Always use a detail spray or  specific clay lube  its the safest way and stays wet longer -  some detailing professionals use a highly  concentrated car shampoo mixture for lube you just need to be careful it does not dry out on you as clay will marr the  clear coat finish if not lubricated.

ENJOY!

Most people think leather interiors are pretty bomb proof since it’s a natural fiber and don’t even think twice about what it takes to keep their leather interior healthy and keeping it from deteriorating prematurely.

When in fact I think it is one of the most delicate surfaces on your entire car and the most abused!

Snow and rain moisture attract  dirt like a magnet and the grit  that sticks to the leather may as well be sand paper as you slide in an out of your seats.
Also when the leather is cold it tends to be stiff and less flexible and that over time can lead to hairline cracks that can get larger.  (Conditioning will keep it soft and supple and resist hairline cracks developing)

Heat cycling of heated seats tends to dry out the leather too making it more prone to hairline cracks.

Here is what happens in just a few years of no care at all.

*In as little as  5 years of neglect its quite common to see major cracks and blemishes on modern leather interiors.  When you trade in or sell a car with leather – this is one of the areas that will hurt your  resale value. Its really expensive for a dealer to have leather repaired or restored on a trade in.  And the interior is a major selling point to most people buying an expensive luxury car with leather.
It’s really simple to keep your leather interior looking like the day you brought your new car home.
Just giving your leather interior a little LOVE  every few months will keep it in tip top condition for years and years.
Here is

If you simply give you new car leather interior some love every few months you will be rewarded with leather that looks like the day you brought your vehicle home for years to come!

Did you know the fastest way to oxidize and ruin you car finish is to leave it dirty for prolonged periods of time.

Accumulated dirt and grit suck the moisture right out of the finish and expose it to premature failure.  It does not take years as most people think – in fact in as little as 6 months of neglect your paint finish can start to show signs of deterioration.

But let’s talk about the real reason to regularly keep your paint finish clean….

It’s the feeling of pride of ownership.  When we see a clean shiny car in the parking lot it says alot about the owner…right?!

And when your car looks SHARP…  it means YOU ARE SHARP!

Vanity…maybe.     A sense of accomplishment…perhaps.   Makes your car go faster… (That’s what my Dad used to tell me)

It’s all of these things and much more.

*And yes it’s been scientifically proven that a clean and waxed car or airplane has less wind resistance and therefore can go faster…

But the underlying important reason you should feel good about having a clean, shiny and protected vehicle is because you are in fact actively preserving and protecting the finish and thus maintaining the value of your investment for years to come…and tons of smiles along the way.

*Investment returns never feel quite as good as getting random comments from strangers, neighbors and friends about how beautiful your car looks…yes I’m a little vain, I admit it.

Random strangers, friends and neighbors making  comments on how shiny your new car looks – can make my whole day!

But the real world and life just seems to get in the way.

No time, too busy to wash your new car (you know you should but just forget).  Maybe you finally can’t stand it and go to the strip mall automatic carwash – because at least it will get clean.  (I don’t have the room here to expose how  all commercial car wash places have been proven to be a slow (sometimes instant) death to your paint finish – its a topic for a entire blog post.)

So what are you to do?

You can go old school and give up half of your precious Saturday or Sunday to wash the car in the driveway. (when you would much rather be doing something fun like shopping, golf, watching a ball game, surfing, riding a bike, curl up with a great book or DRIVING your awesome car!)

Old school driveway wash job -First you need to dig out all the stuff like buckets, shampoo, towels, wash mitts, garden hose and where is that damn hose sprayer uggg.  Not to mention you get to take a bath at the same time.  Oh and where is the Windex and paper towel to do all the windows … what an ordeal this sucks.

Then you get to clean up and put away all of the paraphernalia… ugg.

Then there is the issue of old school washing in the driveway and the impact on the environment.  If you appreciate nature and our precious natural resources as much as I do – this is a biggie.   Wasting precious water resources and sending soap and car residue into the storm drain which goes straight into our oceans, rivers and lakes… bummer for the little creatures that live in those bodies of water.

What now?

