How to Detail a Car Exterior

Washing your car every weekend keeps it clean, and this routine maintenance is also good for the painted surface. Detailing the exterior involves more than simply washing the car: It is a process that includes a deep clean, a wash and a wax-and-polish finish. The exterior of your car includes the tires, wheels, trim and glass, not just the painted surface. After detailing your car's exterior, the vehicle should look cleaner than after an average weekend's wash. It takes several hours to fully detail a car's exterior.

Things You'll Need

• Car soap
• Soft sponge
• Water
• Clay bar kit
• Car polish
• Carnauba wax
• Wax applicator
• Cotton towels
• Microfiber towels
• Wheel cleaner
• Scrub brush
• Microfiber applicator pad
• Rubber and plastic protectant
• Auto glass cleaner

Instructions

1. Park the car in the shade and let the surface cool. Wash the car with car soap and a soft sponge to remove all dirt and surface debris. Rinse the car and let it dry completely.

2. Spray wheel cleaner on the tires and wheels, and let it soak in for five minutes. Scrub the wheels with a soft-bristled scrub brush and rinse them completely.

3. Spray the clay bar lubricant on a small area and rub the clay bar back and forth across the lubricant -- the clay bar picks up small contaminants that you can't see, but are harmful to the paint. Continue spraying the lubricant on small areas and keep on rubbing the clay bar over the lubricant until you finish the entire car.

4. Apply a quarter-size amount of car polish to a cotton towel. Rub the polish onto the painted surface of the car, using small circular motions. Work the polish into the surface, until it is no longer hazy. Begin on the hood and work towards the rear of the car, completing one section at a time. Apply more polish, as needed.

5. Wax the polished surface with carnauba wax and a damp wax applicator. Begin at the hood, and work towards the rear of the car. Let the wax sit on the surface for 10 minutes. Buff the wax off, by hand, using a microfiber towel.

6. Wipe plastic and rubber protectant on all the trim pieces on your car. Use a microfiber applicator pad to wipe the trim, weather stripping, windshield cowl, rubbing boards and other plastic pieces.

7. Spray automotive glass cleaner onto a dry microfiber towel. Wipe the inside and outside of the windows with the damp towel. Polish the windows with a dry microfiber towel.

Tips & Warnings

• You should detail your car to this level at least four times per year.

• Don't work on the painted surface of the car while it's parked in the sun, or the paint could be damaged.

• Don't use an ammonia-based glass cleaner in your car, because ammonia is toxic when inhaled in small areas, like the inside of your car. It is also harmful to the window tint.