Tips for Cleaning and Detailing Your Vintage Car

You must clean a classic car regularly to keep it running strong and healthy. Below, we offer some helpful tips for cleaning and detailing your vintage car to ensure it gets squeaky clean without damaging its value.

Inspect It First

The first thing vintage car owners should do is give their vehicles a thorough inspection, inside and out, before cleaning. For one, it’ll allow them to see what parts of the car could use extra attention and note any previously unnoticed issues.

Check the exterior for any slight dings, dents, or scratches and any potential signs of rust. Inspect the upholstery for rips or tears and search every nook and cranny for dirt and dust deposits.

Work Inside Out

When cleaning and detailing your vintage car, it’s wise to start with the interior and then move to the exterior. Detailing your car this way reduces the number of fingerprints on the pristine exterior when cleaning and waxing it.

Start with a quick and thorough vacuum of the interior, using vacuum attachments so it won’t be so rough on the upholstery and easier to clean those hard-to-reach corners. Classic car owners should also use a foaming upholstery cleaner if they have cloth seats or a leather seat cleaner for leather and vinyl seats.

Handwash Only

The first rule of washing a classic car is to do everything by hand. Automated and drive-through car washes may be quick and convenient, but the intense pressure and rough fabrics can harm the exterior paint.

Use a soft chamois or microfiber towel to dry the exterior after. It may take longer and require more effort, but the reward is well worth it, and it means spending more quality time with your classic car!

Specialized Auto Soap Only

It may surprise you how many so-called classic car experts and enthusiasts still think using dishwashing soap on their cars is okay. Dish soap may clean the car, but its chemicals dull the paint job and remove its luster long-term.

Pro Tip: Don’t forget the tires! Clean the tires before the rest of the car and use a tire conditioner to give them more protection and better color.

If you want to preserve your classic’s original luster and paint job, only use specialized auto soap while handwashing. You can find it in practically any auto store, giving your vintage vehicle a beautiful shine without harming the exterior.

If you want to add to your vintage vehicle collection, find classic cars online in the USA at Ideal Classic Cars! Browse our inventory or stop by our Venice, Florida, showroom today!