Keeping the exterior of your car clean is important for maintaining its appearance and protecting the paint. However, cleaning the tight crevices and small spaces around the exterior can be tricky. Dirt, grime, and debris tend to accumulate in these areas over time. Regular washing often misses these spots, allowing contaminants to build up. If left unchecked, this can lead to corrosion, paint damage, and an overall dirty look. The good news is that with the right tools and techniques, you can effectively clean even the tightest crevices on your car’s exterior.
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Why is it important to clean exterior crevices?
Here are some key reasons to make sure you clean those hard-to-reach exterior spaces:
- Prevent corrosion – Dirt and grime trap moisture against the metal body of the car, leading to rust and corrosion over time. This can cause permanent damage.
- Remove contaminants – Things like bird droppings, sap, insect remains, and road tar stick strongly to paintwork and can be harmful if left on the car.
- Enhance appearance – Built up debris in cracks and crevices makes your car look unkempt and messy.
- Maintain value – Keeping the entire exterior clean, even hidden areas, will help retain your car’s value over time.
Paying close attention to the exterior crevices while washing your car is key to preventing long-term wear and tear while keeping up a great-looking exterior.
What areas need special attention?
Certain parts of your car’s exterior tend to collect more dirt and grime than others. When washing your car, make sure to focus on these key crevice areas:
- Wheel wells – The area around and inside the wheel wells gets constantly splattered by mud and brake dust.
- Badges and trim – Emblems, badges, strips, moldings, and chrome trim often have engraved lines and gaps that need special care.
- Headlights and taillights – The seams, vents, and lenses of the lighting fixtures accumulate dirt buildup.
- Door jambs – The seam where the doors close build up grime over time.
- Mirror housings – The housing around side view mirrors can trap dirt.
- Bumper seams – The joints between bumper covers and the body tend to collect road grime.
Don’t forget areas like the windshield cowling, sunroof channels, and underside of door handles when tackling your car’s exterior crevices.
Useful supplies for crevice cleaning
Having the right supplies makes crevice cleaning much easier. Here are some must-have items:
Detail brushes
Soft nylon or natural bristle brushes in a variety of small sizes let you scrub cracks and crevices. Look for angled shapes, cone tips, and toothbrush styles.
Cotton swabs
The cotton tip allows you to access the tightest spaces like vents and between badges. They work great for applying cleaner too.
Microfiber cloths
A good stack of clean microfibers lets you wipe away grime. Fold or roll them to reach into crevices.
Compressed air
An air compressor or aerosol compressed air canister is useful for blasting out dust and debris from cracks.
All-purpose cleaner
A quality car wash solution or all-purpose cleaner diluted with water helps dissolve built-up contaminants.
Toothpicks
Wooden toothpicks can help gently dislodge compacted dirt in very thin crevices and seams.
Wheel cleaner
A stiff wheel and tire brush along with a good wheel cleaner break up hardened brake dust in wheel wells.
Step-by-Step Guide
Follow these key steps to thoroughly clean the exterior crevices on your car:
Prep the car
The first step is a thorough pre-wash to remove loose debris that could scratch paint as you detail. Spray down the car with water, then use the pressure washer to clean the entire exterior and wheel wells. Pay special attention to crevices to blast out debris.
Loosen grime
Before scrubbing, you need to dissolve built-up grime. Spray exterior crevice areas liberally with your all-purpose cleaner. For wheel wells, apply wheel cleaner gel and let it sit for 2-3 minutes. This helps soften hardened contaminants.
Detail crevices
Use small brushes and swabs to scrub crevices and hidden areas, wiping away dissolved grime with your microfiber. Switch to new swabs and brushes often. For larger gaps and wheel wells, use a boars hair wheel brush. Make sure to rinse out crevices thoroughly after scrubbing.
Blast away debris
Use short compressed air bursts to force out any remaining debris from the narrow spaces you’ve now exposed, like badge gaps and mirror housings. This helps ensure a deep clean.
Remove cleaner residue
It’s important to fully rinse away any leftover cleaning product from crevices, which could attract new dirt. Give the car a final rinse-down, focusing on all detailed areas.
Dry and inspect
Wipe the car with a water blade, microfiber drying towel, or air compressor. Carefully inspect each crevice you cleaned to ensure you’ve removed all trapped grime and residue. Re-clean any spots you may have missed.
Tips for Effective Crevice Cleaning
Follow these tips for the best results when tackling the exterior crevices on your car:
- Work in manageable sections so crevices have time to soak while you clean.
- Wrap each swab or brush in a microfiber andsecure with a rubber band for better grip.
- Fold and angle swabs to gain access to especially thin cracks and gaps.
- Use cotton swabs with rubbing alcohol for hard-to-reach areas with heavy grease buildup.
- Try a plastic razor blade to dislodge any chunks of debris lodged deeply in crevices.
- Lay on the floor to better see and access low wheel well areas as you scrub.
- Replace wash mitts, brushes, and towels often since they pick up grime.
- Carefully clean badges, trim, lettering, and graphics to avoid damage.
Taking the time to thoroughly clean problem exterior crevices keeps your car looking like new and prevents long-term wear. With the right tools and techniques, you can tackle even the grimiest build-up around badges, wheel wells, and other hard-to-reach spots. Stay patient and diligent, and you’ll be rewarded with a fresh, clean car exterior.
Conclusion
The tight crevices around the exterior of your car can collect surprising amounts of contaminants and dirt over time. Cleaning these areas takes some special tools and effort but is important for keeping up your car’s appearance and preventing corrosion. Focus on problem spots like wheel wells, trim, lights, and bumpers when washing. Useful supplies like small brushes, swabs, all-purpose cleaner, and compressed air allow you to scrub and blast away debris. Work methodically and re-clean any spots you missed. Regularly tackling the exterior crevices will remove harmful grime and keep your car looking its best.