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The tight-spaced air conditioning vents are difficult to clean with a cloth. So, low priced foam paintbrushes do the effective trick of cleaning them minutely. At Clean Image, our detailing methods include a comprehensive cleaning of each and every car part, but by chance if your car AC vent emits a repelling odour or becomes extra dusty, you can clean it yourself with a disinfectant spray cleaner. Here are some of our tips to take care of the air conditioning system in your car.

Vent cleaning with a foam paintbrush

Foam paintbrush is the best choice to clean the inward depths of the narrow spaces between the vent slits.

Homemade cleaning solution

An easy to make homemade solution can be made by combining equal proportions of warm water and vinegar and then you can dab your foam brush into it to wholly clean the vents.

Rinsing

You can rinse your brush or use another one to remove the collected debris and dust fully and then finally, use a dry towel to dry up the water. The used brush should be then cleaned with warm water and dish detergent.

Replacing Air filter

You must replace the used air filter with a new one every once in a while to ensure a purified breathing atmosphere inside your car, especially if you live in a high-pollution city area.

Air intake vents

Keep the air intake vents free from dead leaves and debris by using a broom or small hand brush. You can spray the inside of the vents with a sanitizing cleaner.

Remember that enzymatic disinfectants will help to kill mould or fungi growth in your vent system and make your vent system anti-bacterial. Keeping the car doors and windows shut, you can spray the disinfectant cleaner inside the whole car also to make the inner air germ-free.

You then must turn your AC and fan to maximum power and later open the doors and windows with the fan still on for some time.

Mould growth prevention

Switch-off process

The fan should be allowed to blow even after you have switched off the AC, particularly before reaching a destination. This blowing is useful to prevent mould growth.

Importance of the blower

You should keep the blower running, with or without the accompaniment of the AC as this will keep the air fresh and shield against mould growth.

Car AC vents determine the quality of air you breathe while travelling in the car. For a healthy air intake, your vents should be cautiously maintained. Making your car shiny is not only about the outward appeal. The refreshing inner vibes matter to those who step into it and along with a fragrant car air purifier, a clean air vent is must for keeping the inside car atmosphere pure, fresh and mould-free.

Though located inside your car, the steering wheel is an integral part of any transport. Having the capability of attracting dirt, oil, and bacteria, if steering wheels are left unclean and ill-maintained, they may get slippery from the dirt accumulation. Here are some of our suggestions to make your steering wheel crystal clean and glossy.

Choice of cleaning agent as per the type of steering wheel your car has

The material composition of the steering wheel is different for every car. Though faux leather is the most popular material, plastic, wooden, or standard leather wheels are also available. In the case of self-cleaning, you better look up the manual to find out how to clean them correctly.

In the case of plastic or faux leather, a disinfectant mixture with water needs to be applied while wood polish works best on wheels made of natural wood. Leather conditioner is suitable for cleaning steering wheels made of genuine leather. As per our involvement in the detailing method, we recommend leather conditioner for even overall cleaning of your car interiors as it is a very gentle applicant.

Use of microfibre towel

The selected cleaner should be poured onto a microfibre towel and then dabbed on the steering wheel. The cleaner must not be sprayed directly on the wheel as it may get collected behind the dashboard.

Cleaning via towel twist

Twist the towel around your steering and clean all sides of the wheel to thoroughly cleanse out whatever grime is stuck onto it. During the dirt removal process, be careful not to put excess pressure on the steering wheel as it may take off the colour too. The centre of the wheel must be nicely cleaned as well.

Wiping with a wet cloth

With a clean and water-soaked cloth, wipe off the cleaner minutely from every area you had applied it.

Drying process

Right after you have cleaned the wheel with a damp cloth, use a dry microfibre towel to remove water. After the final dry up, your steering wheel will have a glamorous new display.

For a self-incorporated cleaning, wear gloves to protect the steering wheel from coming into contact with your body oil and also to protect yourself from chemicals. To ensure a professional level steering wheel cleaning, Clean Image is always at your service. But your wheel should not be neglected. Timely attention to clean your steering wheel will make it fresh and fine and this will motivate you to enjoy your ride as you grasp it for driving.

