It might seems simple to wash your car by just soaking it,
soap it up, wash it off and dry. But did you know that you may be damaging the
exterior? There are precautions to use when washing your car so that you don’t
damage the exterior. Use these tips to clean your car with care.
1. Use a mild car wash soap- Never use a kitchen or
household liquid detergent to wash your car as these products can damage your
car’s paint finish. Use a designated soap for a car wash to get an unwanted
damage finish.
2. Wash Your Car in the Shady cool area- This is so that the
sun doesn’t dry the areas you just soaped up.
3. Make sure to pre-soak- spray the body surface with water
to soak the film of dirt, dust and grime that has accumulated on the paint
finish. By leaving the water to soak for a minute or two, much of the dirt will
easily float off the car when you go to sponge it clean.
4. Rinse the bottom of the car- While the top of the car is
soaking, get beneath the car and rinse off the dirt, mud and debris from all of
the underbody areas: inside fenders, above and below the exhaust system
hardware, off of the underpan area, etc. Don’t forget those potential dirt
“hiding” spots behind bumpers, too.
5. Use a large car wash sponge or washing mitt- Remember to
rinse the sponge/mitt regularly to rid it of dirt the can accumulate and
scratch the paint — and also rub the sponge gently as you work the suds over
the body surface. Work from the roof and windows down, hood to trunk and
upper-to-lower sides. It’s a good idea to give a quick scrub to the headlights
and other light lenses while your on the front and back sections, too.
6. Rinse and dry- Allowing the water to dry on the body
paint surface will frequently leave a spotty film, as it’s difficult to
completely eliminate soap with just the spray rinse. So, It’s best to use a
large chamois to wipe down the entire paint surface — wringing the chamois as
you go — so that no areas are left to “air dry.”