If taking a car to any  commercial place can quickly deteriorate a new car finish and  going old school in the driveway is a hassle and not so environmentally how can I possibly keep my car clean and shiny with my busy schedule?

The simple answer is you can easily keep your new vehicle looking pristine and protected anytime and anywhere without a garden hose and do it in less than 15 minutes.

Do you think you can find an extra 15 minutes once a week or even just 2X a month?  Sure you can.

Then read this carefully -

In the last 7 years or so modern car wash technology has finally caught up with modern clear coat finishes on cars.  Clear coat finishes are durable however they are quite vulnerable to damage from incorrect car washing technique.

I want to introduce you to two types of cutting edge modern car finish wash formulas that do not require a garden hose for rinsing and all the hassle of a traditional driveway car wash session.

Waterless –A spray bottle formula and two micro fiber towels no hose and no water at all!  The advanced water based formula is an emulsion that on contact instantly lifts grit and suspends it in a slippery film, NO rubbing No scrubbing.   Lightly wipe and safely pick up all the grit in a micro fiber towel.  A quick buff and you get a jaw dropping shine and protection.

Rinse less – This formula can be used any time however it really shines (pun intended) when your paint finish is heavily gritty or dirty.   It’s a super concentrated water base emulsion 1oz to 3 gallons of water in a single bucket to wash an entire car.  NO hose for pre wetting No hose after wash rinse.  Weird but true.  Simply dunk a special micro fiber mitt into the bucket and go straight to the car NO scrubbing NO rubbing… the formula instantly lifts the dirt and suspends it in an extremely slippery film and the micro fiber mitt picks it up.  Just dunk the mitt in the bucket to release grit and do the next section.  However the coolest part is drying…. With the car still wet you simply dry it with a special over sized professional micro fiber towel…. And get prepared for a jaw dropping shine!    No streaks, no water spots  just a stunning clean shiny car in minutes!

How long does it take to use either of these formulas? Would you believe less than 15 minutes?

Elvira is also a "certifiable" Freak - sexy but still freaky

Finally,  it’s possible to instantly clean your paint finish the gentlest way possible anytime anywhere in the time it takes to drink a hot cup of coffee!

In 15 minutes or less you can now have:

Allow me to introduce Kleen Freak modern car wash/protect system.

There are two formulas I offer and have been testing and using on my own cars for over 5 years (and all my cars are black which show even the slightest scratches)

Kleen Freak Waterless – A spray bottle of formula and two professional micro fiber towels and get ready to be amazed.  This formula is good up to a moderately dirty or grimy car finish.

Kleen Freak Rinse less – This formula can be used any time however it really shines for heavy dirt and grit for instance in the winter months from snow grit and grime build up.   It can be used in very cold temperatures.

You will always have the right stuff on hand to keep your new car looking new for years to come.   I call it “instant smiles in a bottle” delivered to your door step.

I will look for you over there and if you have any burning questions or comments leave them below.

Cheers to your gigantic grin every time you walk up to your car from now on!

Get the ULTIMATE New Car Owner Car wash kit just click the Big Yellow Button now!

P.S   May I ask a favor of you…. if you liked this article click the button down below here to share with your friends on Face Book… gracias!

Tip #1: A professional automotive paint sealant is the easy way to protect a modern automotive clear coat finish -  apply a paint sealant 2X a year (spring and fall)

Tip #2: A professional automotive paint sealant is your first line of defense against ordinary scuffs, scratches and Mother Nature!

The difference between a automotive paint sealant and ordinary carnauba wax is surprisingly simple however a modern automotive paint sealant is far superior.  A typical auto wax that is formulated from just carnauba wax and or bees wax and other assorted types of waxes is a natural product.  Carnauba wax  has excellent water repellency, breathability, generates a nice luster, and natural UV protection.   Without getting into all of the grades of carnauba wax suffice to say that the purer and the higher the carnauba concentration …the more expensive it is.

“Carnauba wax is a natural product and essentially “sits” on top of the paint…and evaporates quickly in the real world due to the sun, rain, wind etc, therefore the protection is short lived.”

*this is why my dear old dad was out in the garage nearly every weekend waxing the family car in the “back in the day”.