Aware of the circulating myths regarding conventional care for leather interior of your car, we have discussed some of the things that are important for you to know.

If undertaken proper maintenance, your car’s leather will stay in an intact form for a long time.

Myth : A new car leather does not need care

Staring from sales people to car owners, this is a common misconception that a newly bought car does not require its leather interiors to be thoroughly cared.

Fact : The recently improved thin vinyl coating may not need daily maintenance but your car upholstery still needs regular cleaning and conditioning.

Myth : The refreshing smell of new car leather cannot be revived.

Many believe that the mood-uplifting fresh leather smell fades away with time.

Fact : It is certain that a dedicated maintenance of your leather upholstery will keep alive the scent. Besides in case of a lost smell, a top-quality leather scent spray does wonders in reviving back the fresh vibes.

Myth : The wrongful acknowledgement of the superiority of cream leather conditioner.

Fact : A cream-based conditioner cannot enter the micro-perforations in a vinyl coating. This was not the case before 1990s but with modern advancement, this disadvantage arose. A first-class liquid leather conditioner is what you need to get absorbed into the leather and hydrate it.

Myth : Water can stain leather

Water is often held to be an enemy of leather.

Fact : Not only can leather surfaces be wiped with a damp cloth but they can also be scrubbed with soapy water. Just a thorough drying needs to ensue to prevent signs of discolouration.

Now that you know the responsiveness of leather to sincere care and maintenance, frequent care methods like leather cleaner sprays and conditioning are vital steps to restore the comfy feel and the mind-blowing gloss and smell of your car leather.

One of the main protective measures for restoring your car’s painted glow is the use of applicants that offer an effective coat of protective layer. Among the popular applicants are car waxes and paint sealants. Guessing that you do not know the exact difference between the two and are confused about which will make the better choice, we have provided a disclosure about the details of car wax and sealant to help you understand the properties of both.

A little on car wax

The main ingredient contained in any standard car wax is Carnauba wax. Being water-resistant, Carnauba wax does not melt in high temperatures and is easy to handle. This soft and natural wax enhances the faded glow of your car’s paint coating. Giving depth to dark colors and shine to lighter ones, carnauba wax products reduce the flaw marks and bring back the color magic. Thus, good quality car wax gives an outstanding finish to your car and serves the purpose of shielding against contaminants.

Its limitations – Nothing comes free of limitations though. As opposed to paint sealant, a major setback of car wax is that it does not have sufficient durability. Though carnauba wax can stand up to heat, when applied on a very heated car surface, it reaches its melting point. Now, this is an unwanted scenario as extreme heat will cause the currently applied wax to evaporate and your car will be devoid of its protective coating. Waxes are also incompatible with harsh car soaps and detergents and this makes it difficult to withstand when exposed to them.

A little on paint sealants

Unlike car wax, paint sealants are fully chemical products that offer high levels of protection to your car paint. Being artificially created in labs, sealants have greater durability than car wax. Also, a high-quality sealant is usually able to combat the effects of excess heat, harsh detergent, excess water, and general wear.

Sealants cover car wax

What a paint sealant produces is slightly different from the result of what carnauba wax produces and this is the sealant offers a mesmerizing shine while the wax offers a soft glow. Yet, as the survey suggests, most car owners usually prefer the spectacular display of sealant application than that of wax. Plus, sealants work admirably well on colors like black, gray, white etc.

Though unable to produce the stunning glow carnauba wax produces, sealants are a more popular choice for quality car detailing purposes. They offer a highly protective coat and bring out a dazzling shine and surface reflection of your precious car.

Final note

So, now that your confusion hopefully resolved about the characteristics of sealants and car wax, you have a free decision to make. If the eye-catching shine is what you want your car to project, sealants are ideal applicants but if you want the illuminating warm glow to be showcased by your car, go for a wax. But, in terms of protection, you know what we prefer!

