{"id":66,"date":"2017-07-24T10:43:36","date_gmt":"2017-07-24T10:43:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/52.207.233.110\/?p=66"},"modified":"2024-07-09T21:54:42","modified_gmt":"2024-07-09T21:54:42","slug":"paint-care-dummy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/touchupdirect.com\/blog\/?p=66","title":{"rendered":"Paint Care, Dummy!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Confession time: you\u2019ve caught yourself walking past your car, ogling the damn thing. Do you like what you see? Do you get to brag, or apologize? Are you admiring the paint or hating yourself for not taking care of it?<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re the dude (or dudette) who smiles with a big fat grin after regarding your reflection in the paint, congrats. You have taken care of it. You did the washing, the waxing, the touch up paint, the buff-out… You did the work. If you\u2019re the guy who looks at the hood of your car (or truck, or the tank of your bike) and feel a little ashamed, let\u2019s fix that. We don\u2019t want you to be a paint-care dummy.<\/p>\n

Because you can\u2019t take care of paint that\u2019s not there, start with touch up paint (of course!). Got a chip in the bumper? It\u2019s a one-day job to touch-it up to the point that you forget it was there. Rinse, repeat. Then there\u2019s a regular wash habit: have one. Things like wax and advanced detailing are nice, but at the very least, you should get yourself cleaning consistently \u2013 keep your ride looking like you care.<\/p>\n

There are plenty of good car wash habits \u2013 take a look at Mother\u2019s detailing guide<\/a>, or Griot\u2019s \u2013 but that\u2019s a LOT. Start simple: how about a few \u201cI wish I\u2019d thought of that\u201d tips from the TUD Life crew that make car washing so much better (and help you look damn good).<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. The Two-Bucket Method<\/a>. So obvious, it\u2019s silly. Why would you rinse a sponge or wash mitt full of dirt in a bucket full of clean, soapy water? Get a second bucket, put some water in it, and always rinse in that one. Rinse the rinse bucket a few times in the process.<\/li>\n
  2. Keep the Car Wet. While you\u2019re working in one area, don\u2019t let the other side dry off and make water spots. Water spots are a direct attack on your paint. We hate water spots, even if they help us sell touch up paint. Keep spritzing the whole vehicle until it\u2019s time to dry the whole vehicle.<\/li>\n
  3. Pre-Treat the Crud. If you got insects, road tar and other stuck-ons on the front end, wet the offended area, then pour a little car soap in your hand and dab it generously on the bug graveyard. Let that sit to penetrate, then wash the area like you\u2019d wash the rest of the car.<\/li>\n
  4. Speaking of, Use Car Soap. Don\u2019t you dare use dish soap to wash your car. Just never.<\/li>\n
  5. Start High. (NOT a joke about a Colorado resident washing a rusty Subaru<\/a>…) Start soaping and washing at the top of your vehicle. There\u2019s usually less dirt, and water usually runs downhill. This way, you\u2019re not rubbing a sponge full of crud from the lower half of the car on the rest of it.<\/li>\n
  6. Dry, Then Dry Again. The first point of drying is to get as much water off as possible. Absorbent 100% cotton or waffle-weave towels do a good job, but you\u2019re always going to miss some. Compressed air and microfiber towels with some detailer can re-dry those misses later.<\/li>\n
  7. Try Clay. It\u2019s one of our favorite tricks for automotive paint. Buy a good name-brand clay bar, then use it per the instructions (though we\u2019ve had luck with clay and water, most manufacturers recommend using a detail spray with clay). Your paint will be as smooth as new. Smoother.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Don\u2019t be discouraged: 80% of making your ride look right is the service you give the finish. Get out in the garage and do those basics: touch up paint and regular washing and waxing<\/a>. Don\u2019t be lazy, don\u2019t be a dummy, and take care of your paint.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Confession time: you\u2019ve caught yourself walking past your car, ogling the damn thing. Do you like what you see? Do…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":65,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_tud_fp_data":"[]","footnotes":""},"categories":[1221],"tags":[777,111,144,776,158,135,157,77,159,90,137,778,130,114,69,234],"class_list":["post-66","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tips-best-practices","tag-beginners-guide-to-paint-care","tag-body-paint","tag-buffing","tag-car-paint-maintenance","tag-car-soap","tag-car-wash","tag-clay","tag-cleaning-tips","tag-detailing","tag-exterior","tag-paint-care","tag-paint-care-tips","tag-paint-prep","tag-polish","tag-touch-up-paint","tag-touchupdirect"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nEssential Car Paint Care Tips for Beginners | TouchUpDirect Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Discover essential car paint care tips for beginners to maintain your vehicle's finish. 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