Auto Care Articles

In a mobile detailing operation cleaning steps can become routine. However the other day I was reminded of the importance of the correct preperation for a vehicle waxing.I booked an appointment for a hand wash and wax and called the customer the day before to confirm. I was then informed by the customer that the vehicle would be brought thru the car wash to save a step. I thanked the customer for the considerate gesture but found the vehicle the next day with the bottom third still contaminated with tar and small particles of road kill. These hitch hikers could easily break free during the wax application and create scratches or swirl marks. Being a white vehicle I put my face close to the surface and still found a light coating of dirt that actuall shaded the true white.

Subsequently I hand washed and clayed the vehicle to make it truly clean. Frequently at this step on white, if the customer is nearby he or she will remark on how much brighter the vehicle looks. Bug and tar remover is applied and lightly aggitated during the cleaning process to loosen up those pesky hitch hikers. Most importantly the hand wash is done by a human being with two good eyes that can identify really dirty areas on the car. A machine wash can't see, it just spits out a car that's been lightly cleaned and rinsed.

Now back to our white car. After the wash Details By Darin applied a quality paste wax and this vehicle was again standing tall. The owner inspected and  was amazed at the crispnes of the white. Now here's the best part. A regular waxing allows less tar, grime, and road bandits to bond to the car thus allowing more effective future washes. Machine washes are convenient and quick but the next time you use one take a few seconds to get down on one knee and look closely just behind either front wheel. You'll see the results achieved especially on a lighter collored vehicle. When you have time and need mobile detailing book a hand wash and wax with Details By Darin and let those results speak for themselves.