A DIY Process For Detailing Your Mazda
Written By: John Linden
A good, thorough car detail is one of the best ways to give your vehicle a little boost if it’s feeling run-down. While you can pay for professional detailing service, it’s not particularly difficult to give your Mazda a detail on your own. DIY detailing will save you money, plus it can be very satisfying to get your car looking great all on your own. Here’s a step-by-step guide to detailing your Mazda.
Start by emptying out your car
Before you can get started, it’s important to go through your car and clean everything out. In addition to cleaning out the obvious places, like your cup holders, make sure you go through your center console, glove box, and of course, the back seat. This will make the entire detailing process much easier, because you won’t have to clean as you go. Once you’ve emptied out the car entirely, vacuum your floor, seats, and trunks to get rid of dirt and debris.
Clean your seats and carpet
One of the best ways to clean the interior of your car is with Woolite. Woolite is very versatile, so you can use it to clean many different types of fabric, as well as leather, plastic, and other surfaces. Create a mixture that’s six parts water and one part Woolite. Take out the carpet and scrub those down to remove stains. If there is dirt ground into your carpets, let the Woolite mixture soak, and then use a carpet extractor to remove it. This should loosen the dirt and pull it out. If your seats are heavily stained, you may also want to remove them from the car to clean them thoroughly. However, if your seats have only experienced some light wear, you can just use a towel to gently wipe them down. Note that if your seats are made of leather, you may want to apply a special leather protectant after applying the Woolite solution. Finally, use a towel and the Woolite mixture to wipe down anywhere else in your car that gets dirty. Go through and wipe down the cup holders, seat belts, and other places that you touch frequently or that accumulate dust and dirt. After you’ve washed everything with the Woolite solution, go through and wipe everything down again with just water. This should leave your car feeling fresh and smelling great.
Clean out your vents
It’s normal for dust and debris to collect in your air vents. When this happens, it contaminates the quality of the air in your car. Go through and clean out your vents with a toothbrush and detailing brush soaked in the Woolite solution. You might be surprised by how dirty your vents get! Cleaning them out will help the air in your car feel fresher.
Apply a UV protectant to plastic surfaces
The sun can slowly wear down the interior of your car, particularly if you park it outside or just spend a lot of time driving every day. Applying a UV protectant can help keep your plastic surfaces in good condition. 303 Aerospace protectant is a very effective option that will keep your plastic surfaces safe from the sun for a long time. Spray the protectant onto all of your surfaces that are vulnerable to sun damage, and then buff it in for effective protection.
Clean your windows
You probably already clean your window exteriors on a regular basis, but cleaning the interiors of your windows will help them look even brighter and more appealing. Apply a glass cleaner to a microfiber towel and then use that to wash your windows. Applying the cleaner to the microfiber towel first ensures that your windows won’t stain.
Clean out your engine bay
This is one of the most intensive parts of detailing your car. Cover all of the important electrical parts in your engine before you do this to prevent damage. A diluted mixture of Simple Green’s car cleaner should work, although if you have a particularly greasy engine bay, you may need something stronger. Start by spraying the entire engine bay, and then wipe it down using a wet rag. You may need to repeat the process a few times to fully clean the engine. Make sure to dig into the nooks and crannies that you might otherwise miss while cleaning your car.
Wash the exterior of your car
Next, it’s time to wash the outside of your car. Use a soapy water solution and a car sponge to thoroughly remove all of the dirt and debris that has built up on the outside. Each time you reapply soap, rinse off the sponge to prevent debris from making its way back onto your vehicle. Rinse thoroughly and then dry your car with a microfiber cloth to prevent streaks and stains.
Clean your wheels
Next, it’s time to clean the wheels of your car, which can often be the most challenging part of detailing your car. Start by spraying down the wheels with a hose to remove dirt. Then, use a wheel cleaning solution and brush to get into the nooks and crannies and remove the excess dirt. Make sure the brush has soft bristles that won’t damage the wheels. Then, thoroughly rinse the wheel before moving onto the next one.
Wax and polish your car
To give your car a little bit more shine and to protect your paint job, you’ll want to apply wax. You can purchase clay waxes at your local auto or home supply store. They are fairly easy to use and make your car look brighter and cleaner. If your car has noticeable scratches or stains that you’d like to remove, you can also opt to polish your car.
A DIY detail for your Mazda is affordable and relatively easy to do at home. For many people, it can even be fun. The key is to go slowly and really pay attention to detail, cleaning every nook and cranny of your car. By the time you’re done, your car will be turning heads everywhere you drive.
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