Is there a time you need to do a more detailed car clean-up? Yep, usually after carpooling with toddlers, road trips, or lots of wet weather. Don’t worry, all you need is some extreme detailing tips for extremely dirty vehicles.  

So, we pried several squeaky-clean tips from the most devoted car washer we know. His experience dates back to classic Camaros he owned in high school and now his family vehicles he shines up on weekends. Look up neat-freak and car fanatic, and you’ll see his face! 

Please Don’t Touch 

These tips apply to personal vehicles mainly. If you use several work trucks in your business, a fleet car wash is usually all you need. But personal vehicles need a personal touch, and our expert says it’s important to keep dirt, bugs, and birds from touching your paint. 

Impossible? Nope, he uses a ceramic coating as a barrier between those filthy elements and his paint. Insects and birds are never going to avoid your ride, so you have to ensure their damage never touches the actual paint by choosing ceramic coating as part of your car wash experience.  

Stopping Spots and Streaks 

What does our wash wizard do about spots? He claims he’s never once left a car wet, always drying it off after washing. ZIPS has that covered with commercial air dryers at every car wash. So, if you want to stop spots, there is no “try”. Dry you must! And for any lingering droplets, ZIPS offers free self-service towels to make it easy for you to complete your clean look.   

As for those pesky streaks on windows after you tried your best, what’s the deal? Ironically this is where drying is the problem, not the solution. Streaks are usually caused due to the cleaning solution drying before you get the glass fully wiped off. Our guy says it’s best to clean windows in cooler parts of the day to avoid this streaky situation. Keep that in mind when using the free self-service towels and surface cleaner at ZIPS. 

Interior Defense 

One of the best tips relates to the interior. Since hiring a professional car detailer is expensive (Carfax states basic detailing can hit the $200 mark), it’s best to protect the interior as much as possible. High-quality car mats are made for a precision fit so that dirt, Cheetos, and juice spills have a hard time reaching your vehicle’s carpet. Good mats aren’t cheap, but stained carpet can hurt trade-in value even more. 

Our car pro suggested making toddlers sign a waiver before entering your ride, but that could lead to melted crayons in the seat! If you do allow eating on the road, it’s smart to use custom seat covers or even a small blanket to prevent stains on your seats. And vacuum regularly to keep dirt and crumbs from getting deep into the fibers of your vehicle’s carpeting. ZIPS’ self-serve vacs make that quick and painless. 

Keeping up with Car Washing 

Now for the top tip from our car care maestro. Any guesses? Nope, using Dasani Water for rinsing would be… crazy!  

Making time for regular car washing and interior clean-ups is the #1 tip. Staying on top of your car care routine makes it harder for dirt and grime to build up and damage your vehicle’s appearance. 

You probably don’t have as much free time as our guy who spends hours just daydreaming about different parts of his cars to clean. So, take the fast lane and use ZIPS Car Wash regularly for thorough cleaning without all the effort. And did we mention that most of our car washes do have a fast lane? That’s right, become a ZIPS Unlimited™ Member and you can enjoy our member-only lane every day of the week for faster service.