Buying a new car is a great feeling. The fresh smell of leather 
as you enter the car. The paintwork is gleaming and waxy smooth. 
You might even catch yourself stealing a glance at the reflection
of your pride and joy as you drive it out your house.

Skip ahead by 12 months and see how your car looks now. Is it
still gleaming new or does the paintwork look tired, dull and
"old"? How can some cars look brand new even though they are
already 3 years old? Why do others look "old" when it just rolled
out the showroom 12 months ago?

The secret is in how you care for your car. It is easy to keep
your car like new if you know how.


1) A Wash A Week Keeps Your Car Clean & Slick

Much as you wish that your car will remain clean by itself, it
just won’t happen. Dust will accumulate even if you just keep it
in your garage. There’s only one thing to do. Wash your car! It’s
very important that you wash your car especially after you’ve
driven in the rain. If you let the water droplets dry naturally,
especially under the hot sun, there will be tough-to-remove
watermark stains on your paintwork.

The first thing you need to wash your car is a clean and soft
terry cloth. Alternatively, you can use cloth diapers as well.
You can get these easily at the baby’s section in your local
departmental store. They’re cheap and it works. Of course, if you
want to be posh, then get the Ultimate Wipe cloth from Meguiar’s
(http://www.fdcars.com/newsletter/n2-1.htm). You’ll need a good
car shampoo next. I personally use Meguiar’s NXT Generation Car
Wash (http://www.fdcars.com/newsletter/n2-2.htm). It’s reasonably
priced and a 64oz bottle will last you quite a while.

Start off by hosing down your car to remove any dirt, mud or
grime. Then mix 3 caps-full of shampoo with around 20oz (a small
bucket) of water. Apply the shampoo mixture to your car using the
cloth/diaper. Hose off the shampoo once you’ve finished
shampooing the car. Use your cloth under running water to wipe
off any remaining shampoo residue. It is VERY important that you
wipe your car dry with another clean terry cloth/diaper. Make
sure your entire car is wiped dry.

Next, clean your rims. Brake dust normally accumulates there and
cleaning it will make a huge difference in how your car looks.
It’s pointless to have clean paintwork you’re your rims are
dirty. It’s also advisable to vacuum the inside of your car every
week or every other week. You spend your time inside the car, so
cleaning the interior just makes sense.


2) A Monthly Wax Keeps The Shine To The Max

Waxing your car will keep your paintwork gleaming new. You can
either send it to an auto detailer or do it yourself. It’s
actually not that difficult to wax your car. If you have an hour
or so of spare time, then try waxing your car yourself.

It’s important that you wash and wipe dry your car before waxing.
NEVER wax your car before washing/drying it! It’s best to park
your car under in a shady area when waxing. It makes sense to use
a good carnauba wax like Meguiar’s NXT Generation Tech Wax
(http://www.fdcars.com/newsletter/n2-3.htm). Use the included
sponge and apply the wax in a small circular motion. Wax your car
one section at a time, remembering which section you started
with. Finish applying wax on the entire car.

Wipe off the excess wax using a soft terry cloth/cloth diaper.
Start with the first panel that you applied the wax and continue
from there. You’ll find the wax residue accumulating on your
cloth. Shake it off periodically and continue to remove excess
wax until you’ve finished all panels.

Look carefully and check for remaining wax residue. Use your
cloth to clean any remaining residue.

To prepare your cloth for your next wax, wash it with a liquid
softener. It’s fine to use the liquid softener that you use for
your clothes. This guarantees there isn’t any remaining
dirt/grime that may scratch your car during your next waxing
session.


3) Wax Your Tyre Next O’ Sire

For that shiny, wet look, wax your tyres after every wash/wax.
Use Meguiar’s Hot Shine High Gloss Tyre Spray
(http://www.fdcars.com/newsletter/n2-4.htm). The trigger spray
makes it easy to apply. You literally need less than 5 minutes
for this but applying tyre spray/wax makes a big difference.


4) Condition That Leather To Help It Fight The Weather

Make sure you clean and condition your leather seats at least
once every 2 months if you car comes with leather seats. Use
Meguiar’s Medallion Premium Leather Care conditioner
(http://www.fdcars.com/newsletter/n2-5.htm). Apply the
conditioner with a clean cloth/cloth diaper, leave for 15 minutes
and wipe off excess conditioner. Your leather will look and smell
like new if you do this every month.

While you’re at it, clean any vinyl surface of your car using
Meguiar’s Vinyl & Leather Cleaner/Conditioner
(http://www.fdcars.com/newsletter/n2-6.htm). This maintains the
interior looking like new.


5) Your Car’s Now Shiny So You Can Be Happy

Your car will look like it’s brand new if you follow this
routine. An hour or so every week pays huge dividends. Friends
and family will think you’ve just bought a new car even though
it’s 3 years old. The best thing is when it comes time to sell
your car. A car with gleaming new paintwork and a clean interior
makes a strong impression and will automatically raise the
selling price of your car! 

Fantic Carro is the founder of FD Cars which is a resource
for car lovers worldwide. Visit his site for more articles,
reviews and tips on cars:
http://www.fdcars.com

P.S. The writer does not work for Meguiar’s and only recommends
the products as a satisfied customer.