For many us, one of our regular weekend activities includes cleaning our cars and/or vans. It’s something that gives great satisfaction in the final product of a job well done and a shiny, clean vehicle. Cleaning your vehicle may seem simple, but there’s more to it than meets the eye, do’s and don’ts that can make it easier or more difficult and things to watch for as well to avoid scratching or damaging the surface. One of the best ways to keep a new car finish is through frequent washing.
When to wash your car?
It’s best not to wait for things to build up before deciding to wash. Many of the things that accumulate on our car’s surface leach acids that with time can strip away the wax and eat into the paint.
It’s good to wash off bird droppings, dead bugs and mist from tree-sap as soon as you can. Aside from this, washing your car weekly will help preserve the finish. If the area you live in suffers from acid rain, you will also want to rinse your car after a time of rain or else acidic chemicals from the rainwater may stay on the surface and once evaporated leave a permanent mark that can mar the paint.
What to use
Some of the household cleaning supplies you should avoid using on the paint are hand soap, dishwashing soap or glass cleaner as it may take off the protective wax.
There are car-wash products available that are made especially for car paint. The suds can be applied with a large, soft sponge.
Other points
It’s best not to wash your vehicle when the body of the car is hot, for example, right after driving it or when it’s been parked in the sun for a time. Soap and water dry faster with the heat making it harder to wash and increase the chances of streaks.
Also, don’t move your sponge in circle as this can make light but visible scratches or “swirl marks”. It’s best to move the sponge lengthwise across the outer areas of the car. If your sponge should drop on the ground, be sure to rinse it well as it can pick up particles that may scratch the paint.
Rinse your vehicle with water before you start washing to remove any loose dirt that may cause scratching. When you wash, work on one section at a time. Wash and rinse each area before moving to the next area, thus rinsing the soap before it dries.
Work the soap into a sudsy lather to give lots of lubrication on the surface of the paint and rinse the sponge often.
Drying the vehicle
Use a chamois or soft terry material. It’s better to blot the water up. You can speed up the process using a squeegee. Remove most of the water and just make sure the rubber is flexible and doesn’t pick up particles that can scratch.