosening dirt and grime and bugs from your car so they can run off. A snow foam pre-wash is good to apply once the car is completely rinsed.
Clean the tires and wheels. Powerful foam formula sticks to tires and wheels, floating off brake dust and road grime without abrasives or harsh chemicals. Use tire and wheel brushes to work the foam into crevices.
Pro Tip: If you clean the wheels last, you might splash road grime to the body of a clean car.
ENGINE BAY CARE
The engine bay is next, and your mechanic and your bank account will thank you. Clean engines run cooler, last longer, are more reliable and are easier to work on. If your engine has a distributor, cover it with a plastic bag. Rinse the engine bay and the underside of the hood with a pressure washer or garden hose, then soak with an undiluted organic or citrus degreaser. Open the fuel door and clean inside, as well. After five to ten minutes, rinse everything with water. Foaming cleansers stick better to grease and oil, helping dissolve them faster.
Pro Tip: Warm up the engine a few minutes to help the degreaser work better.
Now we finally get to wash the car, using two buckets and a microfiber wash mitt. You might need a short stool, step ladder, or long-handled soft brush to get to the top of your vehicle. Before picking up more soapy water, always rinse in the clear-water bucket. Start with the roof, moving down to the glass, hood, trunk, doors, body, bumpers, and rocker panels. A soft brush is good for cleaning deeper into the grille.
Pro Tip: Warm water, no hotter than 140 °F, helps the soap work better and is more comfortable to use. Do not let the soap dry on the vehicle – be generous!
auto detailing guide - turtle wax - tire clean
PROTECT YOUR PAINT
Use a garden hose or pressure washer to rinse your car, starting at the top. Now, it might be tempting to let your car air-dry, but this is an invitation for water spots. Use a chamois or microfiber cloths to dry your vehicle. Squeeze out the cloths often and switch to dry cloths for the final wipe-down. Open the doors and dry weather seals, especially if freezing temperatures are expected. Wipe down weather seals with to improve appearance and prevent cracking and sticking.
Even though your car is clean and dry now, don’t stop there – there are likely still contaminants on your paint and glass that are sticking around to ruin your image. Stuff like grease, bug splatter, brake dust, and water spots aren’t always easy to see, but their combined effect is poor paint appearance. Using detailing clay and clay lubricant – leftover soapy car wash is a good option – work the clay over your car. Work small sections at a time and knead the clay often. Use your fingers to feel where the paint is not as smooth (read: contaminated) and work these areas with the clay bar.
Pro Tip: Detailing clay also works great on wheels, glass, and chrome, too, but never use clay bar on rubber, plastic, or polycarbonate.
ADD LAYERS OF PROTECTION
Addressing scratches and paint chips deserve their own article, but minor paint imperfections like these can easily be remedied when exterior detailing your car.
Whereas the clay bar removed any lingering contaminants, polishing your car will smooth out microscopic surface imperfections in the clear coat. Apply polishing compound to the foam pad on a dual-action orbital polisher and work over a small section of your vehicle at a time. Add more polishing compound as needed, buffing until everything has an even sheen. Verify by checking how different sections of paint reflect the lights.
Pro Tip: Use masking tape to protect plastic and rubber trim, emblems, headlights, and marker lights.
Now that the paint is smoother, we’ll add layers of protection，adds a waterproof coat to your paint job. Simply apply to a microfiber cloth and rub it into the paint. Use a second cloth to buff to a shine.
auto detailing guide - turtle wax - ice spray wax
SHINE & POLISH TO FINISH
While the waxed surface is waterproof, a truly hydrophobic finish – water beads up and runs off – will improve shine and prevent most road grime from sticking to your paint.
By this time, the tires should be dry. This leaves a nice finish, protecting your tires from sun damage and slowing down dry rot. Your tires will also stay cleaner, longer.
Finally, as with the interior, glass comes last. Using non-ammonia glass cleaner and microfiber cloths, clean all exposed glass and polycarbonate. Moisten one cloth with glass cleaner to clean, using a second cloth to buff out any streaks. Start with the sunroof glass, moving to the windshield, side windows, side mirrors, and rear window. Then, clean the headlight, fog light, and taillight lenses.
The first time your detail your car at home, it might seem like a lot of steps. As with all things, detailing your car quickly and efficiently takes practice. Once you see, feel, and smell the results of a freshly detailed car, though, it’ll have been a worthwhile experience.