How to Detail Your Own Auto

The costs of having your car regularly detailed can start to rack up pretty quickly, but at the same time, the auto detailing process is one of the most helpful and thorough ways to improve the look and feel of your vehicle. Like an oil change keeping your engine pristine, getting your car detailed helps lengthen the longevity of your vehicle. Detailing your car is something you can do for yourself, and we’ve got some tips for you, courtesy of Fisher Honda in Boulder.

Bring DIY to Your Garage and do Auto Detailing Yourself!

While you may have many memories of helping your mom, dad, or older sibling wash their car when you were a child, nowadays there’s a whole lot more you can do at home. That said, a good hand washing is a nice way to spend an afternoon, and is easily one of the best ways to ensure your vehicle gets some TLC.

There’s a lot more that you can do, though. Let’s start with the interior, where the first thing you’ll want to do is take out your floor mats and give the whole thing a good vacuuming. Don’t forget to hit the dash and the shelf in your rear window, and move the front seats forward and backward all the way to be sure you get everywhere.

If your floor mats are rubber, wash them; otherwise, vacuum them just like you did the interior. If you’ve got any stains, you can get cleaners specifically designed for auto upholstery — just be sure not to use too much. The last thing you want is mold due to excess moisture in your car.

Use a damp cloth and an all-purpose cleaner to wipe down everything, and your interior should be as good as new.

One thing you can do that will help protect your paint job from the elements is to go over it with some detailing clay, which is designed to remove any dust, dirt, and grime that a sponge or towel might miss. After that, don’t forget to give your car a nice coating of wax to stave off paint damage and rust.

Be careful not to use anything abrasive on your paint, either. It used to be that a car could take abrasive cleansers better, but clear coat paint jobs are actually a bit thinner than those with pigment, and thus can be worn away much easier.

And remember, while we want you to save money and take joy in taking care of your own car, if you’re ever uncomfortable with any kind of maintenance, even auto detailing, bring it in to a pro just to be safe!