AutoAnything's Car Care Central
You'd be amazed how far a little car care goes. Even the most basic care maintains sharper looks, prevents damage and preserves resale value. But that's just one beautiful thing about car care. The others: you can get as into car care as you like, and even the little things always pay off in satisfaction and pride.
Whether you're a hands-off owner who leaves the dirty work to a pro or a full-on enthusiast who spends the weekend shining every nook and cranny, you'll find plenty of good tips and information on car care right here at AutoAnything.
More than just information on the car care goods we carry (including top brands like Zymol, Connolly and California Car Duster) and use ourselves, our Complete Guide to Car Care is loaded with everything you need to know about treating your ride right. Inside and out, from the basic stuff to show car detailing, we have the tips, tricks and advice you need.
Start with the things every car owner should do to maintain their ride. This includes washing, periodic waxing, interior care and more. Plus, we've sprinkled in even more information.
Living with so much dust that the original paint color is lost? This is the guide for you.
Go from the chaos of a landfill inside to a pristine paradise, and boost your resale value.
Nothing attracts more attention than your wheels and tires. Here's how to make it positive attention.
Cleaning your ride with a scouring pad? You have much to learn.
When being clean just isn't enough, turn to the tips, tricks and advice in our advanced car care guides. We have all of the info and shortcuts to get your ride into the show-quality shine it deserves.
The steps you need to get a flawless finish. Includes fixing blemishes like scratches and scuffs.
How attention to detail at home can save hundreds.
The secret behind any stunning wax job explained.
Carnauba or synthetic? Liquid or paste? The answers are in here.
Forces are aligning against your finish every day. Here's how to level the playing field.
Not to scare, but neglecting your paint can have some serious consequences. Besides having to roll in an ugly ride, neglecting your vehicle can cause damage, decrease selling or trade-in value, lead to premature paint failure and many other nasty situations.
Ignoring your paint by not keeping up with regular washing, waxing and spot care is the worst form of car care neglect besides letting your motor run dry. Leaving dirt and contaminants to do their worst on your paint takes a serious chunk out of resale value. A prospective buyer, whether a private party or a dealer, notices paint and body condition before they ever pay attention to mechanical condition. Your ride might run like a dream, but a neglected exterior could cost you big. By spending just a few minutes each month on car care, you can save literally thousands of dollars.
Going beyond simple value and appearance, ignoring your paint also compromises the best defense for your ride's body panels. Neglected paint not only looks ugly, but it fails much faster than a regularly maintained finish. Not washing and waxing leads to surface damage, degradation of layers, flaking, and eventually severe rusting that can turn your car into a casualty. Just as regular flossing keeps you away from the dentist's drill, routine car care safeguards your auto from decay.
There's danger in ignoring your interior, too, though not as much potential for crippling damage. Neglecting the interior of your vehicle mostly hurts your own comfort while driving. But, allowing stray cans and spilled drinks to wreak havoc on your carpet is the #2 way to sink your vehicle's value. But, you can keep your ride's worth afloat with some basic car care. From upholstery care to damage control, this guide shows you all the ways to maintain a sterling interior.
Taking care of the interior and exterior of your vehicle is important for so many reasons—nearly as vital as caring for the working components under your hood. Follow along with our guides on car care, and you'll find a reward in a longer lasting vehicle with which you have a tighter bond.
There are a number of reasons to care for your vehicle at home in your own driveway instead of paying a "pro" or local car wash to do the job, and saving money is only a small part.
Quality control is the biggest reason to care for your finish yourself. Finding a reputable car wash to clean your vehicle is hit and miss at best. If you happen to try a business that doesn't use the right car care equipment or techniques, you'll find out the hard way that nasty paint damage can happen in an instant.
Your local car wash's mission is to get as many vehicles through their shop as fast as possible. That means missed dirt, incomplete stain removal, abrasive and aggressive drying, and water spots from the drops they miss. You could be out at least $15 with an incomplete wash that's done little more than blast loose dirt and dust off. Not to mention, their dirty, brittle drying rags probably left finish-wrecking swirl marks in your paint.
Setting aside the time for at home car care puts you in control. After all, there's nobody who values your vehicle more than you do. If you learn the right techniques and get the materials you'll need, your wash and shine job can beat any local detail shop.