A tin can or bottle from the auto parts store for $5 or $10 bucks of a ordinary car wax (mostly cheap fillers and bees wax), might say its pure carnauba wax (it’s not)…just remember you get what you pay for.  Believe it or not there are exotic blends of carnauba paste wax that cost $10,000.00 and more!  … that’s not a typo…that is TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS!   Personally I think that’s a little over the top in my opinion…but whatever makes you happy I guess.

High quality carnauba wax is great for enthusiasts that don’t mind frequent wax applications because…

“carnauba wax simply sits on top of the paint and in the real world, only protects for about 4-6 weeks!”

Now enter the modern professional automotive paint finish sealant; sealant technology originally came from the aircraft industry.

“professional automotive synthetic paint sealant formulas actually bond chemically to the paint finish and last for 6-8 months”

Because of the chemistry, sealants deliver a very hard coating which actually bond to the paint surface.  They are extremely slick…and happens to be the best protection you can get from ordinary scuffs and scratches, superior UV protection and most anything Mother Nature Can Dish up!

Purists claim that sealants deliver a “cold shine” compared to carnauba wax which gives a “warm glow”.

This is because… sealants tend to allow more reflectance because the synthetic is a thinner more transparent layer. Carnauba wax is a thicker layer (larger molecules) and less transparent and thus cuts down on the reflectance so it delivers a warm glow or shine.

A professional paint sealant is far easier and faster to apply than a carnauba wax.  You use way less product and it buffs instantly when compared to a straight carnauba wax which requires a lot of buffing.

So if you want to experiment, you can use high quality carnauba wax, over a modern sealant, every once and a while to get a nice warm show car shine that only carnauba wax can produce. In fact this is exactly what many modern car enthusiasts do …a base coat of a quality sealant…and high quality  carnauba wax top coat from time to time for that hand waxed look.

In fact I feel so strongly about applying a sealant 2X year to a modern clear coat finish -   There is no better way to protect your new car finish year round.

Also did you know that when your paint finish has a paint sealant on it:

I hope this clears up the common misconceptions about a modern automotive  paint sealant and a carnauba paste wax.

*Did you know dealers and detailers charge anywhere from $150.00 to $400+ to do a “Paint Sealant Service”? They would prefer you think there is some magic they do or that it’s a difficult process which justifies  the high price.   You can get the same protection right at  home for a fraction of the cost… little secret – The Pro sealant I offer is  a higher quality than most car dealerships and car detailers use – and can protect much longer too.

*My Extreme Paint Sealant has a little carnauba wax for a nice little bump in shine – however the sealant keeps protecting and looks fantastic  for 6-8 months in the real world. Most professional high end paint sealants have a little carnauba wax since its taken for granted that a customer will be taking delivery of the vehicle so the caranuba gives the car a extra amount of shine at the time of delivery.

Pssst  … now you can all the benefits of a PROFESSIONAL PAINT SEALANT without the outrageous cost! It’s super fast and easy to apply when compared to old fashion paste wax.  This is without a doubt the finest year round protection for your new car, truck or SUV.

You suddenly notice you have a ugly scratch on your new car and it ruined your day.  Unfortunately car scratches are a fact of life and there is almost no way to escape it. You are in the right place because learning how to remove scratches from cars is the one thing no one teaches you and perhaps on of the most valuable skills a car owner can learn.  When you know how to remove scratches on your car not only will you sleep easier, your car will always look nice and the icing on the cake…you are going to save major money over the life of your car.

Here are two things to check and assess what type of scratch you have when you need to remove scratches from cars.

Can not feel the automobile scratches with your fingernail:

If you can not feel the scratch with your finger nail then its a good bet that you can permanently remove scratches from cars.

Using a professional diminishing polish is the safest and most efficient way to remove scratches from cars.   You will use a quality micro fiber towel and the polish in small focused areas until you have permanently removed all of the car scratches.   The Ultimate Car Scratch Remover System comes with professional diminishing polishes.

