Car Arts Auto Detailing

We all love our cars. And perhaps our proudest moment is when the car is new and looks its best. A car, however, is not like a painting which serves its purpose in a controlled and safe environment. It is subjected to all sorts of abuses including the sun, dirt, and smog, all of which can affect the best automobile. But I can keep your car in new condition just like a painting protected in a museum.

When purchasing a new vehicle, I recommend that you insist the dealer not prep the vehicle prior to you taking possession. This means that they should NOT wash, wax, or do anything else to the vehicle. Dealerships DO NOT specialize in detailing and because of this, your new paint can become scratched, swirled, or marred before you even drive it home.

Also, it is recommended that you decline any protection packages such as a 5-year paint sealant or life-time interior protectant. Not only are these services purely profit for the dealer, no product on the market will protect your vehicle for this amount of time. Rust protection is also unnecessary since all new cars come with a factory warranty against rust. The only way to keep your vehicle protected and looking new is to have it professionally detailed on a regular basis.

Getting ready to purchase a new vehicle? Despite what you may think, a new vehicle endures a lot when it is shipped from factory to dealership. During shipping, many contaminants such as rail dust, road grime, and factory fallout will bond to the new paint. Start your new vehicle off with a proper detail – it will look its best and be easier to maintain as time goes on.

Have you ever driven by a dealership in the morning and seen that person washing the cars down with that high pressure washer?What the are actually doing is FORCING all that dirt,oils,grease and road grime into your clear coat.The chemicals that are in that high pressure washer are so harmful to your paint finish.Sure the cars look "clean" but in the long run that type of washing is doing more harm to your new paint.

We all have done it,Ran are cars though those automatic car washes.Why are they bad for your cars?The chemicals used in those car washes have to be so harsh and powerful because the short amount of time they are on your cars.The high pressure of water is just "PUSHING" the dirt into your clear coat,then when you go through the "Drying Cycle",your car is NOT completely dry,so when you leave the car wash all the dirt,sand and road grime goes back onto your car from the streets.

I suggest that the only time you should use one of those car washes if you have been driving the car for a long period of time,and there is just no possible way to hand wash your car.I also suggest that you NEVER use the car washes with brushes,because you have no idea what was in those brushes prior to them hitting your cars.Those brushes are only slightly cleaned during the cylce,not before.So if a car prior to your car goes though that car wash and was covered in mud,sand,rocks and grease,that will be the first thing that will hit your cars paint.That also goes for those " Do it yourself car washes" ,the brushes are filled with every prior cars dirt,sand,rocks and grease.Those brushes are too hard for your cars clear coat,that's why you see newer cars with "Swirlmarks and Straches" on there new paint.Improper washing is the biggest reasons for imprefections in your paint.

This is simply one of the most important steps to keeping a vehicle in good condition. However, if not done properly, it can actually cause harm to the paint and other surfaces.

Contrary to many beliefs, dish soap like [Dawn] is not safe to use on an automobile. Over time, non-automotive soap will dry out and fade the paint, trim, rubber, and other plastics on the exterior of your vehicle. Dish soap will also remove any existing wax or sealant, leaving the exterior unprotected. High-quality automotive shampoos are formulated with lubricants to help lift away dirt without causing scratches and swirls in the paint. They also contain conditioning oils to maintain or even enhance the shine without removing any wax or sealant that may be present on the paint.

Combined with an automotive shampoo that is rich with lubricants and conditioning oils, a quality wash mitt will ensure a scratch-free wash.

Just like dish soap, bath towels are not suitable for automotive paint.Microfiber towels are the best for you car finish. What most people don’t know is that bath towels contain heavy polyester threading that can scratch automotive paint. Pound for pound, polyester thread is stronger than steel. If you care about the appearance of your car, you definitely do not want to be using bath towels on your paint. The best type of drying towel is a Waffle weave microfiber towel. These plush towels are able to absorb large amounts of water while also being soft enough to not scratch or mar the paint during the drying process.

COMPOUNDS: Usually contains Harsh abraisives. These products are for heavily oxidized or damaged paint. They are to be used with extreme caution as they can easily remove alot of defects in the paint. (If you are reading this PLEASE DO NOT even think about using a compound with a high speed buffer unless you are experienced).

CLEANERS:  May contain Mild Abraisives. These remove light to moderate oxidation and contaminents as well as water/acid rain spots and swirlmarks. Some cleaners also remove scratches.

POLISHES: Very fine abrasives . These remove fine scraches, waterspots and swirlmarks. In general they also increase the shine.May come in different aggressiveness. 

