This is especially important for those who want to enhance the overall aesthetic appeal of their vehicle. Below, you will find a comprehensive guide into detailing these often neglected components of your vehicle. Cleaning the Trim In addition to the regular washing and maintenance that you perform on your vehicle's metal and trim, you need proper detailing to ensure that you can preserve and protect its natural shine. What You Need Below are some of the materials you need to prepare before detailing your car engine: Plastic bag Water hose Water Metal polish Engine degreaser Wax Microfiber towel Vinyl protectant Wire brush Prep Work To get you started, you need to remove the hood first. Then, place either an aluminum foil or plastic bag to protect those areas on the engine that must not be soaked with water, or else it could suffer from mechanical damage. Know What Materials You are Using In order to ensure that you don t ruin your car s finish, you need to first identify what things you need for the detailing job you are planning on doing to your car. Basically, detailing your car would require you to purchase a particular type of wax, and buff it in a certain way to achieve a specific effect on your car s finish, like if your car s finish has a slight oxidation finish, then you simply need to purchase a cleaner wax to give you that showroom shine and glow. As noted above, each professional detailing company have their own field of specialization. Would you want interior or exterior detailing for your vehicle? Either way you choose, there are more options of services to choose from wherein they also differ in scope. This is one example of each company's specialization. But if you would like to stick with spot treatment for scratches or uneven paint, then try to focus application of compound within that given area. Tips for Improved Compounding Results If you want to enhance the overall quality of your car paint, you need to consider applying the following tips for better compounding results: Apply a slight brush of detailing spray onto the polishing pad since it will make applying the compound a lot easier and more precise. Some other detailers also provide engine detailing, wherein degreasers, high pressure water and steam are used to clean everything found under the hood of the car. Body work, mechanical repair, upholstery repair and painting are not included in auto detailing. 3 Main Factors The three main components used in detailing the car's exterior are cleaning, protecting and correcting.