The most obvious feature of your car is the finish, and whether the car is old or new, having automotive paint restoration is more expensive than looking after the paint job in the first place. Taking time to look after your cars finish will add many years of life to the paint.
There are a few steps to getting a showroom shine back on your car:
Wash the car using the correct tools: Start by purchasing a cotton or micro-fiber washing mitt, a 5 gallon plastic bucket and cleaning solutions which are specially formulated for use when washing a car. These products are non-detergent based so they will not tend to strip the wax on the car. These products have a form of lubricant in the formula which prevents scratching and has a tendency to maintain the shine.
Dry the car well: When a car is being washed, it must also be dried, and dried well. If the car is not dried well there will be water spots remaining on the surface. These water spots are actually minerals in the water and they will etch themselves into the finish of your car. It is this surface damage that often results in having automotive paint restoration done. Use a sheepskin chamois or lint free detailing cloths to dry the car, polyester or other man-made fibers have a tendency to scratch the surface.
Clay bar: if the car has a lot of grime, tree sap, bugs and pollutants on the finish, the next step will be to pull a clay bar across the car. A clay bar actually pulls the dirt of the finish without any abrasive. The clay bar and a spray lubricant are usually together in a kit, just spray the area that needs cleaning and pull the bar along the surface, it will pick up anything left on the paint surface.
Oxidized paint: if the car still looks dull, there are three solutions to remove the oxidation; they have varying degrees of harshness. The mildest abrasive is polish, then cleaner and the harshest is rubbing compound. Rubbing compound is very aggressive and should only be used after you have talked to a detailer.
You are now ready to wax the car, use a high quality carnauba wax or a paint sealer. After all this work, there will be no reason for automotive paint restoration.
If you spend a day working on your cars finish and you still need automotive paint restoration done then visit the professional detailers at Eco Car Cafe.