*in certain instances the scratch could be deep but very thin in which case it would be what I call  a “borderline” scratch.  Possibly within safe limits to remove permanently.   Sometimes when you remove scratches automobiles you will encounter a scratch that does not look that bad however polish alone will not remove it.  You will need to use wet sand paper then polish.   The Ultimate Car Scratch Remover System comes with a patented tool called the Safe-T-Sand. This revolutionary pro accessory is a 3000 grit paper that is extremely gentle but effective.   Beginners can get awesome results the first time and remove scratches from cars like a pro.

The automobile scratch has a different color on some or all of it:

If the car scratch has a different color – you will want to inspect closely.  Does the color appear to be on top of the paint finish?  This would be from another car or perhaps the siding on a garage door opening, a parking lot pole.   Or is the color grey, black or perhaps white and looks to be in the scratch, in other words under and revealed because your paint has been scraped and the under color (primer) is being exposed.

if the color appears to be “on top” of your paint finish its known as “paint transfer”.   You can easily remove scratches from cars  like this with a polish alone.

*If the color appears to be in the car scratch scrape you will need to use touch up paint to finish the job.  See this article on Touch Up Paint tips.

However many times a paint transfer automobile scratch can have some scuffs as well.  So you would simply remove those with polish too.  If the car scratches are deeper you might need to use a wet sanding technique or touch up paint to finish the job when you are faced with how to remove scratches from cars.

Check out other posts on this site to remove scratches from automobiles.

The object to doing any car touch up paint repair is to “visually” camouflage the repair.  This means you always want to improve the shine (luster) of the surrounding area prior to doing your car touch up paint repair.

Getting a nice luster on the paint will help make the touch up “visually”  blend in better and you eyes will not be drawn to it.

*one thing to note – since you are doing the car touch up paint repair you know exactly where it is…however when someone else views the car at normal distance of say 3 feet they will never see it.  Over time you too  will also loose track of where it is… it happens to me all the time!

If the scratch or chip is on a door I suggest you polish the entire door …it may take few extra minutes and will be  well worth it.

Car Touch Up Paint Tips

Tip#1 -  Use a polish on the entire area prior to doing touch up paint repairs to get a nice overall luster.

Tip#2 -  Always use fresh touch up paint – paint older than 4 -6 months may not flow or work easily.

Tip#3 -  Always pour a small amount ( 5-10 mls) of  touch up paint into a small container to work from – don’t work from the bottle of touch up paint.

Tip#4 – If you only plan to apply car touch up paint and nothing more…. Less is better.  Use a automotive micro tip touch up brush or a super fine artist brush.  This will give you the greatest amount of control to precisely apply car touch up paint.

Tip#5 -  If you plan to do a car touch up paint repair and refine it further to help it blend in better you will want to try  using what is commonly called a “blob remover”  or “leveling solvent”.   This solvent is specifically designed to erode or remove excess car touch up paint and just leave paint only in the chip or scape.  This will give you the best result overall and is exactly how professionals would do car touch up paint repair by hand.

Tip#6 – Always have some high quality lacquer thinner on hand when you are doing car touch up paint repairs.  It’s handy to clean up your tools and your fingers!  It’s also perfect for removing  touch up paint from the car and start over.

Tip#7 – The coolest thing about doing car touch up paint repairs is that you can do it over as many times as you wish until you get it the way you like.  This is also what the high quality lacquer thinner is for…it will remove the car touch up paint but will not harm your original factory finish.

Car Touch Up Paint Bonus Tip:

After you get your car touch up paint repair to your liking make sure you protect the entire area with a high quality automotive paint sealant.  Automotive paint sealants are superior to old fashion Carnauba wax.  Paint sealants are synthetic and typically protect for  4-8 months.

Car Touch Up Paint  can be fun!

great wiki article

Today the most advanced and most expensive professional polishes use “diminishing” or sometimes called  “nano” technology.  This means that as they are applied they progressively “break down” into finer and finer particles.  For instance if a diminishing polish starts out as a 1500 grit it can break down to a 50 point which is extremely  fine, which will give a superb shine and luster even before using a glaze.  This technology allows a defect to be removed and then fine polished…without requiring a secondary polish to remove abrasive haze. Thus moving straight to a glaze for clarity and  then finally to a sealant to finish the job.

With a “diminishing” polish you get fast efficient  removal of paint defects.  The Ultimate Car Scratch Remover utilizes a diminishing polish (Totally Bitchin Scratch Remover).

