Auto Detailing Products Research Guide

Car Care Guide

• 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
• A guide to synthetic waxes and sealers
  • Contents of synthetic waxes
  • Properties of synthetic wax
  • Criticisms of synthetic waxes and sealers
• 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