What is Car Detailing?

When it comes to cleaning your car, you may be asking, “what is car detailing,” or “how is it different from car washing?” A car wash is surface level cleaning, whereas car detailing is thorough and focuses on restoring both the interior and exterior of your vehicle. Car detailing removes blemishes and scratches and can be done on your own or by our highly trained professionals near Lakeland. Learn more about car detailing and the benefits at Chevrolet Center Inc.

Car Detailing Supplies

When detailing your car, you will need the following items:

• A variety of small brushes (such as a paintbrush)
• Canned air
• Car-safe cleaner
• Carpet stain cleaner
• Microfiber cloths
• Surface protector for vinyl and leather surfaces
• Upholstery cleaner
• Vacuum cleaner
• Washing mitts
• Window cleaner

Exterior Car Detailing Steps

Follow these steps to detail the exterior of your vehicle:

• Rigorous Exterior Wash: Use water, a car-safe washing solution, and microfiber cloths to clean the body of your vehicle. Avoid cleaning solutions like household detergents, as they may strip off the wax on your car’s surface. Also, make sure to frequently swap out cleaning cloths, as dirt or sand build-up may scratch your vehicle’s surface. Then, be sure to dry the vehicle off with clean towels to avoid watermarks.
• Clean the Wheels: Using the solution you used to wash the rest of your car or a solution made especially for car tires, clean your vehicle’s wheels. To clean out the dirt from the grooves and hard to reach places, use a small brush.
• Wax the Exterior: Once the exterior is completely dry, wax your car. Use a waxing pad and apply a thin layer to the entire exterior using small circular motions. Once you’re finished, wipe off excess wax with a small brush.

Interior Car Detailing Steps

When detailing the interior, be sure to include the following areas of your vehicle:

• Carpeting: First, vacuum your carpeting. If you have stains on the carpeting, use a stain remover and brush to remove them.

• Door Interior: Use a solution made of soap and water to clean the non-carpeted part of your doors and dry them down with a cloth. Then, open your car doors to clean the metal and plastic parts of your door jambs.

• Windows: Wash the inside of your car mirrors with a window-cleaning solution and dry completely to avoid streaks.

• Upholstery: After vacuuming the seats, remove any stains with a stain remover and brush. Once you finish cleaning your seats, let them dry with your car doors open to avoid mildew.

• Steering Wheel Column: Remove dust and stains with a cleaning solution, dry, and apply a surface protectant.

• Dashboard and Center Console: Use your small tools to clean cracks and tight crevices, then dry completely with a cloth.

Have Your Car Detailed at Chevrolet Center Inc

If you would prefer to have a professional handle your vehicle’s car detailing, visit Chevrolet Center Inc in Winter Haven. Contact us online with questions about the car detailing process or other routine maintenance services like oil changes and tire rotations.