NOTE: Using a high quality clean micro fiber towel is the most safe and effective way to apply a polish when working by hand to remove isolated scratches.  Cotton towels can actually harm the finish since they just push the dried particles around on the finish rather than trapping them safely in the fibers like a micro fiber towel does.

Cutting Compound (sometimes called rubbing compound):

Cutting compounds are used for removing wet sand paper grits of  approx 1000-1500…serious wet sanding territory. These compounds are  sometimes called rubbing compounds.  This class of abrasive is usually rated at one grit and remains at that grit the entire time it is applied.  They are used for serious paint correction and without proper use can easily cause unnecessary damage to your clear coat finish.

Cutting or rubbing compounds are always followed with a polish.  They leave what appears to be haze but is really the fine scratches left from the abrasive once the deep wet sanding scratches are gone.  Therefore a polish is always necessary to remove the haze or fine compound scratches left.

In the end the safest way to remove isolated scratches on a modern clear coat finish is to us a Diminishing Polish like the one found in 100% guaranteed  Ultimate Car Scratch Remover System.

If all you want is a basic kit to remove a couple scratches then check out the new LITE kit

Car Touch Up Paint- This question comes up a lot about car touch up paint repairs and this is a excerpt  from post I wrote in a Camaro forum recently.

Here are the dirty little secrets the car touch up paint industry would prefer you not know.

1. Mass produced car touch up paint whether bought at the dealer with official logo or a mass retailer…is a crap shoot for matching. Think about it, thousands of models from all of the major mfgrs. from 50+ years of manufacturing and thousands of colors…do you think they made up your exact to code formula in your tiny little bottle and how many bottles of car touch up paint are sold for your exact make, model & color every week just to have them just sitting around…

*mass produced car touch up paint for economics and logistics is made in large quantities and then packaged into containers with the corresponding model year color info…it’s a color that is most likely “very close” to YOUR color however chances are you are not getting your EXACT color code formula.  So for instance a certain metallic blue might be a close match for several different makes, models and years.

It’s Difficult To Find The Right Car Touch Up Paint Color

2. If you buy car touch up paint from any vendor online or offline that mixes to order and gives you less than 2oz  there is a good chance your paint will NOT be an EXACT match. Why you ask?
2oz is considered in the automotive paint refinishing industry to be the smallest volume to accurately mix to code.  You see by mixing .05 oz  or even 1.0 oz  some of the toners can zero out.  This means the paint mixture is not exact bc it’s missing some toners.

*when you are spraying automotive paint exact match is mandatory (if you like to do nice work that is)…with hand touch ups for chips etc sometimes you can get away with “close”  and this is precisely why the mass producers can get away with this…most people will never notice or if they do…figure they got a bad batch…end of story.

*as one person on this thread said “any paint shop should be able to mix you up something for $5.00″. maybe 20 yrs ago  not anymore, modern urethane paint is expensive. Also for a automotive paint shop to mix 2oz to code…is really more of a hassle and a customer service and they do it for customers bc they buy other supplies that do make money.

*most mobile pros that do touch up repair work have their own system and mix to code on the spot. They get the paint formula online and mix to code with a portable digital scale.  These pro paint systems run from $1500 to $10K

3. Here is the answer to what happened to the good old days when they gave you car touch up paint with the car and why you wouldn’t want it anyway. Car touch up paint in little bottle (that is pre made and bought in a store)  has a real shelf life of roughly 60 days before a much of the solvents evaporate. Sure you can add in some reducer if the paint has thickened to thin it out a bit, but do you have reducer for automotive urethane paint on hand?

*if you are a Car Scratch Remover Customer.com customer all you have to do is email or call us -  if there is any question about your car touch up paint*

(NEVER keep car touch up paint in your car glove, box trunk etc exposed to excess heat it will accelerate the evaporation of the solvents.)

