Buying a new car is a great feeling. The smell of freshleather as you The fresh smell of leather as you enter thecar. The paintwork is gleaming and waxy smooth. You mighteven catch yourself stealing a glance at the reflection ofyour pride and joy as you drive it out your house.

Skip ahead by 12 months and see how your car looks now. Isit still gleaming new or does the paintwork look tired, dulland "old"? How can some cars look brand new even though theyare already 3 years old? Why do others look "old" when itjust rolled out the showroom 12 months ago?

The secret is in how you care for your car. It is easy tokeep your car like new if you know how.

1) A Wash A Week Keeps Your Car Clean & Slick

Much as you wish that your car will remain clean by itself,it just won't happen. Dust will accumulate even if you justkeep it in your garage. There's only one thing to do. Washyour car! It's very important that you wash your carespecially after you've driven in the rain. If you let thewater droplets dry naturally, especially under the hot sun,there will be tough-to-remove watermark stains on yourpaintwork.

The first thing you need to wash your car is a clean andsoft terry cloth. Alternatively, you can use cloth diapersas well. You can get these easily at the baby's section inyour local departmental store. They're cheap and it works.Of course, if you want to be posh, then get the UltimateWipe cloth from Meguiar's(http://www.fdcars.com/newsletter/n2-1.htm). You'll need agood car shampoo next. I personally use Meguiar's NXTGeneration Car Wash(http://www.fdcars.com/newsletter/n2-2.htm). It's reasonablypriced and a 64oz bottle will last you quite a while.

Start off by hosing down your car to remove any dirt, mud orgrime. Then mix 3 caps-full of shampoo with around 20oz (asmall bucket) of water. Apply the shampoo mixture to yourcar using the cloth/diaper. Hose off the shampoo once you'vefinished shampooing the car. Use your cloth under runningwater to wipe off any remaining shampoo residue. It is VERYimportant that you wipe your car dry with another cleanterry cloth/diaper. Make sure your entire car is wiped dry.

Next, clean your rims. Brake dust normally accumulates thereand cleaning it will make a huge difference in how your carlooks. It's pointless to have clean paintwork you're yourrims are dirty. It's also advisable to vacuum the inside ofyour car every week or every other week. You spend your timeinside the car, so cleaning the interior just makes sense.

2) A Monthly Wax Keeps The Shine To The Max

Waxing your car will keep your paintwork gleaming new. Youcan either send it to an auto detailer or do it yourself.It's actually not that difficult to wax your car. If youhave an hour or so of spare time, then try waxing your caryourself.

It's important that you wash and wipe dry your car beforewaxing. NEVER wax your car before washing/drying it! It'sbest to park your car under in a shady area when waxing. Itmakes sense to use a good carnauba wax like Meguiar's NXTGeneration Tech Wax(http://www.fdcars.com/newsletter/n2-3.htm). Use theincluded sponge and apply the wax in a small circularmotion. Wax your car one section at a time, rememberingwhich section you started with. Finish applying wax on theentire car.

Wipe off the excess wax using a soft terry cloth/clothdiaper. Start with the first panel that you applied the waxand continue from there. You'll find the wax residueaccumulating on your cloth. Shake it off periodically andcontinue to remove excess wax until you've finished allpanels.

Look carefully and check for remaining wax residue. Use yourcloth to clean any remaining residue.

To prepare your cloth for your next wax, wash it with aliquid softener. It's fine to use the liquid softener thatyou use for your clothes. This guarantees there isn't anyremaining dirt/grime that may scratch your car during yournext waxing session.

3) Wax Your Tyre Next O' Sire

For that shiny, wet look, wax your tyres after everywash/wax. Use Meguiar's Hot Shine High Gloss Tyre Spray(http://www.fdcars.com/newsletter/n2-4.htm). The triggerspray makes it easy to apply. You literally need less than 5minutes for this but applying tyre spray/wax makes a bigdifference.

4) Condition That Leather To Help It Fight The Weather

Make sure you clean and condition your leather seats atleast once every 2 months if you car comes with leatherseats. Use Meguiar's Medallion Premium Leather Careconditioner (http://www.fdcars.com/newsletter/n2-5.htm).Apply the conditioner with a clean cloth/cloth diaper, leavefor 15 minutes and wipe off excess conditioner. Your leatherwill look and smell like new if you do this every month.

While you're at it, clean any vinyl surface of your carusing Meguiar's Vinyl & Leather Cleaner/Conditioner(http://www.fdcars.com/newsletter/n2-6.htm). Thismaintains the interior looking like new.

5) Your Car's Now Shiny So You Can Be Happy

Your car will look like it's brand new if you follow thisroutine. An hour or so every week pays huge dividends.Friends and family will think you've just bought a new careven though it's 3 years old. The best thing is when itcomes time to sell your car. A car with gleaming newpaintwork and a clean interior makes a strong impression andwill automatically raise the selling price of your car!

P.S. The writer does not work for Meguiar's and onlyrecommends the products as a satisfied customer.

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Fantic Carro is the owner of FD Cars which is a resource for
car lovers worldwide. For more articles, reviews and tips on
cars, please visit his site below:
http://www.fdcars.com
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