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Your Comprehensive At-Home Care Guide.
"How do I take care of my car at home?"
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This is the most common question we're asked from Clients who recently had a Ceramic Coating or Paint Protection Film installed. It's no surprise why either - Coatings and PPF are an investment, and it's natural to have some anxiety about caring for them. Luckily at-home maintenance is easier than you may think, and in most cases only requires quick hand-washes, and a little bit of knowledge to maintain that beautiful shine!
In this guide we'll walk you through what it takes to care for your vehicles protection package at home, proper washing and drying steps to limit scratches, and all the tools & chemicals you'll need for at-home care!
Section
ONE
The At-Home Care Secret
Section
TWO
How to Wash Like a Professional
Section
THREE
Preferred Tools & Chemicals
Section 1: The Secret to At-Home Vehicle Care.
What if we told you the biggest secret to maintaining a perfect ride was right in front of you all along? A secret so simple you may think we're kidding you. It requires no trendy products, no complicated methods, and usually takes less than an hour. In fact, it's probably something you were taught as kid and have done numerous times throughout your life.
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It's the simple, tried and true, at-home Hand Wash.
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That's right, the absolute best way to maintain your Coating or Film, and keep your vehicle looking fresh, is to get outside and give it a hand-wash. But we're not talking a "Free Fundraiser Car Wash" ran by your local Highschoolers type of wash. We're talking proper hand-washes, done so in a professional manner, with the tips we're about to teach you.
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When done correctly, proper at-home car washes will:
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Maintain your Ceramic Coating or Paint Protection Film to a professional-level.
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Reduce the likelihood of scratches (most scratches occur from improper washing).
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Prevent expensive paint damage and staining from foreign contaminants.
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Keep your vehicle shiny and glossy forever (impress the neighbors).
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When done incorrectly, at-home car washes can:
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Cause scratches and swirls in your paint.
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Waste your time by leaving behind dirt and debris.
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Waste your money with ineffective "detailing" products.
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Leave you feeling frustrated (and probably also sweaty)
Is The Answer to Maintaining my Coating or PPF Really That Easy?
Yes, the answer is that easy. Hand-Washing really is the best thing you can do to maintain your vehicle's appearances, and the Ceramic Coating or Paint Protection Film you have installed. After learning to properly Hand Wash, your vehicle will look better, in less time, for less money than driving to an automatic wash. To put it simply: if the general public all Hand Washed their cars correctly, Detailers like us wouldn't exist. Washes are that important!
Section 2: How to Wash Like a Professional
Now that you understand the importance of hand-washing, let's dive into the process and discuss how to wash your car like a professional detailer! Below is a video going over the entire wash process from start-to-finish. If you prefer reading, scroll down to find a full write up as well. Buckle in, we're getting into the details!
"The Big 4"
Understanding professional level hand-washing is easiest by breaking the process down into 4 categories. These 4 categories are the staple of hand-washing - keeping them in mind, and following a few tips about each, will result in a great wash every time!
These categories are:​
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The wash environment
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The appropriate tools and chemicals
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The wash process
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The finishing touches
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Let's dive into these categories in detail and go over why they're so important to hand-washes!
#1: The Wash Environment
The first part of hand-washing is choosing the right environment. Picking the correct environment can be the deciding factor between enjoying the wash experience or hating every minute of it. Washing in an incorrect environment will lead to additional work, longer and more difficult washes, and a poor final results.
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The easiest way to summarize what makes a good or bad wash environment, is its correlation to the sun (yes, seriously). Direct sunlight is the bane of all car washes. Sunlight causes your paint to get too hot, causing your water, soap and chemicals to dry to the vehicle before you can use and rinse them. As you can imagine, this is not good, and can lead to serious issues for your paint! The next thing to consider is wind. Luckily this is not hugely important in Ohio, but still worth noting. It's not great to wash your car in high winds where dirt, dust and debris are getting blown around.
