Keeping Car Beautiful – Is Your Car Clean?

Posted by at 16 April 2015, at 13 : 37 PM

Keeping Car Beautiful – Is Your Car Clean?

You have no doubt spent good money for you car, and it is an investment for you. It deserves to look as good as it can, and with some effort on your part, it will. Here are a number of tips to keep it looking great and retain its value.

First, before you wash your car, hose it down to remove any surface dirt.

Never wipe your car with a dry cloth, as the cloth can pick up any dirt, bugs, or gritty particles and scratch the finish. If you are using a soft towel, washing mitt, or sponge, don’t use a bucket of water to rinse it out between applications as again, the water can hold grit which will transfer to the sponge and scratch the finish. Wash the car in a shady location, and a garden hose is the best thing to use. Do not use too hot water. A common mistake is using dish detergent or some other unsuitable soap. Use a cleaning agent made specifically for car washing, preferably one with a ph balance so the paint won’t be dulled. The strong chemicals in dish detergent can remove the wax on a car and leave the car looking streaky.

Spray the car often with water, and tackle one section at a time. Once the cleaning solution it applied, keep rinsing with the hose so it won’t dry on the surface. If you wash the car often enough, preferably every two weeks, you shouldn’t have to scrub. The cleaning agent should do the job for you. Between washings you can also purchase a car washing product which contains a minimum amount of wax. No matter what products you use, it is wise to follow the directions on the label.

Windows and the windshield can be washed with ordinary glass cleaner. Lift up the windshield wipers to clean underneath. Chrome can also be cleaned with commercial products which shine them beautifully and resist rust; and believe it or not, dryer sheets do an amazing job on chrome. Just remember that chrome has a very thin plating so don’t use anything hard which can scratch or remove the plating. You can get plastic cleaners to clean the rear window of convertibles and bumpers if they are plastic.

After you have done each section thoroughly, spray the entire car again to remove any cleaning agent you might have missed. When drying, use a soft terry cloth towel or a chamois which is ideal for drying, and look and see if any water has collected in little spots which may then rust and dry them.

Some experts suggest wax rather than car polish, but car polish creates a more durable finish while wax gives a ‘new car’ look. Wax or polish in the shade. Apply in a circular motion and remove the haze with a micro fiber cloth rather than a regular towel which is sometimes ineffective. Wax should be applied every six months and two or three coats are recommended. Car polish should be applied once a year. Wax prevents the car surface from being damaged by the environment and pollution. Again, remove polish or wax which is in the tiny crevices or moldings. A heavily waxed automobile cuts wind resistance and helps fuel consumption. Whether you use car polish or wax, you will forget all the effort when you see how nice the car looks.

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