It’s hard to describe the kind of difference a clean car makes compared to its dirty counterpart. Having everything clean inside and out just makes you feel better about what you drive. Instead of sulking back to the automotive equivalent of Pig Pen in the parking lot, you hold your head up high when it comes time to stroll out to your vehicle. Keeping your vehicle clean also helps it retain its value come selling time.
Unfortunately, professional detailing can cost a fortune, and no one has the cash to spend on anything but the bare essentials right now. But with a little patience, the right tools and just a few dollars, you can get your tired car as clean as it was the day you drove it home for the very first time.
DriverSide has found a few of great products that can help turn your dusty car or truck into the gem it once was. These are the same ones we used on our Good Morning America project vehicle, and all of them can be had for a fraction of the cost of a professional cleaning.
Meguiars Quik Interior Detail Wipes come in a handy canister always within reach when you need to keep your dash clean. That means you don’t have an excuse to let that inch of dust return ever again. The solution on the wipes is safe for rubber, plastic, metal and leather, so it’s a one-stop clean for everything inside your cabin. Each canister contains 25 wipes.
Everybody loves the look of a freshly-waxed car, but the truth is the amount of effort and time it takes to go over every square inch of your vehicle’s body just isn’t practical. Meguiars has a great product that will give you the same shine as a professional wax job with nearly zero effort. Spray the Ultimate Quik Detailer on cool sheet metal and the product cleans as it waxes, leaving behind mirror-finish paint. Looking this good has never been easier.
No matter how clean your car is, if the paint has suffered chips from regular use, it’s going to look bad. Dr. Color Chip makes touch-up systems that fill in the bits of paint that may have gone missing over the years. The result is a drastic change from your old beaten and scratched paint that not only looks better, but can actually add value to your vehicle when it comes time to sell it or trade it in.
When you’re cleaning your car, few things make the kind of difference a good, clean set of wheels and tires do. If you’re looking to give your tired-looking rubber the kind of shine it came with, Mothers FX Tire Shine is inexpensive, long-lasting and easy to use. What’s more, Mothers promises this tire shine won’t turn brown with time or sling off as you drive down the road. It doesn’t get much better than that.