Car Care & Auto Detailing Blog

A luxury car is a substantial investment. It only makes sense that if you’re a luxury car owner, you want to do everything you can to protect that investment. Although you could treat your luxury car like any other average car, sending it through the car wash at the gas station almost feels like sacrilege. Luxury car care requires a certain level of dedication and attention to detail that will treat the vehicle with the respect it needs and deserves. If you’re the proud owner of a luxury car and want to keep it in showroom condition all the time, here are some of the most important luxury car cleaning tips you should follow at home to ensure the best results.

Use a Clay Bar

Getting your luxury car out on the open road is one of life’s biggest pleasures, but that pleasure comes with a price. No matter how well-protected your car’s finish is, microscopic dust particles and other abrasives kicked up from the road will attach themselves to your car. What’s more, those abrasives will eventually cause tiny scratches that can dull your paint job. After giving your car a good wash to remove the dirt you can see, a clay bar is helpful for removing all the tiny contaminants that still linger on the surface.

Polish and Wax the Exterior

Proper polishing removes scratches and buffs any imperfections that might be inflicted on your car’s finish. This is especially important for luxury cars, where appearance is everything. When taking care of the exterior of your luxury car, the luxury car cleaning products you use are crucial. For example, the Italian viscose fibers that make up the Buffing Balls from CleanTools make them superior for polishing a luxury car. The unique nature of Buffing Balls means they won’t overheat or get caked up like foam buffers can. When it comes to waxing your car and protecting the finish, The Glosser makes the work easier. With its three-layer microfiber cloth containing an inner layer of wax, a quick stroke is all that’s needed to remove tough road grime and wax your car’s exterior.

Cleaning the Interior

Luxury car detailing is just as important as taking care of your car’s exterior. After all, when you spend a little extra for leather seats and/or accents, you want to make sure they last and look good for as long as possible. Using special cleaning products to clean and protect your leather upholstery is essential; so is cleaning up all the dust and lint that can settle on your car’s interior surfaces. With the use of the Dash Gear from CleanTools, cleaning every surface in your car’s interior couldn’t be easier. Dash Gear’s microfiber construction captures and lifts dust and lint away from surfaces more effectively than any other type of cleaning cloth. The Dash Gear is perfect for cleaning dashboards, navigation screens, air vents and upholstery. With dust and lint trapped within the Dash Gear’s microfibers, you’ll have a perfectly clean surface to apply the leather cleaner and conditioner of your choice.

By following the above luxury car cleaning tips, you’ll be well on your way to keeping your vehicle in top shape for a long time to come.

Tinted windows add a nice touch to the look of the right car, in addition to helping protect the driver from excessive UV light. For your tinted windows to stay in their best condition, it’s important for you to know the best way to clean tinted windows. Keeping them clean not only keeps your car looking good, but it can also help ensure that your windows will last a long time. Here are some basic tips on how to clean tinted car windows.

Having the Right Tools

The first step is making sure you have the right tools for the job. You’ll want to use an ammonia-free cleanser for your tinted windows, as ammonia will weaken your tint and damage it. You’ll also need a microfiber cloth to apply the cleanser. Don’t use paper towels, because the rough fibers can scratch the tint. Certain types of cotton towels or T-shirts can be just as abrasive as paper, too. Finally, you’ll want to have The Absorber on hand to dry your tinted windows once they’re clean. The Absorber’s unique Poly Vinyl Alcohol construction and sponge-like pore structure make it superior to terrycloth towels or leather chamois for drying your car quickly and effectively.

The Proper Conditions

Next, make sure the conditions are right for washing your car. Choose a day with mild temperature and no chance of rain in the forecast. If you can wash your car in a shaded spot, that will be best because it can prevent the water from drying too fast and leaving spots. If possible, cleaning the inside of your car’s windows about every two weeks is optimal to help prevent the worst buildup.

How to Clean Tinted Windows

Using a microfiber cloth to apply the cleanser, rub gently until the window is clean. Take care to avoid the edges of the windows, or else water and cleanser can get underneath the tint and create air bubbles. Then, using The Absorber, wipe the windows until they are completely dry. If there are any small bubbles in the tint, a heat gun can be used to flatten them, or a credit card wrapped in a soft cloth can be used to gently push the air out from underneath the tint.

