Car Care Guide – how to care for your car
With the right type of car care products, it’s not hard to take care of your car. Drive around in a shiny car is, of course, a great feeling, but good car care is also crucial when it comes to the service life of your car. So, there are many benefits to devoting some extra time to car care. And we’ll guide you step by step.
Keep in mind..
Before washing your car, we advise you to check which local rules and guidelines must be followed when washing your car at home.
The dirt washed off your car often contains oil and fuel residues, which, for the sake of the environment, should not end up in groundwater. Most car wash facilities are equipped with oil separators and water treatment systems, which prevent harm to the environment.
1. Degreasing and pre-wash
The pre-wash is important because it removes deposits, particulate dirt, and contaminants that may scratch the paintwork during the wash. If your car is dirty after winter, it’s a good idea to first apply cold degreaser (allow to work for about 10 min) before applying pre-wash or degreaser. Allow the pre-wash to work for as long as possible, but don’t let it become dry. Then rinse off thoroughly with plenty of water, preferably with a high-pressure washer.
2. Remove surface rust
Iron particles (surface rust) from brake discs or studded tyres can stick firmly to paintwork. After a while, they begin to rust and should be removed with rust solution as soon as possible. To remove surface rust, spray a surface rust remover on the whole car and the rims. Allow the agent to work for 5-10 minutes, then rinse thoroughly with water. For example, you can use our Clay Bar Kit, which effectively removes contaminants that accumulate over time on all car paintwork. It also removes resin, pollen, asphalt stains, tar, surface rust, brake dust, etc. from paintwork. You may need to polish your car after using our Clay Bar Kit.
3. Car Shampoo
Now it’s time to wash your car by hand washing to remove ingrained dirt and road grime. Use a car shampoo that lathers and use two different buckets: one with car shampoo and one with plain water for rinsing your washing glove or sponge. Start washing the car from the top down, this will prevent coarse dirt, which is usually stuck at the bottom, from scratching the car. Use a separate rim brush to clean the rims. Rinse the car with water and wipe with a dry cloth.
4. Protect the paintwork
Now it’s time to apply paint protection to your car. The purpose of paint protection is to protect the paintwork so that it repels dirt, road salt, water, and exhaust gases, and gives the car a shine.
For example, use car wax, ceramic car wax, or speed shine. Before applying paint protection, the surface should preferably be cleaned with paintwork cleaner first. After that, apply the paint protection and allow it to work according to the time stated for the product.
If your car has minor scratches that you want to conceal, first polish these before applying the paint protection.
Polish the paintwork
If you want to conceal minor scratches in the paintwork, you need to polish these before applying the paint protection. When you polish the car, a thin layer of clearcoat is sanded away, smoothing out small scratches or chips. To find the right polishing sponge and polish for your car, you need to experiment, since cars all have different paintwork hardness. Start with the gentlest polish and polishing sponge.
