How to Keep a Car Clean

Even if you think of your car as nothing more than a transportation device that gets you from one point to another, it's important to keep your car clean. Not only does keeping your car clean reflect well on you, it maintains its 'health' and value longer. And if you have a black car, you know the value of a clean car more than anyone. Just like a clean suit and a clean pair of shoes, nothing looks better than a clean car. Here's how to do it and get ready for the compliments to come! Step 1 - Washing An important step in keeping any car in good condition is washing it on a regular basis. This could mean once a week or at the least twice a month. Longer than that and grime such as air pollution, brake dust, sap and bird droppings will etch the top layer of paint on your car (called the clear coat since it's clear paint) and cause it to dull and prematurely age. Choosing a quality car wash shampoo is the first step in washing. Washing your car with dish washing soap which is formulated to remove grease and food stains is too harsh on your paint. It will strip the finish of wax and polish oils. Over time, this will dull your paint finish. You want to clean your paint but you don't want to strip it which is why you want to go with car wash shampoo which has the ideal pH level to clean the paint. In the einszett product range, we have Perls Shampoo which not only cleans the paint but also puts on a protective polymer wax coating that adds gloss and protection in one step. When washing, work from the top down and use a microfiber wash mitt, natural sponge or a real lambs wool mitt. Anything else will scratch the paint and put what we call swirl marks in the paint (they look like spider webs in direct sunlight). Wash your wheels with a non-acid wheel cleaner like einszett Wheel Cleaner. It'll make removing brake dust easier without etching the paint on the wheels which acid base cleaners do. Step 2 - Drying Dry your car with a non-abrasive cloth or better yet use a microfiber towel or a synthetic chamois such as S.M. Arnold's Watersprite (professional detailer's favorite and mine too). It lasts for years and never smells because it has anti-mold agents in it. Step 3 - Paint Treatment - Polishing To keep your paint always looking its showroom best you need to clean, condition and protect the surface. To clean and condition the paint, first you need to polish. Waxing gets a lot of attention but polishing is more important. Polishing the paint cleans the paint, removes surface scratches, conditions the paint so it doesn't dry and become brittle and oxidized over time and gives paint that really deep gloss we all admire. If you skip polishing and just wax, your paint will be protected against the elements but over time will still become dry and faded. Choose from three levels of einszett polishes: PolishWax - If your paint is new or looks like new and doesn't have any swirl marks (scratches that look like spider-webs in the direct sunlight) use this polish. Paint Polish -This polish has some special paint abrasives that work to smooth down swirl marks and minor scratches on a micro level so your paint is restored back to its showroom finish. Extra - Have you neglected your paint for years? Is it really dull almost to the point that you're thinking of a repaint? As long as your paint is not peeling, you can use Extra to remove that really dull haze from your paint and watch the paint gloss come back to life. Tip: Follow-up with Paint Polish to get an even deeper gloss. Step 4 - Paint Treatment - Waxing Your paint now looks great. It's conditioned and has a much deeper finish. But how do you keep that look? This is where wax comes in. einszett developed Glanz Wax over fifty years ago. It's a synthetic based formula which allows it to endure daily driving conditions for months - even if you live in the snow belt! Glanz Wax will protect against, rain, dust, sap, bird droppings and road salt so your paint will have a strong shield. Step 5 - Interior Cleaning If it's been awhile since you've cleaned your car's interior you might need to vacuum. Take out any floor mats and vacuum all upholstery making sure to get between the seats. Next, clean the dashboard, any navigation/audio screens, armrests, shift knob and steering wheel with einszett Cockpit Premium. It leaves a flat, no-slip finish and smells great! It removes dust and light grime and has an anti-static finish. If you have a leather interior, treat with einszett Leather Care which has a non-slippery finish and will leave your leather conditioned and clean with minimum effort. Step 6 - Exterior Trim and Tires You're almost done. To keep your tires from becoming dull and your exterior plastic trim from fading (or if they've already faded) you'll need to use a product such as our einszett Vinyl-Rubber Care and Protectant. It's water-based (so it's safe for the rubber and plastic) and will clean and condition them. UV protectants will prevent the sun from drying and causing them to fade over time extending their life. And you're done! Now, this may seem like a lot but you don't need to repeat this process every time you clean your car. Here's what you need to do: 1. Wash your car once a week or at the least every other week (this applies to daily drivers regardless of where you live). 2. Polish and Wax your car twice a year - preferably around Fall and Spring. You can wax your car more often if you wish. 3. Clean the interior at least once a month. 4. Treat leather at least every 3 months. 5. Clean and condition your tires once every three weeks or more often if you prefer. Clean and condition the plastic trim once every 1-2 months. If they're faded the first time you treat them apply once followed by another treatment a few days later followed by another treatment a week later and then once a month. By that time the plastic will be reconditioned and Vinyl-Rubber Care will have restored the trim to its original color. If you'd like more detailed information about how to care for your car, check out our Car Care 101 section of the einszett website. You can read our "Keep It Clean" detailing articles, read solutions to common issues such as removing sprinkler water spots from your paint and more. And you can always contact us by emailing support@1z-usa.com or calling us toll-free 888-719-4698. All the best!