Longer-Lasting Windows

Having clean window tint is one of the best ways to help make sure that it will last long enough for you to get your money’s worth from it. Although tinted car windows require a little extra care and attention, the results are well worth it. Having the right knowledge and the right tools — including The Absorber — will make all the difference when cleaning your tinted auto windows, so your tinted car windows can look good and last for a long time to come.

No matter how much you want to protect your car’s finish, some damage is inevitable. Your car is always under attack from dust, dirt, and other particles that can scratch your paint. One of the most common types of scratches is swirl marks, which are very fine scratches that appear as swirls on your hood, trunk, or other flat surfaces. These marks occur when dust or other particulates become trapped in a washcloth, buffer or chamois, and are rubbed against the surface of your paint. That dust scratches the paint, and light reflected by the sides of these scratches can make them easier to see. They can also be caused by car covers that are not clean, automated car wash brushes, or dust and dirt left when a car is not properly rinsed after washing.

Swirl marks on your car can give it a dull, unattractive appearance, but the good news is that you don’t have to live with them. Anyone wanting to know how to get swirl marks out of paint should know that they can be polished with the right tools. Although they can’t be avoided completely, the worst of them can be prevented with some basic care.

Taking Care of Swirl Marks

Removing swirl marks by hand requires the use of car polish, and there are some products that are specifically created for that purpose. Once the swirl marks have been buffed out of your car’s finish, you can use The Glosser from CleanTools to help keep its surface free of the dust and grit that can cause swirl marks and other types of scratches. The Glosser’s wax fabric sandwiched between two layers of cleaner-infused fabric removes dust and debris from the surface of your car while waxing. This makes it easier to keep up with the accumulation of dirt your car constantly picks up.

Most swirl marks are caused by dust and grit trapped inside cleaning tools and towels. By simply ensuring that the cleaning tools you’re using are clean and thoroughly rinsed between uses can help prevent most swirl marks and scratches. CleanTools offers a wide variety of products designed to keep your car clean and help reduce the appearance of swirl marks. Our Premium Wash Mitt from CleanTools holds an incredible amount of water and traps in the dust causing your paint swirls. Make sure to completely rinse it after each use and keep it clean when not in use. When drying with The Absorber, be careful not to drop it on the ground as it can pick up particles from the pavement. If that happens, simply rinse it off and it will be good to go! Preventative maintenance on your cleaning supplies will only help the next time you give your baby a bath.

You may not be able to prevent dust and grit from attacking your car’s finish, but you don’t have to live with the results, either.

A vehicle’s tires are constantly in contact with dirty, oily road surfaces. Wheels, meanwhile, are getting spattered with this combination, and are collecting brake dust as well. Yet, when it comes to cleaning a vehicle, wheels and tires rarely receive the same level of care and attention that most people give the bodies of their cars.

Over time, dirt, oil, and brake dust can take a toll on your vehicle’s wheels and tires. Tires become drab and cracked, and wheels get grimy and scratched. You could take your car to a car wash regularly to have the wheels and tires professionally cleaned, but to save time and money (and make sure the job gets done right), you easily can do it yourself in your own driveway and get the best tire shine.

Best Practices and Helpful Tools

Any time you wash your car, wash your wheels and tires first to prevent spraying dirt from them right back onto your doors and fenders. Gather some cleaning tools first, such as a tire brush, a Wash Mitt, and The Absorber for drying. These should be dedicated for cleaning tires; use another set for cleaning the car’s painted surfaces.

If you are cleaning aluminum wheels, a Buffing Ball will help you polish them. When you select a wheel and tire cleaner, you should know that some tire cleaners are specially formulated to clean and rejuvenate rubber. Make sure you follow the manufacturer’s instructions if you use a cleaner made specifically for tires. Use two buckets at all times; one with your cleaning solution and water, and the other with water just for rinsing your tools before dipping them back into the solution.

You can use a Wash Mitt to give your tires a preliminary cleaning. After spraying the tires and letting the cleaner break down the buildup for a few minutes, use a stiffer brush to scrub the tires — being careful not to scratch the wheel surfaces as you do so.

Moving on to the wheels, be sure to choose an appropriate cleaner for the type of wheels on your car, and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. After leaving the cleaner on for a few minutes, scrub away accumulated dirt and brake dust with a soft, feathered brush to prevent scratching. It’s important to remove accumulated brake dust because it includes tiny metal filings from the brake pads that can corrode and damage the surface of your wheels over time.

