Car Care Research Guide

1. AutoAnything's Car Care Central
   • Basic car care
     • Washing and waxing: the basics
     • Basic interior care
     • Basic wheel and tire care
     • Common car care myths
   • Advanced car care
     • Between washing and waxing: the keys to a deep shine
     • Using touch up paint
     • Polishing—the best way to get a deep, glossy shine
     • Waxes—an in-depth look
     • Combating common paint enemies
   • An introduction to the effects of neglecting your vehicle's interior and exterior
   • A guide to why do-it-yourself car care is best
2. AutoAnything's Basic Guide to Washing and Waxing
   • The basics of washing your car—essential help for every auto
     • Prep for washing
     • Quick hint:
     • Washing your ride
     • Drying time
     • Quick tip: Avoiding water spots
     • Advanced care: the dirt that's still left after washing
   • Wax on, wax off: the anatomy of a basic wax job
     • Before you wax
     • Waxes: which one is best?
     • Quick tips: waxing
     • Hand waxing
     • Waxing with a polisher or buffer
3. It's what's inside that counts: a guide to basic interior car care
   • Floor care
     • All-weather floor mats and floor care
   • Seat care
   • Dash care
     • Covering a cracked dash
4. An overview of basic wheel and tire care
   • Wheel care: a basic guide to having the sharpest rims on the block
     • Inside tips for consistently cleaner wheels
     • Cleaning painted and alloy wheels
     • Cleaning and shining chrome wheels
   • A basic guide to cleaning and shining your tires
     • The basics of cleaning your tires
     • Whitewall care
     • The ins and outs of tire shine: a quick guide
5. Lies, damn lies and folklore: common myths about car care unmasked
   • The lie: dishwashing soap is great for washing your car
   • The damn lie: old T-shirts, cloth diapers and shop towels make good drying rags
   • Myth: tire shine product is good for use on your dash
   • Pure fiction: Teflon waxes and protective coatings offer the ultimate finish protection
6. Between washing and waxing: the keys to a deep shine
   • A quick guide to using a detailing clay bar
   • The basics of fixing scratches, chips and other paint damage
     • Fixing scratches: a fast tutorial
       • Inspecting the scratch
       • Fixing the scratch
       • Advanced scratch repair
     • The dangers of fixing paint damage yourself
     • A word on repairing small chips in your paint
     • Removing other unsightly paint damage
       • Oxidation
       • Rings from acid rain and water spots
       • Bird dropping outlines
7. A tutorial on using touch-up paint
   • Getting the right paint
     • A quick word on finding your paint code
   • How to fix your scratch or chip
     • Preparation
     • Quick tip: homemade sanding pens
     • Sanding
     • Paint application
     • Sanding/rubbing
     • Polishing
     • Curing and Waxing
8. Polishing—the best way to get a deep, glossy shine
   • Waxing and polishing—why they're not the same
   • Types of polish
   • Polishing your ride
     • Polishing by hand
     • Machine polishing vs. hand polishing
     • Polishing by machine
   • The danger in polishing
   • How often to polish
9. Waxes: an in-depth look
   • Wax contents
   • An overview of carnauba wax
     • Properties of carnauba wax
   • Other uses for carnauba wax
     • Longevity of carnauba wax
     • Criticisms of carnauba wax
10. A guide to synthetic waxes and sealers
    • Contents of synthetic waxes
    • Properties of synthetic wax
    • Criticisms of synthetic waxes and sealers
11. Know your enemies: a guide to common finish wreckers
    • Sap
    • Leaves
    • Bird droppings
    • Pollution fallout
    • Salt
    • Sun
    • Acid rain
    • A tutorial on preventing and removing swirl marks
      • Inside tip: the towels you use for car care
      • How to prevent swirl marks: a basic guide
      • Removing swirl marks