To summarize: Avoid direct sunlight like your life depends on it, and find areas that are shaded, or wait for an overcast day to wash. Getting out of the sun relaxes the entire process and prevents the need to rush through the job.
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Examples of Good and Bad wash environments:
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Best: Inside a garage, with the door open or close. (Away from the sun and wind.)
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Great: On the driveway, covered by a carport or large trees. (Away from the sun, but subject to wind.)
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Good: On the driveway, uncovered, but on an overcast/cloudy day. (Away from the sun, but subject to wind.)
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Not Good (but doable): On the driveway, uncovered, on a warm sunny day. (Think 60 - 70 degree temps)
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Horrendous (Don't Even Try!): On the driveway, uncovered, on a hot sunny day. (Anything over 80 degrees)
#2: The Appropriate Tools & Chemicals
This tends to be the most confusing part of learning to hand-wash. In today's day and age, there are millions of "life changing" chemicals and fancy tools all claiming to be the bees knees. It can be difficult to know what's legit and what's not, and it's very easy to waste your money experimenting with each one.
In reality, the list of products needed for a proper hand-wash is small and all easily obtainable. Let's go over these products and break down the absolute must-haves and some additional nice-to-have options. At the bottom of this section we've included pictures and links to all of our favorite products.
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Here's a summary of the tools and chemicals we recommended - with details and descriptions of each below!
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x2 Wash Buckets
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Microfiber Wash Mitt
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Wheel & Tire Cleaning Brushes
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Microfiber Drying Towels
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Car Wash Soap
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Wheel & Tire Cleaner
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Iron Remover
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​Detailing Spray
Tool #1: Wash Buckets
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​​We recommend standard 3 or 5 gallon buckets - ideally 2 of them. (You'll learn why in the next section)
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These bucket(s) should be specific to washing - do not put dirt, junk, or debris into your wash bucket(s) when not using them!
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Want to wash at the highest level? Get some "Grit Guards" for the bottom of your bucket(s). They prevent dirt & debris from re-sticking to your mitt while it's in your bucket.
Tool #2: Microfiber Wash Mitt
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This is the most important tool of your wash. We suggest purchasing a High-quality, microfiber Washing Mitt.
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Microfiber mitts are designed specifically for dirt to cling to them, and for multiple uses. Between washes you should thoroughly clean your mitt in the sink or throw it in your Laundry Machine. A well taken care of mitt can last years!
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Avoid using Sponges. Sponges don't clean properly, can't get into small cracks on the vehicle and can't be cleaned thoroughly for re-use. Trapped debris can cause scratches during future washes.
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Avoid using Rags. Rags aren't meant for your vehicle's soft clear coat and will scratch your vehicle!
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Lastly, never use your Wash Mitt to clean your wheels. Wheels are extremely dirty and can be covered in tar and embedded rock. Getting these contaminants onto your Wash Mitt will ruin it!
Tool #3: Wheel & Tire Brushes
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Wheel & Tire brushes are made specifically for wheels. They come in different shapes, sizes and stiffness, and are designed to easily clean wheels without busting your knuckles. We recommend 2 different types of brushes and you only need one of each.
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Tire Cleaning Brushes - short, stubby, stiff bristled brushes meant for cleaning tires and fender liners.​​
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Wheel Cleaning Brush - small, looks like a paint brush, and has soft bristles meant for cleaning wheel metals.
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DO NOT "mix-use" these brushes. The Tire Brush will scratch your wheels, and the Wheel Brush won't clean your tires!
Tool #4: Microfiber Drying Towels
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The second most important Tool for washing next to your Wash Mitt.
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High-Quality Microfiber Towels are a must have and make drying your vehicle extremely easy.
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They are softer than any other comparable towel and won't scratch your paint.
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They are better at absorption than any other comparable towel and speed up the drying process.
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They are machine washable and can be used multiple times without breaking down.
