If your idea of car care is running it through a carwash, stop reading right here. You’re hopeless. The rotating bristles may be carrying grit from that pickup truck ahead of you, leaving minute (or not-so-minute) scratches in your paint. The carwash vacuum might pick up the remains of your Big Mac, but there will still be dust everywhere and dull finishes on your interior parts.
If you want to improve and maintain the look of your car, as well as protect its resale value, you need a professional detailer. Some, like T-Fat’s Auto Spa in Tampa, have full-service shops as well as mobile vans for detailing at your home or office.
The absolute basics are an exterior wash and interior cleaning. The next step is a wax and polish, or, if the surface is scarred by carwash bristles or bird droppings, opt for “paint correction” or a “clay rub.” Most detailers like T-Fat’s (owned by former Tampa Buccaneer TJ Fatinikun), offer additional services ranging from vinyl wraps (which can change your car’s color and protect it from dings) to ceramic coating that provides a hard surface to resist the salt air of Tampa.
Choose a detailer with a good reputation, check their water source (it must be pure) and consider those immeasurable qualities of knowledge and passion. One way to narrow the field is to talk to the detailers at your car dealership —they’ll often know and use outside contractors.
Whether you call your car “my ride” or “my whip”, treat yourself—and your car—to a professional detailing.
Chris Caswell is an award-winning writer and the former editor of several yachting magazines. He has appeared on Oprah as a boating lifestyle expert and hosted the Marine Voyager series on the Speed Channel.
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