Nothing makes a car owner beam quite as much as seeing their four-wheeled pride and joy, clean, glossy and shiny. It’s the same for everyone, regardless of your car’s age. It could be a showroom-fresh car that’s under a year old, or a classic that’s over 20 years old!
Weather conditions in Singapore aren’t the most optimal for keeping a car’s paintwork in tip-top shape. Throughout the year, there’s harsh sunlight combined with occasional thunderstorms. This is the perfect recipe to make a car look dull, caused by atmospheric debris, water spots, or even paint oxidization.
Considering how expensive cars are in Singapore, car grooming is a readily available way to keep your investment looking new. Besides, keeping your car nice and clean usually pays dividends when the time comes to sell it!
If you’ve never really paid attention to the various car grooming services available on the market, here’s a quick overview so you can make an informed choice in future.
Basic Grooming | Fortnightly Car Wash & Vacuum
Something that should be done as part of a fortnightly (or even weekly!) routine is a basic wash & vacuum.
The average Singaporean motorist travels approximately 33 kilometres a day (based on an average annual mileage of 12,000km). This means that the car collects 33 kilometres of contaminants as it’s driven along each day.
By washing your car regularly, it ensures that surface dirt and other substances are gently removed from the paint surface. This can range from pollutant-filled raindrops, or tree sap and bird poop. Whatever the grime, it’s important to get them washed off before they have time to cause longer-lasting damage.
Short-Term Grooming | Annual/Biannual Polish & Wax
On top of regular washes, polishing and waxing is good way to keep paint surfaces looking fresh. You can do this annually or biannually, to remove any flaws that your paintwork might have collected during the year.
Despite best efforts to keep the car washed, it is inevitable that tiny swirls will be left on the paint surface. This could be caused by car washes with less-than-perfectly-clean sponges or cloths, which result in spider web-like scratches across the paint surface. Or worse, your passenger might have left deeper scratches with their metal-buttoned pants while exiting.
By polishing and waxing your car, it ensures that the paint surface is enhanced by removing oxidation and scratches. Then, topping it off with a wax layer will protect it and enhance its shine.
Long-Term Grooming | Annual/Biennial Ceramic Coating
If you’ve done any research on car grooming products within the past three years, you’re bound to have seen or heard about a revolutionary car care product – ceramic coating.
Ceramic coatings are marketed as the ultimate in paint protection. They contain ingredients that will harden and bond with your paintwork, when applied and allowed to cure. Acting as a semi-permanent sealant layer, ceramic coatings are extremely hard and have a certain degree of scratch resistance.
With ceramic coated paint, the protective layer also serves to enhance the aesthetics of your car. The coating adds a glossy and hydrophobic finish to your paint, eliminating the need to polish or wax your car.
If you want to get your car groomed but don’t have the time to get it done or are not sure which of the many detailers to trust, just AutoApp it!
Sit back, relax, and let our friendly Service Ambassadors find you the right detailing service to keep your car in tip top condition. Best of all, it’ll all be taken care of without having to leave home or interrupt your schedule.
Let AutoApp arrange this service for you. Click here to make an online booking, or download the app below.
