Step 7: Interior

Alright, now that you’ve done everything you can to make your car shine on the outside, it’s time to spend a little time inside. Starting with the obvious, time to pick up all the fast food wrappers and de-trash the interior. Then vacuum the carpets and upholstery to see if there are any spots that need to be taken care of.

Most cars today have a mix of surfaces in the interior like vinyl, leather and plastic so make sure you use products designed for the right surface. For vinyls, spray the protectant cleaner directly onto an applicator pad and apply to the surface. Then wipe dry with a soft, clean towel. As with your tires, you can choose the look you want for your dash as well. There’s the traditional glossy look available in most protectants on the market. Or, you can get more of a matte look with some products, such as Black Magic® Dust Guard Protectant. This product is great because it gives your dash a cleaner, polished look and it keeps it looking like new longer because the anti-static formula actually protects against dust accumulation.

Leather on the other hand takes a little more effort.  Use a cleaner specifically designed for leather according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Once it’s clean, use a leather conditioner. As with waxing, clean in small sections and finish the job completely before moving to the conditioner. Once you’ve moved to the conditioner step, to get the most benefit let the conditioner soak in to help restore suppleness, gloss and texture. Use circular, overlapping motions to apply the product, or if you prefer, just pour a little conditioner in your hand and use your hand as the applicator.

Helpful Hint: To ease leather care, consider 2-in-1 products such as Black Magic® 2-in-1 Leather Cleaner & Conditioner.

Step 6: Polish Wheels

After you have thoroughly cleaned your wheels and applied tire dressing, you want to polish and protect your wheels to finish off the look. This step also helps preserve and protect your wheels from road contaminants and brake dust and makes future cleanings easier.

Use a wax pad or micro fiber towel to apply the polish to your wheels. Be sure to apply the polish evenly. As with other products, less is more. Use light to medium pressure to work the polish into the wheel and if you want to, here’s your chance to get back to that circular motion we’ve been warning against. Just make sure you work the polish into all the nooks and crannies of the wheel.

After the polish dries, you’re ready to remove it. You can use a buffing tool with a clean cloth that’s attached to your cordless drill or simply remove it by hand with a micro fiber cloth.

Step 5: Dress Tires

So now that you’ve got your paint looking right, it’s time to make your tires shine with a good quality tire dressing. The first choice you need to make is the look or style you are going for. The appearance provided by tire dressings varies from matte finish to extreme high gloss shine and everything in between.

Most tire dressings on the market provide a high gloss, wet look. So, if the wet, mirror finish is your style, there are plenty of options available. If the wet look isn’t your style, you might be a bit more limited in your tire dressing selection. One good option is Black Magic® Titanium™ Matte Tire Finish. This product gives your tires a deep black, rich, velvety look.

As we mentioned before, if you’re going for the wet look, you’ve got a lot of options to choose from. High gloss dressings come in trigger sprays, aerosols, foam, and gels. For the ultimate in long-lasting shine, try Black Magic® Titanium™ Tire Wet Gel, which comes with its own applicator pad.

Unlike the other steps in the detailing process, there’s really no wrong way to apply tire dressing. Just follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Usually that means applying a thin coat to the applicator pad, or spraying the dressing directly onto the tire. Like with the cleaning process earlier, it’s best to do one tire at a time before moving on to the next.

Helpful Hint: If you use a gel, you can “dab” the product on with an applicator for a thicker, glossier shine or swipe it on more thinly for a less glossy, but still long-lasting wet look. Also, if you use a product like Black Magic® Tire Wet®, spray the dressing deep into your wheel wells and around the top and sides to give that area a deep, dark shine.

Step 4: Wax & Polish

After you’ve thoroughly washed and dried your finish, it’s on to waxing. If your paint has been neglected, you might want to try cleaning it first with a polish before waxing to help restore the shine. After polishing, you should wax your car immediately to protect that shine.

There are seemingly endless choices for car waxes. Some have special formulations for German or Japanese paint, while others say they’re best for cars with an older finish, like Black Magic® Wet Shine Liquid Wax. And still others are formulated specifically to fill in and protect a paint based on its color. The bottom line is: read the label before you buy and choose a wax that is designed for your specific type of car.

When applying the wax, remember that less is usually more. To make the application process smoother, dampen your applicator before application. Once you’ve applied about a dime size amount on your applicator, start at the top of the car, using front to back motions. Spread it thinly, one section at a time, being careful to avoid using a circular motion that can leave swirl marks.

