3 Big Auto Detailing Mistakes Professionals Know to Avoid

Auto detailing is an intricate process that requires a vast amount of knowledge. Well-trained automotive detailers learn the tricks of the trade and start their careers confident and prepared. Professional auto detailers have expert knowledge about the different products and procedures needed to create the perfect finish on a car. The best professionals also know specific detailing faux pas they must avoid in order to keep a car looking its best.

Interested in learning which mistakes seasoned auto detailing professionals know to avoid? Check out our list of detailing mistakes you should steer clear of.

1. Auto Detailing Pros Know to Use the Correct Products

To the untrained eye, soaps used to wash a car may all seem the same. However, there are many different products available, each designed for specific areas of a vehicle.

For example, soap that is used to wash the body of a vehicle is very different from the soap used to wash tires. The body’s paint is fragile and susceptible to strong cleaners, which is why body soaps are mild. On the other hand, tire soaps are much more potent since tires are exposed to more grit and higher temperatures, making them harder to clean. Auto detailing pros know using the wrong product to clean an area of a vehicle could cause damage. In this example, the tire soap could strip the car body’s paint.

2. Pros with Auto Detailing Training Don’t Reuse Cloths

A mistake both car owners and auto detailing trainees could easily make is using the same cloth to wash both the wheels and body. The wheels have rocks and dirt lodged into their crevasses that can wreak havoc if wiped across a car’s paint job. That’s exactly what happens if the same cloth that cleaned the wheels touches the car’s body. Professionals with auto detailing training know to always begin using clean microfiber towels free of particles. And once you’re done with one area of the car, you start new with a fresh clean towel. This is the best way to avoid cross contamination and scratching up a client’s car.

3. Auto Detailing Pros Know to Avoid Washing in Direct Sunlight

Washing in direct sunlight is a sure-fire way to reduce all the progress you’ve made during an auto detailing session. Because of the intensified heat caused by the sun’s rays, any products applied to the vehicle’s surface will dry much too quickly. This poses a challenge for auto detailers, because they cannot wipe away excess product before it dries unevenly onto the vehicle. This causes unattractive spots and watermarks that make a car look like it needs a clean—the opposite of what detailing hopes to accomplish. By detailing in the shade or on a cooler day, you can avoid making this mistake.

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