The necessity of car detailing has expanded over the years, as there has been a significant increase in pollution and environmental hazards. It may sound weird, but it is a fundamental truth that just like the polluted atmosphere poses a threat to your health, it also affects the get up and functionality of your car, unless maintained properly. Below are some of the dangers your car is usually faced against.

Greater levels of pollution

The continuous exposure of your car to the terrible pollution and dust particles threatens the original glaze of your precious car. The initial shine that brightened your eyes during the time of purchasal, gets lost, as you take your car out on the road. We are not staying to keep your car garaged up. Of course, you need to take it out, that is why you bought it in the first place. But, to protect its painted surface from dulling away, you need regular personal maintenance of it as well as frequent trips to Clean Image for an extensive detailing session to your car.

Increase in UV rays

As the intensity of sun rays keep getting unbearable and the harmful UV rays keep on increasing, your car is also being endangered to them. The scorching rays not only heat up your car to make your ride uncomfortable but also dry up and crack the outer and inner sides of the car.

We do not want to harp on these serious causes only. People still have doubts about the need of car detailing and feel that their car can wait to undergo cleaning. This is not the right attitude. Keeping your car in an unclean condition will increase the accumulation of the contaminants on it and the next time it is taken out, the layers of dust particles will pile up to such an extent that it will be very hard to fully wipe them away. Consistent cleaning and washing and prolonged detailing are an immense requirement to restore the faded charm of your car. The eye-catching glaze can be brought back as soon as the dirt layers are washed off and for any vehicle, ultimately cleanliness is beauty.

Figuring that our cleaning tips have helped you before, we continue to highlight some of the tactics we employ to restore the feel good factor of your car.

Fresh aroma for refreshing vibes

Surely, you do not want people to be turned off by the bad odour in your car interior, when they step in for a ride. And, of course you do not want your mood to be sinking due to the air stinking. Clean out the trapped air at times by keeping the car blower on for some time. Plus, a car air purifier also can help to restore the refreshing vibes. A timely change of the air filter is necessary so that the next time it is used, it continues to spread the mind-soothing fragrance inside your car.

Detailed window cleaning

Many overlook the accumulated grime on the window top, that become visible to the eyes, when the car windows are rolled down. While cleaning the windows, the edges should be particularly wiped with a soft, clean microfiber to remove the dirt particles.

Leather cleaning

Treating the leather coverings in your car with a leather conditioner is an apt solution to remove the left over stains. The cleaning process is complete after the leather cleaner and leather protection cream is applied. We do not expect you to have these products in store, but no need to worry, as at Clean Image, we use the needful for your car leather.

Just a spray of plastic and vinyl colorant

Spraying light coats of plastic and vinyl colorant and leaving it for 24 hours, will do the easy work of a quick paint re-application.

Rinse and then wash

Our professional detailers always give a rinse of plain water to clear up the dirt materials on the surface, before using soap or other cleaning agents. The soapy water will just grind the collected contaminants and pollutants onto your paint surface. So, a quick rinse is essential before washing.

Air-vent cleaning

The air vents attract dust more than anything. With the help of a standard paintbrush, the little corners of the vents can be cleaned. A furniture polish has to be given to the brush and it is good to go. The paintbrush is most effective in such small spaces, where it can conveniently remove the collected dust on the crevices.

So, you got an exclusive peek into some of our detailing techniques. The easy ones you can yourself put into effect because the car is something that always responds to effective cleaning. Hope our tips have increased your interest in this field. Regular maintenance of your car, along with consistent check-ups at our detailing station, will definitely help to maintain and heighten the glimmer of your automobile.

Your car may not be apparently showing signs of any problem or may not have such a shabby exterior that an immediate washing is needed, but professional detailing is essential for the well-being of your car, just as a visit to the doctor concerns your health wellness. Here we have queued up some common uncertainties related to car detailing and which thoughts to harbor and which to discard.

What you think: One fine morning, you cancel your trip to the detailing agency, thinking that your car can wait till the time it becomes a dirty nuisance and then you will take it for a washing session.

Better idea: Even the tiniest parts require optimum maintenance. A minute cleaning is needed a few times in a week to wash out the little dirt particles or bugs, that may spoil the paint coating.

