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by David W. Bynon
Copyright (c), 2000, Autopia Car Care -- All Rights Reserved

Quick Detailing

Washing your car every week can be a time consuming proposition. In this day and age of rushing about, 12-hour workdays and traffic jams, often the last thing you have time for is washing the car. Yet, if you're like me, you hate to have a dirty car. So, what do you do?

Over the past few years, a number of innovative products have emerged to help us maintain the appearance and cleanliness of our machines. The first such product was the California Car Duster, which remains a popular, safe and effective tool for daily dusting. Next came detailing sprays, which provide the lubrication necessary to remove dirt and dust safely. Most recently, the car care industry has seen the emergence of lint-free, micro-fiber fabrics as multipurpose cleaning and polishing tools.

Using my Quick Detailing™ techniques, I have reduced my soap and water washing to every-other week on my commute car, and once a month on my weekend toys. Time is only a single factor in considering Quick Detailing™. Water shortage is another. Sooner or later, drought hits all of us. It seems to run in seven year cycles here in California.

Done properly, Quick Detailing™ can reduce the amount of time you spend cleaning your car, reduce the effects of harmful elements (road grime, bird droppings, bugs, etc.), and keep your car looking sharp. Five to ten minutes every other day is all it takes to maintain a finely groomed car. A Miracle Towel, 3-gallon bucket of water and Quick Detailing™ spray is all you need. Here's how:
1. Fill your bucket with water (or use your deep sink).
2. Rinse your Miracle Towel (or other micro fiber detailing towel) thoroughly and wring out as much water as possible. Fold the towel in half, then in half again.
3. Wipe down your car, wiping in a single direction only. As the surface of the towel gets soiled, flip it to a clean side. When all sides of the towel are dirty, rinse it out in the bucket, wring and keep wiping. Don't forget the windows.
4. When the loose dirt is gone, rinse the towel again, refold, and spray the towel with a few shots of detailing spray. Wipe the car down with the detailing spray, giving a couple shots into the towel for each panel. Buff immediately with a clean, dry towel. I recommend a second Miracle Towel or a high quality terry cloth towel. Spraying the towel, instead of the car will insure better distribution and will use less product. A 16-ounce bottle of detailing spray should detail your car 15 to 20 times, depending on the size of your car.
5. When you're done with the body, use your damp Miracle Towel to wipe down the interior. The Miracle Towel will quickly remove all dust and finger prints from your dash and console.
6. The interior windows will need a quick wipe down every few days. Rinse the Miracle Towel, wring until damp, and wipe down the interior glass. Follow immediately with a dry Miracle Towel or terry cloth towel. The Miracle Towel is the only cloth that can clean glass, streak free, without chemicals.
7. As the final step, do your wheels. If your wheels are fairly clean, simply wipe them down with the damp Miracle Towel. Rinse the towel for each wheel. If your wheels have heavy break dust, give them a couple shots of detailing spray to loosen. Using the remaining water in your bucket and the damp Miracle Towel, rinse each tire and wheel. The Miracle Towel can hold seven times its weight in water, making it perfect for rinsing away break dust. Use the dry Miracle Towel to dry and buff.

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