Anyone can take their vehicle to the car wash, but sometimes your ride need a little TLC—or a just good old-fashioned scrubbing!

You Will Need

* A water hose
* A spray bottle of tire cleaner
* A brush with soft bristles, a wash mitt, or a rag
* A bottle of car washing liquid
* And a chamois

Park in shady area : Park your car in a shady area. Rinse tires : Rinse the tires with the water hose.

Spray tire w/ cleaner : Spray a tire with the whitewall cleaner and let it seep in for about 10 seconds.

Scrub tire : Scrub the whitewall and the entire wheel cover with your brush, wash mitt, or rag.

Hose tire off & repeat : Hose the tire off, and then repeat this process on the remaining three tires.

Spray entire exterior : Spray the entire exterior of the car with the hose to wash away any visible grime.Scrubbing before rinsing could accidentally scratch the finish with caked-on dirt.

Spray roof : Spray the roof thoroughly with the car wash and give it a good rub down.Don’t use dishwashing detergent in place of products that are formulated for cars, or you’ll risk stripping the wax finish off your vehicle.

Hose roof & continue washing : Hose the soap off the roof and then continue soaping, scrubbing, and rinsing the trunk, then the hood, and finally each side of the car.Spray the soap off as soon after scrubbing as possible to prevent residue from sticking to the car.

Dry w/ chamois : Dry the entire vehicle with a chamois for a spotless shine.

Careening shopping carts, flying pebbles, and vengeful exes can all leave their mark. Here’s how to undo the damage.

You Will Need

* A dent hammer
* A dent dolly
* 1/8” drill
* Dent-pulling tool
* Sandpaper - from 36-grit rough to 1500-grit extremely fine
* Body putty
* Spray primer
* Auto paint
* A buffer

Access both sides of the dent : Remove whatever interior panels or components are necessary to get to the front and back of the dent.

Drill center of dent : Drill into the center of the dent with the 1/8” drill.

Pull dent out : Pull the dent out using the dent-pulling tool.

Smooth with a dolly and hammer : Place the dolly – a surface for pounding dents – on the rear of the dent and use the dent hammer to smooth out the dent.

Remove paint : Use 36 grit-sandpaper to remove the paint from the dent and one inch of the surrounding area.

Fill with putty : Fill the entire area with body putty.

Sand putty : Sand the putty down until the entire surface is smooth. Start with a 36-grit sandpaper and work your way down to a 120-grit sandpaper.

Prime : Prime the area with spray primer. Apply six coats of primer, letting the primer dry between coats.

Sand primer : Sand the primer with 600-grit sandpaper.

Paint : Apply matching auto paint. Lightly sand and buff : Lightly sand the paint with the 1500-grit sandpaper, then buff the paint to bring up the shine.

you might never recapture that new car smell, but you can replicate a new car shine.

You Will Need

* Two clean sponges
* A bottle of vinyl cleaner
* A bottle of vinyl protectant
* A cotton cloth
* A vacuum (optional)

Dust off vinyl areas : With a damp sponge, dust off all of the vinyl areas in your car, typically the dashboard, glove compartment and sides of the doors, and, if you have an old car, possibly the seats.If your vacuum has a brush attachment, use it for a thorough dry dusting.

Spray cleaner on spots : Remove any stains or spots by spraying a vinyl cleaner on the dirty areas.

Wipe away with sponge : Wipe away the sprayed spots with a sponge.

Pour vinyl protectant on cloth : Pour a small amount of vinyl protectant onto a clean cotton cloth. Do not apply the vinyl protectant directly on the surface since this could lead to an uneven or blotchy finish.There are two types of vinyl protectants: shiny and matte. Test yours in a hidden area, like under the dashboard, to decide which look you prefer.

Allow protectant to sit : Allow the protectant to sit on the vinyl sections for at least 10 minutes.Don’t apply vinyl protectant to the steering wheel or the pedals—you don’t want either of those parts to be slippery!

Wipe away excess residue : Wipe away the excess residue using another clean cotton cloth.

Continue apply protectant : Continue applying coats of protectant until you reach shine capacity. Then bask in the glow!

 

Even though manufacturers claim that many of today’s cars have a clear coat of paint that gives cars all the protection they need, nothing makes a car sparkle like a fresh coat of wax.

You Will Need

* A can or bottle of car wax
* Two clean rags
* Two thick towels, preferably micro fiber
* And a bottle of household cleaner

Park in shade : Park your clean, dry car in a shaded area and allow it to cool down.Shake wax & apply to rag : Shake the liquid wax container well and apply a small amount to a clean rag.Make sure the wax is non-abrasive.

Apply wax : Starting with the roof, apply the wax in small, circular motions. The goal is to apply as thin layer of wax as possible.

Continue rubbing sections : Continue rubbing in sections, moving to the hood, the trunk, and finally the sides of the car.Try to avoid getting wax on anything besides the body of the car, like the black rubber window seals.

Allow wax to dry : Allow the wax to dry to a dull finish.

Remove dry wax : Using a micro fiber towel, remove the dry wax in reverse circular motions, again going from the highest point of the car to the lowest.
Remove stray wax residue : Spray household cleaner on matte, unpainted surfaces, like a plastic bumper, and wipe with a second clean rag to remove any stray wax residue.

Buff car surface : Buff the car’s surface one last time, using the second microfiber towel. Then stand back and admire your reflection!