Depending on your particular wax, you may be able to remove it immediately or need to wait until it dries to a haze. To remove the wax, use a clean micro fiber towel, turning the towel often.  Removal should be pretty effortless, so if you’re having a hard time it’s probably a sign that you’ve used too much product.

Helpful Hint: Keep a quick detailer in your car to safely remove grime and restore shine between washing and waxing. Black Magic® Spray Wax is a great product to keep handy because it’s as easy to apply as a quick detailer, but it actually provides true wax protection, so you get the benefit of great shine and the protection of wax.

Step 3: Wash & Dry

So it’s on to arguably the most important step of the detailing process. First and foremost, always use a wash that is specifically designed for automotive paint. Contrary to popular belief, even dish soap is too harsh for automotive finish, so never substitute with any kind of common household cleanser. There are numerous ways to wash but for the ultimate clean, we recommend the two bucket method. As the process implies, this method employs two buckets, one with car wash solution and the other with plain water for rinsing. Using this method will help keep the dirt off your sponge, wash mitt or other tool and away from your paint.

We recommend starting at the top, washing one section at a time and working your way down each side of the car. Use a back and forth motion that mimics the airflow over the car vs. the old circular motion you might have learned from your dad. Use even pressure, letting the wash solution do the job. After washing the panel, rinse the applicator thoroughly in the bucket of clean water and rinse the panel with a steady stream of water. Be sure to rinse your applicator well so dirt doesn’t build up on it and scratch your finish. Repeat this process for all panels.

For rinsing, take the nozzle off your hose and let the water run from the top down, slowly moving down to the sides. Once you finish rinsing, begin drying immediately with a product like the Black Magic® Pro-Dry Absorbing Cloth or a terry cloth type towel. Blot slowly across the surface from the top down, being careful to remove all the remaining water before you move on the waxing process.

Helpful Hint: Always wash (or wax) in the shade to avoid damaging your finish.

Step 2: Clean Tires

After you’ve finished cleaning your wheels, it’s on to the tires.  For the best results, we recommend cleaning tires one at a time. Because tires are a lot more durable and harder to clean than your paint, you should use a product specifically designed to deep clean tire surfaces. Choose a formula with a good degreaser so the rubber can absorb the tire dressing that you’ll apply next.

Since your tire is already damp from cleaning the wheels, just spray the tire cleaner evenly around the tire and let it work according to the manufacturer’s instructions. If you use a brush to remove set-in dirt, be sure that it is specifically designed to clean tires.

There are several good tire cleaning products on the market, but one you might want to try is Black Magic® Foam Tire Cleaner. Our formula is designed to quickly release brake dust, dirt and oil on contact, and will not cause discoloration on the tire surface.

Helpful Hint: If you have a lot of caked on dirt on your tires, use a toothbrush to get a thorough clean.

This post kicks off a series in which we’ll discuss detailing your car in seven simple steps that are sure to give your ride the ultimate shine. Part one begins with the wheels, which are a source of pride for most auto enthusiasts, and therefore must be treated with love and care. We welcome any questions or comments from those of you that consider yourself of “ShineMaster” status.

Step 1 : Clean Wheels

We don’t have to tell you the toll that things like brake dust, oil, grease and grime can take on wheels.  Unfortunately, there’s no short cut to protecting them from the elements – frequent cleaning is your only option.

Any serious auto enthusiast knows that wheels can be pricey, so it’s important to treat wheel surfaces as carefully as you do your paint. A lot of auto enthusiasts make the mistake of using regular household soap and water to clean delicate wheels for fear that an over the counter wheel cleaner might be too abrasive. But just like you wouldn’t use dish soap to wash your car, you really shouldn’t use it for your wheels either. As long as you’re using a top-quality formula made for your particular type of wheel, a wheel cleaner is your best bet because it’s been specifically designed to quickly break up the grime and clean the wheel surface.

The key to preventing hazing, pitting or corrosion is carefully reading the label to ensure that the cleaner is pH balanced and specially formulated for your wheel type. Be careful to never allow the cleaner to dry or remain on the wheel any longer than the manufacturer states. Of course, you could also just play it safe and go with a product like Black Magic Titanium Wheel Cleaner. It’s been tested safe for all types of metals – guaranteed (hint, hint).

Some Wheel Cleaning Tips:

• When you’re ready to start detailing your vehicle, always start with your wheels. This prevents overspray and grime from getting onto panels that you’ve already cleaned
• Take your time and do them one at a time. Once you’ve cleaned all four wheels, change the water before moving on to your paint
• If your vehicle was just driven, wait for your brakes to cool down before spraying water on them. If you don’t, the cold water could warp your brake rotors, affecting your handling and causing damage