What you think: You see that your car is showcasing a glamorous shine and think that it is super clean.

Better idea: An outward gloss on your car does not indicate its cleanliness. It can look very shiny but still have contaminants stuck on its surface, which may be felt via touch. The gloss alone is not a sufficient condition to determine a car’s cleanliness.

What you think: Why should I go to a car detailer when I can avail a car wash at the nearest gas station for a few dollars?

Better idea: A car wash imparted by our professional detailers will never put a single scratch mark on your car. Whereas, the unsophisticated machines at the pump may damage your paintwork.

What you think: Is not washing and detailing the same thing?

Better idea: Of course not. Washing and car detailing are not the same things. Car detailing is a lengthier process that comprises of detailed survey, inspection and cleaning of all the car components. A usual washing consists of a mere wash-up of the outer part. With a dedicated effort towards polishing, waxing and interior detailing, detailing at Clean Image offers multiple benefits that a standard car wash can never give.

Like this, we can dive into many such thoughts in your mind and provide better alternatives, the thought and implementation of which will benefit you much more. But our guess is that these have already given you a clear idea of the importance of car detailing and why you should take the service of a specialist to bring about detailed scrutiny of your car, accompanied by a comprehensive washing. Frequent detailing works wonders in restoring the glaze of your car.

Understanding the need for protection

Exposure to direct sun rays can raise the temperature of your car to almost 90 degree Celsius. The intense rise of heat and close contact with the harmful UV rays are sure to bring massive damage to both your car’s exterior as well as interior unless a foolproof protection plan is devised for your car.

Certain precautions, if undertaken in the correct manner, will definitely protect your vehicle against all odds. Here are a few tips to guide you.

Avoid the sun and park in the shade

This is the best solution to keep your car cool and to protect your car on both sides from the adverse effects of scorching sunlight.

Protection with a windshield sun protector

Available usually at a reasonable price, this is a useful accessory for your car to maintain the coolness inside the car and also ensures protection from sun damage.

Frequent washing and cleaning

Due to immense heat and light, your car’s exterior may dry up and the paint may crack. Regular washing and careful hand drying help to vanish up the dirt and contaminants, which can have a severe impact on a car’s finish.

Seat covers for cool seats

Why sit uncomfortably in the heat? A covering for your car seat not only protects the leather but also keeps your seat cool.

Waxing your car

Though the waxing requirement varies according to the car’s make, waxing at regular intervals, does a great job of providing an extra layer of protection from UV rays.

Inspection of the tire pressure

It costs a lot to fix damaged tires, which are generally caused due to contact with excessively heated roadways and also due to under-inflated tires. Check tire pressure is a vital step for the prevention of the mentioned occurrence and it is a known fact that even a good tire can lose about one pound of pressure in a month. Keeping your tires inflated and having knowledge of the pressure requirement of your tires, will bar the chances of a stressful experience of a possible tire blow-out.

Our trained mechanics at Clean Image will do a detailed inspection of your car and mend the minor and major problems. Our detailing service is something we strongly recommend to get back a spectacular and well-performing car. But, the maintenance of your car does not end at our detailing station. Taking utmost care and protection of your car will keep it in an all-time sturdy condition and hopefully, our tips have enlightened you about how to execute this needed protection.

Glancing at the benefits of detailing the interior of your car

To maintain the inside of your car is just as important as enjoying the fabulous outer shine. The outer surface, being constantly exposed to outside atmosphere and pollution, needs regular cleaning but the interior components need a thorough cleaning too to keep them functioning accurately.

Necessity to protect the inner car parts

A refreshing car inside makes you enjoy the ride more. Keep the interior of your car detailed to like the feel, whenever you step inside it.

Use of vacuum

You must be using vacuum cleaners at home, right? Ever think of their use in cars? Well, as much as vacuum cleaning is practised for home cleaning, it is useful for car cleaning too. Starting from seats, floors, carpets and mats to headliner, rear cargo area and trunk, all need meticulous vacuuming to clean debris.

