DIY Car Detailing Part 3 – Protecting Your Car’s Finish

After a successful car wash, the next step in DIY car detailing is protecting your car’s finish. There are lots of car care products on the market that protect your car’s coat from UV rays, air contaminants, and debris. Car protectants come in two main types, wax and ceramic.

• Wax – waxes are a more cost-effective way to add extra shine to your car’s coat, but they only last for a few weeks before you’d have to reapply more frequently. Most waxes tested by a consumer advocacy group “showed significant loss of protection within about five weeks.”
• Ceramic – ceramic coating is for the bleeding edge DIY car detailing enthusiast. These advanced compounds offer unmatched protecting and add a more permanent shine. The startup may be more expensive, and it’s a longer process, but the time and money saved from having to do multiple waxing, combined with the extra shine and gloss that comes with a ceramic coat makes it more than valuable enough.

Some benefits of ceramic coats over wax:

• Lasts longer – when properly applied, and with the correct car care product, ceramic coatings can last anywhere from one year, to three, to five years in some cases.
• Hydrophobic – one of the most attractive features of a Nano-ceramic coating is that it’s hydrophobic, meaning that water is instantly repelled.
• Mud, water, and snow repellant – the same properties that make the coating hydrophobic also make it mud, water, and snow repellant.
• Protection from UV damage – in addition to its protections against oxidation and ruse, Nano-ceramic coatings are UV resistant.

Polishing and waxing your car’s paint can make a large difference to its overall appeal, as well as protecting its value. Using an electric buffer is only to be used when required. This is usually during a full detail which occurs once or twice a year.

The next and final part of our DIY Car Detailing series will cover interior cleaning and detailing.

Until then, remember that Big Sky Collision Center in Bozeman, MT is there to help however we can! Do you need a reliable RV paint shop? Has another collision repair shop let you down? Are you looking for a custom motorcycle paint job? Look no further! Big Sky Collision Center is your Bozeman autobody shop!