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An important side note: The term 'microfiber' DOES NOT indicate a towels quality. There are cheap microfiber towels out there that can damage your paint. Avoid cheap "Value Packs" found in department stores like Walmart or Target, or towels sold in big-box parts stores like Autozone or Advanced Auto. High-Quality towels can be expensive ($10-$20 per towel) but they are an extremely important investment to make!
Chemical #1: Car Wash Soap
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The second most important Tool for washing next to your Wash Mitt.
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High-Quality Microfiber Towels are a must have and make drying your vehicle extremely easy.
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They are softer than any other comparable towel and won't scratch your paint.
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They are better at absorption than any other comparable towel and speed up the drying process.
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They are machine washable and can be used multiple times without breaking down.
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An important side note: The term 'microfiber' DOES NOT indicate a towels quality. There are cheap microfiber towels out there that can damage your paint. Avoid cheap "Value Packs" found in department stores like Walmart or Target, or towels sold in big-box parts stores like Autozone or Advanced Auto. High-Quality towels can be expensive ($10-$20 per towel) but they are an extremely important investment to make!
Chemical #2: Wheel & Tire Cleaner
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The second most important Tool for washing next to your Wash Mitt.
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High-Quality Microfiber Towels are a must have and make drying your vehicle extremely easy.
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They are softer than any other comparable towel and won't scratch your paint.
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They are better at absorption than any other comparable towel and speed up the drying process.
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They are machine washable and can be used multiple times without breaking down.
​
An important side note: The term 'microfiber' DOES NOT indicate a towels quality. There are cheap microfiber towels out there that can damage your paint. Avoid cheap "Value Packs" found in department stores like Walmart or Target, or towels sold in big-box parts stores like Autozone or Advanced Auto. High-Quality towels can be expensive ($10-$20 per towel) but they are an extremely important investment to make!
Chemical #3: Iron Remover
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The second most important Tool for washing next to your Wash Mitt.
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High-Quality Microfiber Towels are a must have and make drying your vehicle extremely easy.
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They are softer than any other comparable towel and won't scratch your paint.
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They are better at absorption than any other comparable towel and speed up the drying process.
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They are machine washable and can be used multiple times without breaking down.
​
An important side note: The term 'microfiber' DOES NOT indicate a towels quality. There are cheap microfiber towels out there that can damage your paint. Avoid cheap "Value Packs" found in department stores like Walmart or Target, or towels sold in big-box parts stores like Autozone or Advanced Auto. High-Quality towels can be expensive ($10-$20 per towel) but they are an extremely important investment to make!
Chemical #4: Detailing Spray
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The second most important Tool for washing next to your Wash Mitt.
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High-Quality Microfiber Towels are a must have and make drying your vehicle extremely easy.
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They are softer than any other comparable towel and won't scratch your paint.
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They are better at absorption than any other comparable towel and speed up the drying process.
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They are machine washable and can be used multiple times without breaking down.
​
An important side note: The term 'microfiber' DOES NOT indicate a towels quality. There are cheap microfiber towels out there that can damage your paint. Avoid cheap "Value Packs" found in department stores like Walmart or Target, or towels sold in big-box parts stores like Autozone or Advanced Auto. High-Quality towels can be expensive ($10-$20 per towel) but they are an extremely important investment to make!
Chemical #5: Glass Cleaner
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The second most important Tool for washing next to your Wash Mitt.
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High-Quality Microfiber Towels are a must have and make drying your vehicle extremely easy.
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They are softer than any other comparable towel and won't scratch your paint.
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They are better at absorption than any other comparable towel and speed up the drying process.
-
They are machine washable and can be used multiple times without breaking down.
​
An important side note: The term 'microfiber' DOES NOT indicate a towels quality. There are cheap microfiber towels out there that can damage your paint. Avoid cheap "Value Packs" found in department stores like Walmart or Target, or towels sold in big-box parts stores like Autozone or Advanced Auto. High-Quality towels can be expensive ($10-$20 per towel) but they are an extremely important investment to make!