HOW TO WASH AND WAX YOUR MINI COOPER

Spring is here! With the warmer weather approaching, your MINI wants to look its best. We’ve compiled some instructions on the best way to wash, wax, and detail your MINI Cooper.

Here is what you need:

• Car soap
• Two Buckets
• Washing mitt
• Wheel brush (optional)
• Grit guard insert
• Car wax/clear coat spray
• Window cleaner
• Access to a hose
• Microfiber towels
• Buffer and buffing pads (optional)

Washing:

Your first step is to make sure that you get most of the dirt and grime off your car with a basic wash. Use the hose to rinse off your car. Next fill both of the buckets up with water. Place grit guard into the bottom of one of the buckets and then add your car soap. A grit guard is a slotted plastic shelf that goes in the bottom of the bucket that separates the rocks and debris from the rest of the mixture. Use your car mitt to swirl the soap around. By adding the soap after you add the water, it keeps the amount of bubbles down so that you have a perfect mix that isn’t all foam. So in total, you will have one bucket with soap and water and the other bucket will just have water.

The next step is to scrub your car using the washing mitt that has been saturated with the soap and water mixture. Make sure before you do this, the car is sprayed down enough with the hose. You want the car to be wet so that the dirt can come off the paint easier. The order of washing will be:

• Saturate the mitt in the soap and water mixture
• Wash the car with the mitt (work in small sections)
• Rinse the mitt off in the bucket with just the water
• Repeat

Do not use the washing mitt on the wheels or tires. You can use a separate microfiber or mitt for the wheels so that you do not scratch the paint with any rocks or debris that was on the wheels or tires.

Once you have washed the car, you can now use the alternate microfiber or wheel brush to clean the wheels and tires. Make sure that you are finished washing the rest of the car before you do this. When you are finished, you can use the hose to rinse off the car.

Drying:

There are two ways you can dry your MINI. One way is to use an absorbing chamois to soak up all the water. Another way is to carefully use a leaf blower to blow away the water. You want to make sure that when you are using the leaf blower, you don’t want to blow any of the rocks or debris up from the ground onto your car. Out of the two options, the leaf blower will be the quicker and more effective way. You can always use the microfibers to soak up the last bits of water when you are finished.

Make sure you open all the doors and dry the door jams. You can also open the trunk and dry the jams there too. For your wheels, you can use a microfiber to get most of the water off. Don’t worry too much about the tires. Those will dry with time. (Tire shine will come later.)

Waxing:

Now it is time to make your MINI shine! Make sure that the paint is nice and dry. You can use either hard or liquid wax. This part is up to you. When purchasing a wax, read reviews online, such as (https://www.autodeets.com/top-10-rated-whats-the-best-car-wax-for-your-ride/) and take your time to see which one suits your MINI’s needs best. They make waxes and other detailing products that cater to different paint finishes, colors, and desirability of shine. When waxing your car, work section to section and make sure it is done the right way. You never want to wax in a circular motion because that can cause swirl marks. Wipe in a back a forth motion if waxing by hand. Remember that most waxes will come with instructions on the box to assist you as well.

Cleaning the Glass:

Nothing is worse than when your windows are dirty. Driving into the already unbearable sun has now become even more of a task. We want to keep our windows streak free and as transparent as possible, a glass polish cleaner will do the trick.

Tips From the Pros:

• Make sure when washing your car, that you are parked in a shaded area. The sun can create water spots on the paint which are hard to remove.
• DO NOT DROP YOUR MICROFIBERS OR MITT ON THE GROUND. If this happens, do not use it on the car again. Use a different microfiber or mitt to avoid scratching your paint.
• When purchasing car soap, concentrated soaps are better. You end up using less soap over time and it removes dirt, bugs and bird droppings better.
• If you decide to dress your tires up with tire shine when you are all done, use a tire shine applicator instead of spraying it onto the tire. This will help to make sure that there isn’t overspray on to the car paint, trim and wheels.
• Don’t let bird droppings, acid rain, bugs or extreme dirt stay on your car for long. Wash off as soon as possible so that it doesn’t damage the paint.

Now that your MINI is looking all spiffy, you can go out for a drive and bask in all the attention you will get.

For more information, contact us at https://www.MINIofFreeport.com.