Car Touch Up Paint Has Never Been Easier

* I do agree with one person…manufacturers if they really wanted to promote good will would be to give a customer a bottle of car touch up paint as a courtesy not at the time of sale but when the customer gets the scratch…however that of course would take money away from their body shop…so this will never happen

*You will NEVER catch a pro using old car touch up paint…pro’s ALWAYS  mix fresh , and toss whatever is left over from a hand touch up. They usually throw away more than they used on a repair…just part of doing biz.  Fresh paint mixed to code will ensure the best possible repair bc it will flow better (fresh solvents and toners) and is easier to work with.

So in the end if you want EXACT  matching car touch up paint go find a local automotive paint supplier and ask if they will mix 2oz for you (be prepared for sticker shock)

However …because you are here at Car Scratch Remover.com  and are already much wiser than the typical consumer you already know  all of my touch up paint is custom mixed to order for your EXACT CAR TOUCH UP PAINT CODE in  2oz bottle naturally.   You will find exactly what you need in my store right here.

Good luck with your car touch up paint my friends.

Learn The Best Ways To Fix Car Scratches.

The car touch up paint trick to doing really clean car touch up paint repairs is to apply the car paint with surgical precision.  There are several tricks that pro use to do this.

BIG TIP: NEVER use the brush in a car touch up paint bottle for ANY  car touch up paint repair.  You will NEVER get a clean surgical application of car touch up paint.  You will end up with big blobs of paint and very uneven.  This is where the word “blob” came from along time ago…and is EXACTLY what you don’t want.

Car Touch Up Paint Trick- Use A Syringe

Probably one of the coolest ways to apply a car touch up paint trick with precision is to use a syringe.  If you have ever refilled a ink jet cartridge you will know the type of syringe I am talking about. This is one of the best car touch up paint trick around.

You can find complete kits and car touch up paint trick accessories at the CSR store

This method is especially suited for long key car paint scratches like a key scratch.  The reason why is simple, you can fill the syringe with plenty of paint to do the entire length of the scratch in one stroke.   Using this car touch up paint trick you can apply the paint in a clean uniform bead in the entire car paint scratch.

Practice holding the syringe in one hand, with your thumb on the plunger, the rest of your fingers gripping the body of the syringe.

This Car Touch Up Paint Trick Can Be Used By Anybody

Practice on a piece of card board, drag the tip of the syringe along while keeping pressure on the plunger of the syringe…so that you are dispensing a even bead of paint the entire time.

If you want a complete “All In The Box” touch up paint solution go to the CSR STORE  for a one stop shop!

You only want a bead of paint to “just” fill the scratch…more is not better…

Here are the steps for applying car touch up paint with a syringe:

There are advanced car touch up paint trick methods to level the paint when it is dry either by using what is sometimes called a “blob” remover solvent or traditional wet sanding to block sand the dry paint level.

Both methods to level car touch up paint are both valid ways to do this.  Some car touch up paint trick repairs come out better using one or the other…I will cover that later.

However many times if you simply apply car touch up paint in a long scratch with “surgical” precision it will look really convincing  and with the surrounding  car paint polished the final result will look really nice from  a normal viewing distance of 3 feet or so.

Even pros cannot make a hand touch up invisible…you are after a really clean car touch up paint repair that camouflage the scratch and makes it visually less apparent to the casual glance.  Doing this type of car paint repair yourself will look great and easily save you a couple hundred bucks! Hope this Car Touch Up Paint Trick helps you out.

If you want a complete “All In The Box” touch up paint solution go to the CSR STORE  for a one stop shop! This is the best car touch up paint trick around.

Car Touch Up Paint Tricks Video- This is a cool You Tube video and shows super simple car touch up paint video technique and some advanced techniques.

The real “secret” to do a really clean touch up paint repair yourself is to apply the paint with surgical precision.

You cant apply paint with surgical precision with the funky brush that comes with touch up paint bottles because they put  WAY TOO much paint on the chip or scratch.

If all you have is touch up paint…see if you can get a syringe and tip like the type you use to refill a  inkjet cartridge, at least you will be able to control the flow with precision and this is the best way to do reeeaaaaaallly looooong key scratches.

A syringe works awesome for long key scratches bc you can use the scratch as guide for the syringe tip….and just pull it along the entire scratch all in one shot!

Watch Our Car Touch Up Paint Tricks Video

Find Out The Best Way To Fix Car Scratches.