Detailing For The Seasons

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Testing different sizes with the FIT fuction

When detailing a vehicle, it is important to remember to always consider the season that the vehicle will be exposed to in order to ensure maximum protection from the unique problems that can arise in specific seasons.

Springtime Detailing

As winter comes to a halt and the temperature starts warming up, the springtime would be a great time to refresh the protective elements of your vehicle. This is because the salt that is applied to the roads during a snowstorm can be a real threat to the protective properties of your car’s application of wax. Road salt’s corrosive properties eat away at your wax protection. If left long enough, the dirt and salt from the roads can completely remove the protective properties of many waxes and paint sealants. Without wax on your vehicle your clearcoat will become contaminated, and your vehicle will not be able to stay as clean for as long as it can be with fresh coat of wax (since the enhanced slickness of a waxed surface reduces the ability of dirt and rain from sticking onto the surface). Since there is a high probability that your wax protection was compromised, a thorough clay barring treatment prior to waxing would be a great way to start the new season.

Summer detailing

As summer approaches one should prepare their vehicles for warm temperatures and the sun’s damaging UV rays. This means your paint should have a fresh coat of wax to prevent the sun from fading your paint, especially red cars, as this color is the most prone to oxidation. Having a fresh coat of wax also facilitates easier removal of bugs and tar from the front end of your vehicle. CP Car Detailing also likes to focus on applying a wax or paint sealant to all exterior windows to make driving in the rain much safer and easier. At highway speeds you shouldn’t have to use windshield wipers because the rain will bead and fly off the windshield in a very dramatic fashion. When interior detailing, materials should be dressed with a product that includes UV inhibitors to prevent the sun from prematurely fading and cracking the surfaces. As the temperatures increase, your brakes pads will produce more brake dust, which means your wheels should be waxed as well to ensure no brake dust etches into the wheel’s surface.

Fall detailing

Fall detailing is all about preparing for winter. Since the temperatures are manageable at this time, it is important to add as much protection as possible to the exterior of the vehicle before the first snowfall to ensure you can fight the damaging effects of road salt. To ensure the most protection possible, CP Car Detailing suggests using more durable paint sealants and car waxes, as well as the application of multiple coats.

Winter detailing

Winter detailing is all about prevention. Ideally one should clean their vehicle as often as possible to ensure no build-up of road salt on painted surfaces. The longer road salt stays on a vehicles surface, the more time the salt has to eat away at your wax’s protective elements. Taking advantage of warmer temperatures to wax your vehicle with a durable car wax or paint sealant will ensure minimal loss of protection throughout the season. During winter it is also crucially important to minimize contact with the paint. What this means is DO NOT remove snow from your vehicle’s painted surfaces with an ice scrapper or brush. This is one of the most damaging things you can do to your vehicle, which can result in heavy swirling and scratching of your paint. Using some sort of heating element or hot water will safely melt the snow without damaging your paint. If you must remove the snow on your vehicle, use a microfiber towel and gently and slowly use downwards motions, starting at the top of the vehicle and moving downwards with each stroke. This ensures you are not introducing dirt from the bottom of the vehicle to the upper portions of the vehicle.