Keeping Your Car in Good Condition from the Outside

To keep your car in immaculate condition and make sure it retains its value, you need to do more than put it through the car wash every week and have it serviced on schedule.

You need to groom it regularly and keep it looking like new. Although hand grooming your car takes time, you'll find that you get much better results.

Rinse excess dirt off your car, then soap it down with a sponge. After washing the entire car, rinse the soap off and dry the car with a soft cloth. Drying is important because water droplets will gather dust and leave spots all over your car as they dry. These spots are especially noticeable on dark-colored cars.

Use a bug and tar remover on your car about once a month. You’ll find many different products at your car care store for this. Select one that also polishes your car at the same time.

Regular waxing and polishing keep your car shiny and protect its finish from damage by sunlight.

Don’t overlook the wheels and tires. Always clean and shine them. Dirt shows up most easily on alloy wheels, making them look dull. Wheel cleaning products will remove the buildup of brake dust, but if you clean them every time you wash your car, you’ll only need to use water and a cloth. To make your tires shiny, a spray-on tire shine is quick and easy to use. This makes them look magnificent and also protects them from the sun.

On other external surfaces, such as bumpers and the seals around the doors, use a product designed to protect rubber, vinyl, and plastic from the sun’s ultraviolet rays.