10 Tips to Clean and Detail Your Bike or Car Like a Pro

If you're looking to spruce up your bike or car and make it look its best, you'll want to follow these 10 tips. From cleaning the interior to detailing the exterior, these tips will have you looking shiny and new in no time! So whether you're a first-time detailer or a seasoned pro, keep reading for advice on how to clean and detail your car like a pro!

Tip 1 Be Gentle.

Turtle Wax’s Head of New Products, Mike Shultz once said "Think of the surface of your car [or bike] as you would your face, it needs to be properly taken care of in order to have a healthy glow." 

Anyone who has ever been inside a car knows the importance of taking care of it. From dusting the interior to cleaning all of the exterior surfaces, proper car detailing can make a big difference in how your ride looks and feels. In this article, we'll take a look at some easy tips for DIY car detailing. 

• Use A Good Detailing Product: The first step in any detailing project is selecting the right product. If you're using an existing vehicle, be sure to test the product on an inconspicuous area first – you don't want to damage your vehicle in
• Use A Microfiber Towel: One of the most important tools for car detailing is a good microfiber towel. It can be used not only to dust and clean surfaces but also as a general cloth for cleaning. 
• Use Cotton Swabs: When using cotton swabs, use them sparingly so as not to Use a good detailing product to get the job done correctly. A microfiber towel is essential for dusting and cleaning, while cotton swabs can be used sparingly to avoid scratching the paint.

Tip 2 Try to Avoid Acid-Based Cleaners for the Tyres

The professionals warn that although acid-based cleaners are more efficient, they can attack the wheels so unless you are very skilled it is best to avoid them.

There are a few types of tyre cleaners available, each with its advantages and disadvantages. One type, known as a non-acid-based cleaner, does not rely on corrosive solutions to clean the tyres. This means that they are safe to use on all sorts of tires, including those made from plastic or rubber. However, non-acid-based cleaners do not typically remove layers of paint or corrosion like acid-based cleaners can. 

The other type of tyre cleaner is acid-based. An acid-based cleaner will generally be more effective at removing layers of paint and corrosion from the tyres as well as addressing tough stains. However, they can also be dangerous if not used correctly - overexposure to acids can cause skin irritation and even blindness. 

Non-acidbased cleaners are safe to use on all tyres, but may not achieve the same level of cleaning results as an acid based cleaner. They tend to work better on softer soils and do not require any special preparation.

Tip 3 - Hand Wash is Best.

The director of training from Meguiar, Mike Pennington, says "We recommend hand washing, our customers enjoy doing it. It's not a chore." You may or not agree with him but it’s clear that it gets results.

It also gets you up close and personal with your bike or car which enables you to appreciate your machine and gives you the satisfaction of a job well done.

It is better to avoid basic detergents like washing up liquids that may strip any protective wax coating and use a dedicated, good quality car shampoo to avoid exposing the paintwork to scratches and nicks.

Use a soft brush to get into any hard-to-reach places on your car or bike and finish by rinsing the whole thing down with clean water or wipe it down with a rubber squeegee to remove any residues. 

Tip 4 - Compressed Air Can be Your Friend

There are many hard to reach parts of a bike or car. Some are on show and some aren’t but if you are going to do a proper job of cleaning your vehicle, you need to do them all.

Cooling fins on motorbikes or aircon ducts in cars are perfect examples. Dirt, oil, grit and smells can lurk in these places and others, ruining your pride and joy’s perfection.

Get some canned air or better still, compressed air from a mechanical compressor and get in all those nooks and crannies, in suspension arms, behind duct grills and anywhere dust and grime will accumulate.

Blast away anything and everything that shouldn’t be there taking care not to scratch anything with the nozzle and let the airflow do its job.

Tip 5 - Sometimes Paintwork Takes Extra Special Cleaning

If paintwork is clean, it has a definite shine. Sometimes old wax, pollutants and stuff left behind by birds can leave marks that ordinary car/bike shampoo won’t shift. Running your hand over the surface will tell you if you need a deeper clean because the paint will have a rough feel.

You can approach this in two ways; chemically or physically although in really tough cases a combination of the two might be required. Dedicated paint cleaners will remove oxidised paintwork, small scratches and caked on old wax and restore the original shine or you can try old fashioned hard work and scrub it clean using a specialist clay and for stubborn marks, try them both.

Tip 6 - Smooth Out Paintwork With Wax

Surfaces are shiny because they are smooth and the smoother they are the shinier they look. This is the primary purpose of polish and/or wax on your car or motorbike.  

Mechanical devices are available for this purpose to make the job easier like oscillating buffers and polishers, just take care not to damage the surface of the paint.

There is a professional tip to gauge their results, hold a ruler perpendicular to the surface of the car and check how far its reflection stretches. The higher the number legible in the paint, the glossier it is.

Tip 7 - Use the Compressed Air Again

Carpets and seats in cars and even some bikes can horde dirt and dust in their fabric, seams and folds. 

A vacuum cleaner is the obvious weapon of choice for dislodging these things but also compressed air can be used to loosen up ground in substances and also get into tight areas and corners to agitate it all before the vacuum cleaner comes along and finishes the job.

Sweep through in a circular motion taking care not to damage any delicate areas by getting the nozzle too close. Sometimes a soft brush is helpful too when you want extra perfection.

Tip 8 - Wax Protects

When your new bike or car rolls off the production line, the paintwork has a shiny new coat and looks at its best. However, as soon as it meets the elements, this starts to deteriorate, slowly but surely. 

Renew this protection from time to time to keep that showroom shine. Wax doesn’t just enhance shine, it sacrifices itself to nicks and minor scratches so they don’t make it through to the paint surface.

To do a thorough job, wax twice so you ensure all areas are treated, however, there is no need to do anymore as the wax will be removed during buffing and be wasted.

Tip 9 - Full Wax Regularly

Wax can be touched up in patches periodically but it pays to strip it down to the bare paintwork every year to remove built-up grime plus damaged and old wax.

You can then start again from scratch and refresh that off-the-production-line look and feel and keep your pride and joy looking brand new.

Tip 10 - Don’t Forget the Glass

Glass or clear plastic can be found in many places on a bike or car; windscreens, indicators, windows, dashboard, etc. 

It is best to do these areas last as they show smears and overspill from the other processes. 

Avoid ammonia-based cleaners as they have a detrimental effect on upholstery and plastic surrounds. 

Use a microfiber cloth in circular motions to achieve the best results. Work on the inside and out where possible and wrap the cloth round a suitable implement to get to those hard-to-reach places.