For many car owners, washing car by hand is an amazing option for enhancing their vehicles’ visual appearance. It’s not untrue, because frequent washing is necessary to restore its lustre. But seemingly easy, hand-car-wash tends to leave spot & scratches when done improperly. Every car owner requires keeping in mind a few things so that they don’t scratch or degrade the finish. Here are some ‘dos-and-don’ts’ you must follow when washing your car:
– When to wash car?
Don’ts: Never let a layer of dirty crud to accumulate on your car before washing. If not cleaned instantly, then bird droppings, dead bugs etc. can leach acids over the time. Acids can strip away the wax and paints of your car. When left too long, these can cause serious damage to your vehicle. It immediately requires sanding and repainting to correct the affected area.
Dos: Wash off the dead bugs, tree-saps, bird droppings etc. as immediate as possible. You can also opt for a weekly car-wash to keep the car’s finish at its best shape. If you live in an area which suffers from too much pollution, make sure to rinse your vehicle whenever it comes in contact with hazardous pollutants.
The same ritual must be followed when your car gets wet in rain. If not washed on time, the droplets of rainwater leave scratches that mar a car’s paint permanently.
– What kinds of products to use?
Don’ts: Never go for household cleaning agents including dishwashing detergents, hand-soap etc. to wash off your vehicle. Always remember, these are not formulated for applying on a car’s paint. The harsh chemicals used in these cleaners might strip off the protective wax of a vehicle’s paint.
Dos: Always stick to a mild-chemical based car cleaner; it’s specifically designed to be used on automotive car paints. Apply the cleaner with a large & soft sponge. Often, grease & road-tar deposits picked up from the road accumulate around the wheel-wells. These are difficult to remove with the standard car-cleaners. You might require a stronger cleansing formula to deal with them.
Try to use a soft & non-abrasive sponge to clean the deposits since these can quickly blacken your sponge. You must use a separate sponge to clean the tyre & wheels. If water & mild soap fail to bring about the desired result, then opt for an effective wheel-cleaner for acing the test.
– General guidelines to keep in mind:
Don’t: Never wash your car when its body is hot, such as immediately after driving or after it’s been parked under sunlight for a while. Generally, water & soap tend to dry up faster when come in contact with a car’s hot exterior. It eventually turns washing difficult, and increases the chances of spots to occur.
You should not move a cleaning sponge in a circular motion. It can create slight but visible scratches termed as swirl-marks. Instead, try to move the sponge lengthwise across the hood and other body panels of the car. One more point to note; never use a sponge that’s dropped on the ground for quite a lot of time. Thoroughly rinse it out at first; and then again work with it. Dirty sponges pick up dust particles which can scratch a vehicle’s paint in no time.
Dos: Start with rinsing the car’s surface thoroughly with water before removing the loose dust & gunk. Once you are done, focus on only one section at a time. Wash off each area completely before switching to the next one. It ensures that you give ample time to let the soap dry out before you rinse.
Create a good lather out of the soapy car-wash solutions, so that it provides lot of lubrication on the paint’s surface. It eases the rinsing procedure. Don’t forget to rinse the sponge often. Use a separate bucket for washing the sponge. It keeps dirt from getting mixed into the soapy washing-water.
Contact us for hand car wash Calgary, if you find difficulty in abiding by these above-mentioned steps.