Keeping the exterior of your car clean and shiny is more than just a matter of preserving its value; it’s also about how it makes you feel behind the wheel. Let’s face it: no one enjoys driving a vehicle that’s scratched, dingy, or covered in dents. When your car is spotless, with glossy paint and no signs of wear, it transforms the driving experience into something you can take pride in.
These days, TikTok is full of “car cleaning hacks you need to try,” with videos showing everything from using toothpaste to clean headlights to mixing vinegar, alcohol, and water for a DIY paint shine. While these quick fixes may look promising, you must be careful. Although some of these hacks may be effective in certain ways, they can cause unwanted damage if not used correctly. For example, toothpaste can wear down delicate surfaces if scrubbed too hard, while acidic solutions like vinegar can damage paint or metal over time.
Considering this, the right approach is to use the best car exterior cleaning products formulated for this purpose. Here are some products to get you started.
For Paint Protection
Your vehicle’s paint is continuously exposed to damaging factors including UV radiation, snow, and road debris. Over time, these elements may cause the paint to deteriorate and eventually fade, oxidize, or even rust. You can shield your vehicle’s finish from these environmental aggressors and maintain its immaculate appearance by regularly washing and waxing it.
One of the best car exterior cleaning products you can use for this is a mild wash soap formulated for autos. These wash soaps help preserve the balance between acidity and alkalinity, guaranteeing that they do not remove protective coatings or harm the vehicle’s surfaces. Their gentle nature makes them suitable for regular usage without threatening the paint’s gloss.
You’ll also want to use a soft microfibre cloth to wash your car. Microfibre towels have a soft, non-abrasive texture that helps prevent scratching or damage to the car’s paint, glass or other surfaces, making them suitable for all sections of the car. Furthermore, the unique structure of the microfibre enables it to capture dirt and dust more efficiently. This results in a more thorough cleaning with less effort than typical cleaning cloths.
Waxing is another crucial step in keeping your vehicle’s paint. Waxing preserves automotive paint by creating a barrier between the surface of your vehicle and external elements like dirt and UV radiation from the sun. For waxing your car you can use either a paste or a liquid wax. If you’ve never waxed your car before, consider using a liquid wax.
Liquid wax is generally easier and faster to apply. It spreads smoothly, requiring less elbow grease while also reducing the chance of missing spots. It also dries faster and is simpler to buff out, making it more user-friendly for those just getting started.
Paste wax is known for lasting longer and offering a high gloss finish. However, they tend to require a bit more work and skill to apply, which can be challenging for beginners.
For Optically Clear Glass
Keeping the glass of your car clean is crucial for safe driving, particularly in challenging weather conditions. Dirt, grime, and streaks on windows can obstruct visibility, particularly when driving at night or in rain. Regularly cleaning your car’s glass helps reduce glare from headlights, sun, and streetlights, making for a safer, more comfortable drive.
For a deeper clean, a glass polish can help remove stubborn marks, minor scratches, and built-up contaminants, restoring the clarity and shine of your windows. To maintain that fresh clean look, consider applying a glass sealant. This product helps create a hydrophobic barrier, allowing water to roll off effortlessly and keeping your windshield clear during wet conditions. Together, these products make your glass sparkle and enhance visibility, ensuring your drive is as safe as it is satisfying.
For Sparkling Clean Wheels
Alloy wheels add style and value to any car, but they can also quickly lose their appeal if neglected. Car soaps do a fantastic job of cleaning the paint of a vehicle. But when it comes to alloy wheels, they just don’t cut it.
Brake dust, road salt, and grime accumulate on alloy wheels over time, often bonding to the surface and becoming difficult to remove. Regular car soaps aren’t always strong enough to lift these contaminants, and using abrasive tools can lead to scratching.
Specialised alloy wheel cleaners, however, are formulated to dissolve stubborn dirt and brake dust safely without harming the wheel’s finish. They’re typically pH-balanced and may contain ingredients that brighten and protect the metal, preserving the original shine while adding a layer of defence against future buildup. By using a wheel cleaner, you’ll not only be protecting your investment but also enhancing your car’s overall appearance with minimal effort.
For Back to Black Trims
The same factors that can damage your car’s paint, can also affect your car’s trim. UV rays, environmental contaminants and even washing detergents can draw oils off the trims, leading to a faded and brittle appearance. But there are products that can help you restore their look as well, regardless if your trims are made from plastic, rubber or vinyl.
To bring back the gloss and colour of your car’s trim, use a black trim restorer. Ceramic trim restorers can offer protection for 6–12 months in a single application.
Before you apply the restorer, you must prepare the surface, which involves removing any existing back-to-black product or contaminant. Plastic trim cleaners do this by removing buildup from plastic surfaces and acting as rubber or vinyl cleaners to get the surface ready for restoration. These cleaners clear contaminants such as bug residue and road grime, helping prepare the trim for a plastic restorer.
Protectants and cleaners nourish rubber and eliminate grime, enabling the black plastic restorer to bring back a satin-like-new sheen.
For silicone- or polymer-based products, monthly applications may be necessary for sustained protection, building up layers that keep trim rich and dark over time. A ceramic trim restorer, on the other hand, offers longer-lasting restoration, typically 6–12 months.
