Are You Washing Your Car Correctly?
Not only does a car wash keep your car looking at its best, they also help remove dust and grime that strips away the protective layer of your paint. This can cause your paint to start fading and eventually even make your vehicle more vulnerable to rust.
Are You Properly Prepared?
It’s best to wash your vehicle in cool weather or in a shaded area. This prevents the soap from drying on the car prior to it being washed off. Other necessary equipment includes microfiber towels and two buckets. A couple towels should be designated to the car washing process, with one or two being left for the drying process. One bucket will be used to rinse your cloth of any dirt throughout the washing process and another bucket filled with soapy water to wash the vehicle with.
Are You Using the Best Technique?
Washing Process
Start by setting your hose nozzle to a wide spray and rinsing the entire vehicle. Rinsing helps remove any loose pieces of dirt prior to applying soap to the vehicle. This is important because dirt can become trapped in a sponge or washing cloth and be dragged along the surface of the vehicle, which can scratch your paint.
After the initial rinse, it’s time to proceed with the rest of the car wash. When washing your car, start from the top and work your way down. This helps avoid dirtying spots that you have already cleaned. Start by applying soap to the roof, windows and top of the hood and trunk. After soaping thoroughly, use your hose to rinse the soaped section. After the above section work your way down to washing the front bumper, doors (top three-quarters) and front and rear fenders. To finish do the lower quarter of the doors and fenders and back of your car.
Dry Process
After washing the vehicle, it’s important to dry the vehicle to avoid the creation of water spots on your vehicle’s surface. The vehicle can be dried with a fresh cloth or an electric leaf blower. Leaf blowers are highly effective, as they use air and don’t actually touch the vehicle. The lack of physical contact reduces the chances of your vehicle’s surface being scratched in any way.
