6 Ways to Keep Your Car Looking New Longer

We think it's reasonable to assume that any car owner knows that washing and waxing help maintain a car's finish luster. Vacuuming the interior also goes a long way toward keeping the inside looking new.

Assuming you want to do more than simply washing and waxing, there are several things you can do to help keep your new car in the best shape possible. Keep reading, and we'll let you in on six ways to keep your car looking new longer.

Detail Regularly

The first step is to get into the habit of having your car detailed regularly. Whether it's weekly or monthly, depending on how much you drive, the point is never to stop taking care of your vehicle.

Regardless of your car's age, keeping up with the detailing schedule will ensure your vehicle looks its best at all times. That comes in real handy when it's time to trade-in or sell your car, not to mention the respect you will receive when you drive a clean, well-kept vehicle.

Preventative maintenance

A clean car is a source of immense pride because of the hard work you put into keeping it looking immaculate. That said, it's natural to do what you can to keep it that way. Performing a little preventative maintenance is a great way to accomplish that.

After a day's driving, spraying some waterless wash solution on the finish and wiping it off cleans not only the surface but also retains the polished look. It takes only a few minutes and pays dividends later.

Interior

Remember that as you drive your car with the windows down or with the top down on a convertible, the car's interior gets abused as much as the outside. Find a quality interior spray cleaner to remove the dirt and grime that starts to build up in the corners and crevices. By removing the damage-causing particles now, you lessen the damage they can do later.

Protecting the cabin's vinyl and leather surfaces is vital, and using a quality UV protected dressing applied with microfiber towels helps prevent damage from excessive heat and sunlight.

Exterior

Some finishing touches to the exterior make the car look spotless and shiny. Use a specially designed cleaner and protector meant to use on the tires. They give the tires that wet-look shine and help protect against fading and cracking, too.

Use only a metal polish for metal trim, but don't use plastic trim. Use household cleaners for this, but spray the towel to avoid overspray onto your painted finish. If your car has plastic headlight lens covers, you may want to begin protecting them with a headlight lens restorer. It prevents the lens from fading and yellowing, which affects your nighttime vision.

Keep Covered

After all the hard work keeping your car clean and looking its best, the last thing you want to happen is a bird or two aim for the hood of your vehicle. Aside from hiding your car every day, use your garage if you have one, and never park under trees. The tendency is to protect your vehicle from the sun, but you might do more damage by inviting birds to make a mess.

Owning a car means that someday you will experience bird droppings on the finish, and if it left there without taking care of the mess, it could begin to damage the paint on your car. It leaves an etched stain that you can't remove easily.

Soap

We haven't talked about the best soap to use when hand washing your car. We won't recommend one brand over another except to say that well-known brands designed for clear coat finishes will do fine. To protect your vehicle, never use dishwashing liquid mixed in water for washing your car. These types of soap remove grease from dishes and will strip the wax from your car's finish. Without knowing this, you could drive in the hot sun and bad weather with an unprotected finish. Always use soap meant for vehicles, and you should be fine.

We understand the pride that goes with owning a car, especially one that's always clean inside and out. The steps presented here should go a long way toward helping you keep your vehicle looking great all year long. The best way to keep your car looking new is to form the habit of having it detailed regularly.