Did you know that Ace Hardware has supplies to wash your car or truck? Ace fix-it carries a wide variety of automotive supplies from waxes to wash mitts, even wiper blades!
The first step in a proper cleaning is to to make sure you are using quality washes and cleaners. We carry many different brands of washes and waxes. Finding the one you like best is personal preference. You want to buy yourself a good microfiber wash mitt and microfiber towels. Waxes also vary. There are carnauba waxes and ceramic waxes. The best quality and usually the most expensive are the ceramic waxes and washes. There is also washes with ceramic in them. These offer the most protection for you paint from scratches and chips. It also expels water and mud a lot better than a carnauba wax, but also does not usually go on as easy.
The second step is to make sure the vehicle is rinsed very well and all loose dirt and debris are washed off of the vehicle. We recommend using a electric or gas powered pressure washer for this. If you do not have a pressure washer a normal hose will work also. We do carry attachments for your garden hose to make it work like a pressure washer.After you make sure the vehicle is completely free of loose dirt, the next step is to mix you soap in a bucket with water. We recommend using around a capful or 2 soap and fill the bucket 3/4 full with water. Dunk your microfiber wash mitt into the bucket and start on the roof of the vehicle. Re-dunk your mitt in the bucket after finishing each panel. Never clean a mid door down area first. This is normally the dirtiest part of the vehicle and if cleaning bottom upwards, you risk scratching the paint.
After you have made your way around the entire vehicle, you can rinse the vehicle off. Make sure all soap is washed off. You will then want to chamois the car dry. Ace carries a few versions of Chamois in stock. To use the Chamois, wet it with clean water, ring out and blanket the area you want to dry, pulling toward you. Chamois must be washed after each use. Wash or soak in clean water. Animal skin Chamois should not be washed in a washing machine.After this you are ready to vacuum your carpet and protect your vinyl and leather interior parts. We offer a wide range of products for this here. When you are finished with this step, now is always a good time to check your bulbs and make sure none are burned out. Put each turn signal on and walk around the vehicle. Also check you wiper blades for tears.
You can order any of the products we mentioned online and use our easy in store pick up option. This will save you time and you will not have to pick out everything yourself. Another good think to check is your oil and coolant levels at this time. Washer fluid and coolant are easy to add to. Yet another is brake fluid level. The level indicator is located on the side of the brake master cylinder fluid reservoir. That is normally located on the firewall of the drivers side on the top.
Did you know we can also cut and program vehicle keys? If you are missing one, we can save you up to 60% over dealership costs.As always if you have further questions, feel free to visit our stores and speak to a associate.