GLAZES or SEALERS: They remove extremely light scratches. They also fill in light scratches. They also have the effect of increasing the paints shine, depth of color and reflective clarity.Also will give your paint that "Deep Wet Look". 

WAXES:In true form  is used purely to protect the paint from the elements and oxidation. It also protects the shine produced by polishing and the glaze and sealer. Some waxes are intended purely for this purpose and must be used only after removing defects with polish etc. Other "One Step" or "Cleaner Waxes" combine wax with the products above to clean, polish and protect in one coat. This is an easy way out but it does not produce the ultimate shine tha comes from using several single purpose products like Carnuba Waxes.

All these products may be applied with your hands or a high speed buffer.

Deciding which products your car needs:Here are a few examples.

 If your paint is new or like new you will probably just need a fine polish, sealer,glaze and or a good coat of wax.

If your paint is several years old and has oxidation you will need to use a cleaner,polish before doing the above. The key here is to ALWAYS START WITH THE LEAST ABRAISIVE compounds or polishes and only get more abraisive if that doesn't work after a couple of applications.

If your paint is beyond then the above, see an expert or you may cause more damage to the paint or clearcoat.

Always polish or wax in the shad and a dust free area. Before starting,Tape or cover off all trim to avoid getting white residue on or in it.

NOTE: If at any time during the polishing or waxing process you should drop your applicator pad or towels DO NOT continue to use them as any dirt , sand or contaminents can damage the finish. You can Never use too many detailing towels or applicators.

Many people, even product manufacturers, use the term polish and wax interchangeably, which is incorrect. A polish is a product that is used to remove different levels of swirls or scratches in automotive paint. It is also used to restore or enhance the shine of the paint. A true polish offers no protection from the environment.

A swirl mark or scratch is basically a sharp valley in the paint's surface. When light shines onto the paint, it refracts off the edges of each valley. An abrasive polish helps to lessen or even eliminate those valleys.

Swirls can be caused by a number of things such as improper washing techniques or automatic car washes. This is why the right washing products and techniques are vital to keeping the paint looking its best.

A lot of people are turned off by the thought of abrasives being used on paint because they think that it will just do more harm than good. In fact, with the right amount of abrasives in a polish and the right tools to apply the polish, those abrasives actually work to eliminate swirls and scratches instead of inducing them. However, if the paint has enough swirls and scratches, multiple polishing steps may be necessary. After proper polishing, the paint should be defect-free (or close to it), and shine better than the day it rolled off the showroom floor.

Polishing, as it applies to car detailing, refers to the act of restoring gloss by removing contaminants, restoring valuable oils and smoothing the paint surface. Most polishes accomplish this by being a mild abrasive and some do it by way of a chemical reaction.

Another factor to consider regarding swirls is the hardness of the clear coat paint layer. Some vehicles have a very soft clear coat.

If a scratch is deep enough in the paint, it may not be repairable by polishing. The general rule of thumb is that if you run your fingernail over a scratch and it catches on the scratch, polishing cannot fix it. The reason for this is that the scratch is so deep that it has passed through the paint. When this happens, the scratch can only be fixed with touch-up paint or a complete re-painting of the panel.

Another type of paint defect you may have seen is oxidized or faded paint. This can be quite noticeable on dark vehicles. If the paint looks chalky or just doesn’t shine, a polish can improve or completely restore the shine that once was by removing the dead paint.

Any one of these paint defects will degrade the paints' gloss, depth, and clarity. While these kinds of defects are more noticeable on dark colored vehicles (especially when viewed under full sun), they are common on all vehicles that are not properly cared for.

Automotive clay is one of the best tools in the detailing world, yet it is often overlooked. Washing alone cannot remove the contaminants that clay can remove. The purpose of automotive clay is to remove contaminants that have bonded to the paint. Rail dust from shipping trains, fallout from factories, bug splatter, tree sap, brake dust, and paint overspray are all examples of bonded contaminants.

Detailing clay looks like Silly Putty ,and is small enough to knead in the palm of your hand. Once a vehicle is properly washed, a clay lubricant is sprayed onto the surface of the paint.

The clay is then worked back and forth across the area, removing the bonded contaminants. This process is repeated over the entire painted surface of the vehicle. Although it is a tedious and long process, the paint is left feeling as smooth as glass.The clear coat or paint will then be able to resist dirt,bugs and other contaminants that are harmful to you car much more easier,by allowing a more "Smoother" surface for those harmful contaminants to come off easier.

The next time your vehicle is washed, slide your hand over the hood of the car. Those bumps and rough areas you feel are bonded contaminants. These contaminants act like small splinters in the paint. After a clay bar treatment, the paint surface is noticeably smoother. You'll want to run your hand over the paint all the time!