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There is much confusion about whether a car needs to be detailed straight out of the dealership. Some enthusiasts book it straight in with a detailer, whereas others believe a brand new car should already be in pristine condition. So, should you detail a brand new car?
Yes, you should consider detailing a brand new car because dealerships do not point any defects in the paintwork, or if they do, it’s often poorly done. But detailing is also important to provide future protection against chips, debris, dust, and the sun’s UV rays.
In the rest of this article, we’ll discuss the pros and cons of detailing a brand new car, plus we’ll share some tips to help you get the best finish when detailing your new car at home.
Do You Need to Detail a Brand New Car?
Yes, there are several reasons why you should consider detailing a brand new car:
- The finish of your paintwork may be damaged from the vehicle travelling between the car manufacturer and the dealership. It is important to be aware that some car dealerships do not point any major defects in the paintwork as they do not want to accept liability for the damage.
- Detailing a car will make it easier for you to see any defects in the paintwork and detailing will help to protect the paintwork from any further damage.
- One of the major benefits of waxing a car is to ensure the brand new paintwork is protected from damage from stone chips, debris, dust and from being exposed to harmful UV rays.
However, you do not have to detail your car yourself if you find the idea too daunting. Some car dealerships may offer a car detailing service before your car is ready to be picked up or you can book a professional detailer nearby.
How to Detail a New Car
If you are feeling brave enough to detail your brand new car. Here are some expert tips:
- Start with prepping the body of the car. It is important to make sure you do not attempt to detail your car on a very hot day or under direct sunlight, as it interferes with the washing process and it can make the finish of the body very smeary.
- Once you are happy the body has been sufficiently cleaned, use your pressure washer to rinse the foam off.
- Use a microfibre cloth or a chamois to dry off the body. Leave for 5-10 minutes to ensure the body is completely dry.
- If you use wax, you can use a wax buffer to create a smooth and smear free finish. if you have used paint sealent it is vital to make sure you do not touch the paint sealent once it has been applied to the paintwork as it is not designed to be rubbed into the body of the car.
Remember, you’ll also want to keep the interior of your car spick and span to maintain that new car smell.
The so-called ‘new car smell‘ is the natural odour emitted by the vinyl and leather materials, but, over time, everyday odours will accumulate and cancel it out. Avoid smoking and regularly clean the interior to maintain this.
How to Protect New Car Paint
There are many ways in which you can protect your new car’s paintwork from any flaws or damages.
Make sure you park your car away from a spot that is exposed to direct sunlight. Sunlight is extremely damaging to a car’s paintwork.
If you have ever been on holiday to a sunny country, you may have noticed that the cars parked in direct sunlight have been bleached by the sun compared to cars parked in the shade. This is an extreme example, but it illustrates the point.
Parking a car in a garage is a way to ensure that your car doesn’t get harmed by any type of weather condition. If you do not own a garage, try to make sure you park your car in a safe yet usually shaded spot.
Avoid driving your car on terrain that may cause stone chip damage to the paintwork. For example, if a road has just been resurfaced the chances are that the road is full of loose stones that will cause damage to the body of your car.
Should I Give My New Car a Ceramic Coat?
Car detailing experts highly recommend ceramic coating for the protection of the exterior of a vehicle. This is because ceramic coating gives paintwork high-quality protection from UV rays, bird droppings, acid rain and tree sap.
If you live in a highly poluted area it is a good idea to invest in ceramic coating as rain from poluted areas is highly acidic.
It is also important to consider cermanic coating if you live by the sea, as seagulls, unfortunately, love to make a mess on cars.
Ceramic coating is almost like purchasing an extra insurance policy for your car, as the coating prevents any nasty preventable damages that may occur from driving your car around for day to day living.
Ceramic coating doesn’t always have to be expensive or done professionally, at-home kits can be purchased for a fraction of the price.
Related Questions
Do Dealerships Wax New Cars?
Some dealerships will wax cars upon their customer’s request, but it is really down to the discretion of the car dealership whether they will or won’t.
Is It Okay to Wash a Brand New Car?
Yes! a brand new car can be washed in the same way you would wash an older car. However, you may take a bit more care at first and if you have changed car colours i.e from white to black you may change the way you wash your car to suit the colour of the car.
Is It Okay to Wax a Brand New Car?
Yes, there is no issue with waxing a brand new car, in fact, it is encouraged as you will add valuable protection to your clear coat against UV rays. It is okay to wax a wrapped vehicle if you have a glossy finish, however, avoid waxing wrapped cars with a matte finish as it may discolour it.
Ellie used to work in a Vauxhall dealership but has now turned her passion to writing about cars instead. Ellie currently drives a Corsa but as an electric vehicle fanatic has her hopes on one day owning a Tesla. It will, of course, be grey as she only ever owns grey cars.
