Who’s Into Car Detailing? Learn More About Cleaning Your Engine at Home

Now, we all love a clean car. It just feels nicer driving around in one, and it's bound to turn heads when you're out and about. So, if it's Friday night, you’re free tomorrow, and your car needs to be cleaned. You have two options:

1) Take it into the shop for professional detailing, or

2) Clean it yourself at home.

Which do you choose? If you want to save some time and money, cleaning your engine at home is the way to go! How? Read below.

Self Service:

A lot of people enjoy doing things for themselves, including car owners. It gives them a sense of pride and accomplishment to finish the job independently without relying on someone else. However, you must be able to do so safely! The last thing you want is an injury or other damages because you were too proud to take your vehicle to a service station for professional detailing. We have broken down everything into three main categories:

tools needed;

safety precautions;

steps involved in the process.

Let's get started.

Tools Required:

You're undoubtedly aware of the fact that you'll need tools to complete any task. It's no different when it comes time for a DIY engine detail! Here are the essentials:

Towels 

Rags and sponges with rough textures

Air compressor or electric air blower

Water hose with spray nozzle

Bucket, preferably one with wheels/handle so you can roll/drag them into your garage while keeping contaminants off your floors.

Safety Precautions:

Before we get started, let's go over a few safety precautions. Remember, you're working with potentially hazardous materials here!

Wait till the Car is Cool – don’t start work on a hot engine. You can hurt yourself! Wait till the car has cooled down.

Wear Old Clothes – you don't want engine degreaser and other chemicals getting on your good clothes.

Wear Goggles - to protect your eyes from any flying debris or chemical splashes.

Wear Gloves - to protect your hands from any harsh chemicals or solvents.

Tie your Hair - If you have long hair, tie it back to avoid any cleaning products.

Ventilation - Finally, work in a well-ventilated area whenever possible – preferably outside if the weather permits.

Never - smoke or eat while detailing your engine! It's just not worth the risk.

Steps to Follow:

Cover up wiring and sensitive areas of your engine with plastic covering in order to prevent these parts from coming into contact with water or chemicals.

Start with soaping up the engine. Use a car shampoo mixed with water and scrub it around the whole engine, being careful not to get any of that on your paint job!

If you want to do more than clean off grime from driving in dirty conditions (and most people will), then move on to degreasing next. It involves spraying or pouring oil-based chemicals into areas where lots of grease like undercarriage follow, along exhaust pipes and behind the grill area – be sure not to spray too much as this can cause damage! Then cover those spots with some old newspapers before hosing them all away once finished.

If, after reading, you realize this isn't your kind of job, then it may be wiser to pay someone else to do this for you. At Sun Toyota, serving Wesley Chapel, FL, we specialize in cleaning cars and can provide the same quality results at a better cost. Schedule a service now!