7 Auto Detailing Secrets the Professionals Don’t Want You to Know

Pssst, wanna know a secret? You don't have to spend $150 plus getting your car detailed. There are auto detailing tricks the pros don't want you to know that get the job done at a fraction of the cost.

You'll need to invest in a couple of pieces of kit and some specialist products. But spend a hundred bucks or so gathering these items and you'll be able to use them time and time again. 

Here are the top 7 auto detailing secrets that will give you professional results, right on your own driveway.

1. Wage War on Grit

Grit is your auto detailing enemy and this is where many home auto detailers make their first mistake. Washing your car when it's covered in grit or using tools that trap grit is like rubbing sandpaper into your car's glossy finish.

Start with a clean water rinse before you think about washing your car. If your car has a ceramic coating, water, dirt, and bird lime will just wash right off.

Work your way methodically around the car. You can use a pressure washer on relatively low pressure for this but a regular hose with good pressure will do just fine.

Start high and work low. Get all the accumulated grit and dirt rinsed off the roof first. Only then start working your way around every part of the car. 

Here's the first secret weapon of auto detailers - microfiber cloths. 

Microfibers are about one-fifth the thickness of a human hair. The best quality versions are able to hold many times their own weight in water. But their auto detailing superpower is not holding onto grit.

When you rinse a microfiber cloth, grit and dirt just rinse right off. It doesn't cling or get caught in nooks and crannies like it would with a sponge. Always use a microfiber mitt over a sponge for auto detailing.

They're also perfect for buffing to a shine, but more on that later.

2. Don't Skimp on the Soap or Buckets

Think you can get away with using dish soap to clean your car? Forget it. When picking up auto detail supplies, specialist car wash soap should be top of your list.

There are three basic kinds.

• General use - your go-to for regular cleaning
• Wash and wax - adds a thin layer of wax as a top-up between treatments
• Strip shampoo - strips away wax and everything else from your car paint

Strip shampoo is powerful stuff. You should only use it right before re-waxing your car as it removes the protective wax remaining from the last treatment.

Next, you always need two buckets. One with clean, soapy water. One full of rinse water.

Always rinse your mitt in the rinse bucket first to dislodge dirt and grit. Then dunk it in the soapy bucket to reload. Empty your rinse water regularly - several times as you wash the whole car.

3. Treat Scratches

You can buff your car until the cows come home and it won't remove untreated scratches. And here's a tip for free - the answer is not toothpaste.

First, thoroughly wash your car and buffed it dry with microfiber cloths. Now do an inch by inch inspection and look for any scratches. Get yourself a scratch repair kit and treat the scratches.

Repair kits treat light scratches by using abrasive compounds to dissolve a little of the clear coat. This helps to fill light scratches but probably won't work on deeper ones. You'll need to take them to a repair shop if they reach the base coat or go as far as the metal.

Once your car is scratch-free, you're ready to move on to polishing.

4. Polish, Then Wax

To auto detail like a pro, you're going to have to invest in a pro tool. A buffer/polisher will set you back about $80, but it'll reward you with a finish you cannot obtain by hand.

Don't cheap out and buy a buffing attachment for a drill or use a high-speed buffer. One false move and you'll do damage to your paintwork that could cost thousands to put right. A buffer/polisher runs at lower speeds and is designed for the job.

First, spritz the car with water or a very weak car wash soap/water solution. Grab a clay bar and go over the entire surface of the car to remove any contaminants. This ensures you don't scratch the paint when you use the polisher.

Use detail spray and a clean microfiber to clean the paintwork. Dab your polishing pad with dime-sized dots of polish and spritz it with detail spray. Spread the polish in the area you're working with the polisher off before you start polishing.

Take your time, go slow. When you're done, buff the polish residue off with a clean, dry microfiber cloth.

5. Get Specialist Trim Treatment 

It's easy to focus on the paintwork and neglect the trim. Grab yourself a bottle of trim detailing spray and work your way around all the trim before you wax the car. 

Also, invest in some silicone spray for the door seal. This will help stop your doors from freezing shut in the winter or getting sticky in the summer.

6. Auto Interior Detailing - Get the Right Kit

 A few simple auto detailing supplies can take interior detailing to the next level.

A detailing brush allows you to get into all the little crevices where dirt collects in your car's interior. With a vacuum wand in one hand and the detailing brush in the other, go around the entire car from the top down.

This will let you dig dirt out of vents, switches, and joins with ease, giving you a professional result.

Next, get yourself a stiff brush. Run this through the carpets before vacuuming and you'll extract way more dirt than vacuuming alone.

7. Get the Order Right

The golden rule of all cleaning is to start high and work low. So why do most of us charge in with vacuum cleaners first? If you clean the carpets and seats first, the rest of the dirt will just get dumped on them later. 

Leave them until next to last. The last place goes to glass. This lets you remove anything that got splashed on it while cleaning the rest of the interior.

You guessed it - glass cleaner and microfiber are your friends.

Make Auto Detailing a Breeze with Car Coatings

Auto detailing can be a very satisfying process. With a few simple tools and techniques, you can achieve the same high-quality results you get from taking it to auto detailers.

Make your life even easier by getting a car coating for your vehicle. Whether you choose a ceramic coating or a vinyl wrap, they keep your car looking sharp year-round.

The professionals at Xtreme Auto Glass & Window Tint are here for your auto detailing needs and more. Contact us for a free estimate today!