How to Clean and Polish a Car

Member

By Pillain
User-Submitted Article

Article Rating: (7 Ratings)

Clean and Polish a Car

Cleaning and polishing your own car gives you a special sense of satisfaction knowing exactly the care that was put into your special car. Here's some simple instructions to get your car looking like a show car.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

clean 100% cotton rags
Liquid Glass auto polish
Armor All protectant spray
dishwashing soap

Step 1

If your car is very dirty, use dish washing liquid to clean the car. Do not use harsh detergents, as this could harm your paint. Scrub the tires and wheels. If the car is merely dusty, then just wipe it down with a damp 100% cotton rag.
Step 2

Once the car is cleaned and dried, apply polish to the car. I've always used Liquid Glass and have never been disappointed. Make sure you shake the can of polish vigorously and apply sparingly. Work the polish evenly on the painted surface and glass areas with a damp 100% cotton rag using circular strokes. Remember to never rub the car with a dry rag.
Step 3

After the polish is applied on the entire car, allow 15 minutes for the polish to set. Then remove the polish using a clean damp 100% cotton rag. As the rag becomes dirty, turn and refold the rag to work with the clean side. After removing the polish, the car should be shiny like a diamond. Park it in the sun for 1/2 hour to bake the polish on.
Step 4

Using the rag you used to apply the polish, apply another coat of polish, and remove with the same rag used to remove the polish. Park the car in the sun again to harden the second coat. If possible, keep the car free of mud and grime so that subsequent washes can be accomplished with a damp rag to prevent removing the existing coats of polish. You want to keep adding coats of baked on polish to give your car optimum shine and protection.
Step 5

Spray the tires with Armor All, and your car is ready!

Comments

GilinAtlanta said

Flag This Comment

on 3/25/2009 Nice idea, only the environment suffers with the loss of water and the use of dish soap. Why not use Auto Guard Waterless Car Cleaner (www.autoguard.com)? It's safe for all cars and removes the oxidation caused by soap washes. No water is necessary and a Carnauba wax shine in a fraction of the time.