Besides vacuuming, our extensive interior detailing also includes vinyl cleaning, dressing, carpet shampooing and other conditioning services.

A self-detailing method, in the matter of car interior, is a bit risky as there is usually a chance of making an unintentional damage. So,avail our efficient detailing service to give your car interiors a remarkable freshness and increase their outward appeal.

Some of the alternatives to car wash soap

To keep your car neat and clean is an absolute requirement for a pleasant journey. The cleanliness is also needed to prevent malfunction of any car part due to clogging of dirt and debris.

Though  car wash soap is a popular and easily available cleaner, there may be times when you cannot use it for some reason. So, we have mentioned a few alternative cleaning agents, that can bring the same result as car wash soaps.

• Dish liquid soap

Dish liquid soap is well-effective in cutting through the grease of utensils. Thus, it also serves a beneficial purpose of cleaning car dirt like grease and oil. The only problem is that a dish soap leaves behind a lot of residue, that has to be removed with a lot of polishing.

• Laundry detergent

A mild liquid detergent is probably the best alternative to a car wash soap for getting rid of that unwanted grime. It may be a little harsh for the paint, so be careful while using it. Diluting it will reduce its harsh property.

• Baby shampoo

Being a proved mild cleaning agent, it will not cause any damage to your car. Thus, it will also be less powerful for the stingy dirt spots.

• Wheel cleaner

If car wash soap is unavailable to you, a wheel cleaner will do your job of cleaning the car with almost similar efficiency.

• Baking soda

Used as a common cleaning solution for various applications, it is a good enough product to clean your car.

• Regular house cleaner

These are not the best resources for a car clean up, but if diluted with water and made less harsh, they may be used as an alternate.

• Hand soap

Only if nothing else is available, hand soap can be used. This is not that good as a replacement and sort of is the last option.

What does it mean?

Paint correction is basically the method of restoration of the painted surface of an automobile. To restore the paintwork and bring back the original shine of your car, we employ means to remove swirl marks, scratches, buffer trails, etc. These imperfections are the main reasons for spoiling the paint and preventing a crystal clear reflection.

How we do it?

Our professional detailers first give the vehicle a detailed wash to clean out all the contaminants that collect on the surface. The paintwork is thoroughly washed and cleaned and after the dirt particles are got rid off, a specialized clay bar is applied to clay coat the recently washed surface, to ensure absolute removal of the accumulate debris.

The disappearance of these pollutants is mandatory before implementing the paint correction process, because once they get stuck on the pad of the polishing machine, they will be transferred onto the car surface again and the aimed purpose will be ruined. Claying the paintwork gives a clear assessment of the condition of the surface.

Different kinds of polish are used to clear out the fine particles as well as the evidently visible ones. During this prolonged process, a paint depth gauge is usually a common practice of most detailers and we also use it.

The paint depth gauge measures the thickness of the paint on the metal panel and is used during and after the process to give an exact calculation of how much material has been removed and mainly to stop excess removal, which may fade out the painted surface or make a mark on it, to cause severe damage to your car. At Clean Image, our extensive paint detailing technique also includes the use of specialized halogen or LED lamps to produce a similar glow as that of sunlight, which allows an effective checking of the condition of the paint coating as well as how efficiently the swirl marks and fine scratches are being vanished.

How to remove deep scratches?

The ridding of very deep scratches always poses a risk of removing excess paint during the correction procedure. To avoid this, the severe imperfections are reduced to size through our use of the machine polisher and polish products that round off the edges of the irritating scratch marks and make them appear much less distinct under direct light.

The panels are then wiped down with an isopropyl alcohol to remove extra residual oils, left behind from the polish. Thus, the actual finish of the car comes to light and also reveals any missed area. Once the paint correction is complete, a glossy painted surface will uncover and will produce dazzling reflections, because the little imperfections and scratches will no longer scatter the light rays.

Clean Image is a specialist in this most time-consuming episode of the detailing process. We put in our full dedication to rejuvenate the paint glow and the outcome of the paint makeover is always a dazzling  car.