| WELCOME TO TIPS & TRICKS this months trick is called DETAILS March 2008 These are trades not so secrets that I have picked up over the years as a result of twenty plus years in the car business. I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of response I got from the first release so I have decided to continue. Hopefully you will find this one just as helpful as the first... The weather is breaking, & soon you will be out in the driveway washing your car if you have not already. For those of you who don’t like to get dirty, you will be running it through the car wash. Even though it will look much better than it has looked in months, for some strange reason, it won’t look as good as it did last year before the salt and the snow flew. For some of you, you will take to the phone book, the Internet or an afternoon drive looking for a place to trade it in to get another one. That is what I am here for. For those of you who just recently purchased your ride of choice or are like me and have too many bills to just trade up, you will try to figure out how to restore the luster that your car had before old man winter stole it away. You have two choices. One you can work at it yourself or two, pay someone to do it for you. If you are not one to do it yourself, give it to me one weekend and I will make it look as it did when it first rolled off of the delivery driveway. If you choose to do it your self here are a few things you will need to know… You only get one shot to clean your carpets & seats right. If you don’t get those stains out the first time, they are in there forever. Seriously, most don’t know this but if you clean at a stain with the wrong solution and don’t get it all out, the rest will be permanently embedded. For example, if you spill coffee on your seat, you are better off to dab it dry until you can clean it properly rather than to try to clean a little now and get the rest later. When it comes to cleaning your car, there are four majors; engine, trunk, interior & exterior. A clean engine believe it or not, runs better. A clean car rides better. Don’t believe me? Try it. Anyway, you never want to clean a hot engine but by the same token, you never want to water down a cold one. If you are going to try your hand at cleaning your motor, warm it up a little. Not too much but just enough that the engine heat will dry the left over water when you’re done steaming it. Trunks are easy for a number of reasons; most don’t even bother because nobody sees them. On the other hand, if you are anal (like me) and want your trunk looking new, vacuum it, brush it & then spray it. Yep, spray it with a matching can of flat black or grey which is the color of most trunks. Wa-la, it looks like new. The interior; this is where the work comes in depending on how many passengers your vehicle hauls. Probably the worst of it is the carpets because of all that melted slush and snow that ran up underneath the mats leaving a deep dark mark at the lowest point resembling a large dried up puddle or in some cases a small lake. Pick your poison, spray it on plenty, scrub it, water it, scrub it again and then let it dry. As it dries, press out the moisture with a large clean towel which will lift the last of the dirt. As for the seats, use the same steps, only when they are just about dry, wipe of them with a clean damp towel. When you’re done you can use this same towel to wipe down your panels and dash. Stubborn scuffs on your kick pads may require a stronger solution. Don’t forget the windows. If this is for you as it is for many your least favorite thing to clean, try cleaning them with newspaper. I promise you there will be no streaks when your done if you do it right. Crumple a couple full sheets, spray on a little clean and wipe as you would with a rag. Ta-da! Finally the exterior and the most important from an appearance standpoint; this is what everybody sees. Wash thoroughly & then wax. Never wax in direct sunlight. Don’t forget the wheels and the tires. They are the key to an outstanding appearance. Please know that over the counter wheel cleaners are not made for all wheels. Make sure that the wheel cleaner you choose is designed to clean your rims or you could clean off more than you bargained for, like you chrome. I personally recommend Mequiars. For the tires, any soap will do but don’t forget to dress. Clean wheels & well dressed tires will make a dirty car look good any day. It is all in the details. If you would like to see how DETAILS can change a car? Click Here Just a little tip trick from Leon The Link |
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