It's important to care for your car, regardless of its age or cost.
A clean car just looks better, and by keeping the exterior and interior clean, you'll help maintain the value of the vehicle.
Done regularly and with a little planning, cleaning your car should be quick, straightforward and effective.
Follow the instructions Whichever car cleaning products you decide to use, make sure you read the instructions carefully.
For example, it is essential to use the right type of wheel cleaner for your alloys or leave the product on for the right amount of time, to prevent any unwanted damage being caused.
And no matter how pressed for time you may be, don't be tempted to use household cleaning products on your car or any type of kitchen cleaning pad - or you may do more harm than good.
Cloth care If your car is covered in mud and dirt, make sure you wash it with water but don't use a sponge or you'll end up rubbing the dirt into the car and scratching the paintwork.
Similarly, if you drop the cloth you're using to wipe a washed car (once the mud has been washed away with a hosepipe) stop using it - it may look clean but it could have small bits of grit on it which will damage your car's bodywork.
Hoover care Use a hoover together with a small brush such as a paint brush.
The brush can remove dirt from the car's nooks and crannies while the hoover then removes this from the vehicle.
Be careful not to apply pressure to the end nozzle of the hoover when cleaning plastic or leather surfaces as it can leave marks.
Polish time There is a quick test you can run to check if your car needs a polish or not.
Simply spray your car with water and if the water then runs off the vehicle in little droplets, you don't need to polish it.
If this doesn't happen, it's time for a polish.
Test the upholstery If the inside of your car needs a thorough clean because of stains on the upholstery, test a small area of the upholstery first - and use a section that can't be seen normally.
This way, if the product is fine you can simply progress to cleaning the whole area, but if it reacts badly to the material, you avoid any unnecessary damage.
A clean car just looks better, and by keeping the exterior and interior clean, you'll help maintain the value of the vehicle.
Done regularly and with a little planning, cleaning your car should be quick, straightforward and effective.
Follow the instructions Whichever car cleaning products you decide to use, make sure you read the instructions carefully.
For example, it is essential to use the right type of wheel cleaner for your alloys or leave the product on for the right amount of time, to prevent any unwanted damage being caused.
And no matter how pressed for time you may be, don't be tempted to use household cleaning products on your car or any type of kitchen cleaning pad - or you may do more harm than good.
Cloth care If your car is covered in mud and dirt, make sure you wash it with water but don't use a sponge or you'll end up rubbing the dirt into the car and scratching the paintwork.
Similarly, if you drop the cloth you're using to wipe a washed car (once the mud has been washed away with a hosepipe) stop using it - it may look clean but it could have small bits of grit on it which will damage your car's bodywork.
Hoover care Use a hoover together with a small brush such as a paint brush.
The brush can remove dirt from the car's nooks and crannies while the hoover then removes this from the vehicle.
Be careful not to apply pressure to the end nozzle of the hoover when cleaning plastic or leather surfaces as it can leave marks.
Polish time There is a quick test you can run to check if your car needs a polish or not.
Simply spray your car with water and if the water then runs off the vehicle in little droplets, you don't need to polish it.
If this doesn't happen, it's time for a polish.
Test the upholstery If the inside of your car needs a thorough clean because of stains on the upholstery, test a small area of the upholstery first - and use a section that can't be seen normally.
This way, if the product is fine you can simply progress to cleaning the whole area, but if it reacts badly to the material, you avoid any unnecessary damage.
Source...