Once you’ve scrubbed the tire and the wheel, rinse the entire wheel with a strong jet from your hose. Clean only one wheel/tire set at a time. If the cleaner dries, all you’ve done is apply a thin coating that won’t simply rinse away. Use The Absorber specifically for drying your wheels and tires to prevent water spots. Its unique PVA material and sponge-like pore structure combine to ensure superior drying.

The Finishing Touches

Chrome and aluminum wheels can reflect an extra shine when polished with a Buffing Ball. Specifically designed for polishing chrome, aluminum, and painted surfaces, Buffing Balls’ Italian viscose fibers are safe at speeds up to 2,500 rpm, and they won’t tear the way foam buffers can. Applying wax to your wheels will make it easier to clean them the next time, and also help prevent dirt and brake dust from accumulating.

Knowing how to clean tires, using a little elbow grease, and having the right tools will enable you to give your wheels and tires a professional-grade look and protect them from road elements for a long time.

If worries about a water spot here, a streak there, and a scratch in yet another place have you ready to throw in the towel on washing your own car, don’t. In fact, you shouldn’t even have a towel to throw in. There’s a proper way to wash and dry your car — and come away with a smooth, even and shiny finish — and it starts with using the right car care products.

Henry Ford was on to something when he said, “Any color you like, so long as it's black.” No color looks as sharp on a vehicle, but keeping it that way is hard work. Black shows dirt and dust, and there's nothing as annoying as swirl marks on a black car. You can purchase auto scratch removers to lessen the appearance of swirls, but the best approach is prevention.

You take great care of your car, regularly washing and waxing it to ensure it stays shiny and in like-new condition. Yet have you ever thought about the condition of your actual wheels (not the tires)? If you have not polished or cleaned your aluminum wheels recently, you could be setting the stage for corrosion and detracting from the overall look of your vehicle.

The Problem With Aluminum Rims

Aluminum rims are a great option because they give the car a smooth ride. However, the one downside to aluminum rims is the high risk of damage from road debris and more specifically brake dust. Brake dust is made from tiny metal shavings from the rotor and carbon fibers from the brake pad that, when combined, are highly corrosive. Brake dust is inevitable so it is important to polish and buff your wheels to ensure they are not being damaged.

Before you jump into polishing aluminum wheels, make sure you are tackling the job in the right way.

Here's what you need to do:

1. Rinse the wheel wells thoroughly to remove brake dust and road grime. Be sure to get into the crevices and clean behind the wheels as well as the wheel well.
2. Use an aluminum wheel cleaner to clean the wheels more effectively. The best aluminum wheel cleaners are designed to be non-acidic, so they will not tarnish the aluminum.
3. Buff the wheels using a Buffing Ball on a 3/8” drill with an aluminum wheel polish. The fibers of the Buffing Ball will get into the crevices you can't reach to achieve a brilliant shine.
4. When buffing, do a small portion of the wheel at a time, because aluminum polish turns black quickly. After buffing, use a clean towel and remove the polish before it changes color. Repeat on the next portion of the wheel.
5. Wipe everything with a dry towel then a wet towel to remove polish still lingering on the wheels.
6. Dry everything thoroughly using The Absorber to ensure you do not leave water spots.

Find the Best Products for Cleaning Aluminum Wheels at CleanTools

The task of cleaning aluminum wheels becomes a bit easier with the right tools. Although the quality of the aluminum rim cleaner is important, the towels and buffing tools you use will also play a role in the effectiveness of the job. CleanTools has a number of products that will make this job a breeze. Use The Absorber and the Buffing Ball to clean and buff your aluminum wheels in little time, so you can enjoy shiny rims and wheels that match the rest of your car.

The problem with oxygen is that it’s everywhere. That is to say, it’s good for us that oxygen is everywhere because we need it to live. But, it’s not good for your car’s finish because of the damage oxidation can cause. Oxygen molecules are constantly in contact with the surface of your car’s paint job. It tends to cause other molecules close to it to lose electrons which, over time, causes those other molecules — like the molecules in your car’s paint — to fall apart.

As your paint continues to oxidize, the effects become more noticeable. At first, you’ll see that the paint looks a bit duller than it did before. Then, the surface of the paint will start to fade and the colors won’t be as vibrant. A paint job that is suffering from heavy oxidation will have a dull, chalky surface. The final stage of oxidation means the clear coat will deteriorate, causing patches of paint to dissolve permanently. That opens the door for rust and means you’ll need to repaint the car.