How to wash a car

What can damage your car’s paintwork?

The following factors can really take the shine off your car. UV rays from the sun causing discoloration and fading Acid rain or salt water causing oxidation (or rust) and ‘spots’ on the paintwork Bird droppings which can stain and corrode the car if not quickly removed Paint chips caused by loose gravel from the road Scratches caused by brushing against the car, improper washing or drying.

Fortunately most are preventable and all are treatable. Bird droppings, for example, are highly acidic and the best advice is to avoid parking under trees and to always remove the dropping as soon as possible with a wet tissue.

The essential car wash

It is ironic that the act of washing your car itself that can lead to most of those fine scratches that can mar the paintwork. You should avoid machine car washes which will get your car clean only at the cost of damaging its delicate paintwork.

Here are the seven steps on how to wash a car.

1. Washing-up liquid is for dishes only - if it is used on your car it will dull the paint and cloud its finish. Pick up some car wash soap that is designed to clean dirt and grime without stripping the protective waxes and other compounds that give your car its shine.
2. Rinse the car down to remove grit and dirt that could be ground in to your car as you wash. Use a hose on its finest setting to avoid a powerful spray embedding dirt deeper and scratching your car.
3. A mitt rather than a sponge is best to clean with – it will help you to avoid dragging the dust and dirt that adheres to the surface of sponges and can scratch your paint.
4. You will need two buckets. One with your wash solution in and the other with just clean water to rinse off your mitt.
5. Always work from the top down to avoid moving dirt from the dirtier, lower part of the car to the cleaner top. Always use side-to-side strokes and light pressure.
6. When finished rinse the car off once more.
7. Leaving your car to dry in the sun will leave a patchy effect on its paint so dry it down with a microfiber towel, which is more absorbent than the traditional chamois leather.

Finishing touches: polish and wax

Polishing your car and waxing it are not the same. A polish will help get rid of surface abrasions in your paint, while waxing will ‘fill them in’ and make everything shiny. You should wax and polish your car sparingly as doing it too often and using too much wax or polish can do more harm than good. Remember that wax and polish restore the look of your car by gently removing the top layer of your car's paint, so be sparing when applying.

A wax and polish should be applied roughly every three months. You can always tell when a car needs polishing, as water no longer ‘beads’ on the paintwork. Waxing is like giving your car a sheet of armour that protects it from many of the dangers of the environment.

You should polish first and then wax as this makes the wax easier to remove. Apply both in the same way by using a cotton fabric gently rub polish on and then using a different, very clean cloth wipe the material off of the paint working on one side of the car at a time.
A good polish and wax will remove scratch marks, give your car an even colour and restore the lustre, gloss and shine to its paint.

Tricks of the trade: touch-up paint and detailing clay

Some further tricks of the trade to finish your car off perfectly are touching up parts where paint has been removed and making the whole of the paintwork as smooth and shiny as glass with detailing clay.
If you are touching up paint make sure you match the colour exactly: you will need the year, make and model of your car to do this. Clean the area on your car and clear any chipped or cracked paint. You need to sand down the area and a nick sander is perfect for small areas. It is like a pen with a small sandpaper tip.

You should use super-fine grade sandpaper with a rating of 1000 or higher for this. Wipe off sanding dust and grit with a clean cloth. Use a small artist's detail brush to smoothly fill in the shallow scratch or ding with touch-up paint. Alternatively you can use a toothpick which helps you apply paint precisely without being in danger of having too much on your ‘brush’. Sand your touch-up work down when dry to achieve a smooth, blended in finish.

If the paint of your car is very scratched and tired looking you may wish to use detailing clay before you polish and wax. Once the secret tool of professionals this miracle worker is now available widely. In the box you get a spray bottle of lubricant and a small bar of clay. You should break off a third of the bar of clay and spray the lubricant onto a small patch of your car’s bodywork. Applying very light pressure move the clay back and forth: you will feel it stick and then release as it removes all those contaminants (tree sap, road dirt, bird droppings) that regular washing can leave behind. It is a long job to do the whole car but you will be left with paintwork as smooth as a baby’s bottom and as shiny as new glass. Remember though that this also removes any polish on your car so you will need to polish after you have finished.

 4 Things You Need to Avoid

 

You may think a car washing is as simple as just grabbing the sponge, dipping it in a bucket of fairy liquid mix and off you go, but this is not the correct way. In fact if you’re washing your car this way, then you can expect the paint to look marred and could damage the paint completely. In this article I am going to tell four things that you should avoid when washing your car to extend the life of your car’s finish.

 

1. Don’t Wash the Car in Direct Sunlight

Perhaps the biggest mistake you can make when washing your car. Washing the car on direct sunlight can have a harmful effect on the paint. Each droplet of water will act like a magnifying glass. This produces small laser like beams that will make tiny pits on your car paint. The end result is an early chipping of car’s paint particularly in the front part.

 

2. Don’t Use household cleaners

Using household cleaners as a substitute for car wash preparations is not a good idea. Household cleaners like dishwashing soap, hand soap or window cleaner contain powerful stripping chemicals that can destroy your car’s paint if used excessively. You can use car wash preparations or shampoos that do not cost much higher than household cleaners.

 

3. Don’t Allow to dry Your Car in Air

Allowing you vehicle to dry without your involvement can cause water etching, which detracts from a shiny finish. This is caused by higher content of minerals in tap water. The water marks can be nasty and be very difficult to get rid of.

 

4. Don’t forget to clean Your Wheels

A greater care is required to a car’s wheels because they get more wear than any other part of a car. Many of us ignore to clean them because they will get soiled again as soon as we drive. However if you leave them unclean for a long period they can be very difficult to get rid of. You could use a pressure washer to clean the wheels.

If you start to avoid the things listed above while washing, your car will reward you with a long lasting finish. This might also help you prolong the life span of your car and increase it’s resell value. So ensure to take care of your vehicle’s finish by using these tips.