There are so many ways a vehicle’s body can get damaged. Cars and trucks need protection from the sun’s UV rays, heavy rain, hail, scratching, rust, mud, and grime. Even bird droppings can become a nightmare when maintaining that perfect shine. And oftentimes a car wash won’t be enough to keep your vehicle in excellent condition. Sometimes, in order to maintain that new shine, your machine will need a powerful detailing. Knowing what separates detailing from washing will ensure your vehicle maintains that sparkle for years.
What’s The Difference Between Detailing and A Car Wash?
There are many types of car washes, and you can learn about them here. But the two most common ones that you frequently encounter are by hand and express service. Most recognizably is the hand wash that you usually see in a neighborhood parking lot as part of a fundraiser, or you might catch your neighbor doing on a lazy Sunday. Then there are express washes where you would drive into a facility and pay to have your wheels cleaned. Both present a basic need, but neither delivers the protection that a detailing provides.
Detailing can best be described as restoring your ride to its original condition and giving it that like-new feel. Detailing provides a full-service cleaning of not only the exterior of your vehicle but the interior as well. That means detailing requires a personal touch that an express wash or even a quick hand wash just cannot provide. When detailing an exterior, it’s important to not only wash the car but to dry it, polish, and oftentimes wax it as well. And when detailing the interior, it’s essential to vacuum and scrub it of dirt while also cleaning the material and the glass.
What Is Coating And Why Is It Essential To The Detailing Process?
It’s essential to make sure you have all the necessary car detailing supplies on hand to keep your vehicle always looking great. And a strong coating is one of those necessary detailing supplies. A coating is when a liquid polymer is applied to the exterior of your vehicle, forming a bond with its paint and providing a layer of protection from damage and fading. Coating is essential when detailing because it often provides extra protection that a standard buffing or waxing cannot. Two major types of coatings are ceramic and graphene.
There are many benefits to a ceramic coating. Some of those benefits include protection from UV rays and sun damage that prevents your paint from oxidation. Ceramic coating can also protect your exterior from air pollution and other chemical stains. Because a ceramic coating bonds with your car’s paint, it can also repel water so mud, dirt and grime can wash right off.
Graphene is a carbon-based material that has been increasing in popularity. Graphene provides many of the same benefits that ceramic coating does but is known to last three or four years which is just a year or two longer than a ceramic coating. And because of its composition, graphene is more capable of repelling water than ceramic coating which makes it more able to prevent water spots. In addition, graphene is considered to be an “anti-static” material. That means with a graphene coating your car is better protected from dust and other debris particles known to settle on your car’s exterior.
Which type of coating to use is a matter of opinion. But it is important to understand the difference between ceramic coating and graphene coating in order to make an informed decision for your personal preference.
What Is Best For Detailing Your Interior?
No automobile cleaning can be complete until the interior of your vehicle has been taken care of as meticulously as the exterior. Professional car cleaning products aren’t just for the outside of your vehicle. You need the inside to look fresh and like-new as well. After you’ve done the basics like removing all trash around the inside or under the seats and finished vacuuming, you’ll need to start getting to work on detailing your interior. Something essential to every interior detailing is microfiber cloths.
Microfiber towels are a must-have when you want to have that professionally detailed look. Microfiber is safer than standard towels because they are gentle on surfaces and won’t scratch. There are a wide variety of microfiber towels available for every aspect of detailing. There are even streak-free glass cleaning microfiber towels that make washing the inside of your windows and windshields a breeze. Many microfiber towels have multiple purposes and can not only be used to clean both the exterior and interior of your vehicle but can even be used for household tasks like drying dishes and dusting.
Just be sure to take proper care of whichever microfiber towels you choose to go with. It’s always recommended to wash your towels with other non-linting materials, and it’s preferred to wash them only with other microfiber cloths. And, if possible, try to keep them away from your other laundry. This prevents damaging the sensitive material that keeps them safe for detailing usage.
After you have the inside and outside of your vehicle is looking great, don’t forget to check under the hood. Keeping your washer fluid full helps is more important than you may think. Windshield washer fluids contain excellent cleaning products like detergents and solvents that not only keep you safe but they can also help to keep your windshield looking like-new.
These are just some of the professional car cleaning products available on the market today. There are so many other great detailing products out there that will help maintain your car’s appearance. And when it comes to car detailing supplies it’s important to understand what you’re looking for and to know exactly what you need to accomplish your goals.
