We all know the importance of maintaining your car. Regular washes, oil changes, and maintenance are necessary to keep the health and well-being of your vehicle.
Generally, people get their cars professionally washed and cleaned. These are small investments that you make to help your car serve you for a longer period. However, there are many who prefer washing their own vehicles and do not require the option of a professional car wash. It can be done by yourself just as easily. The time commitment and effort are all it takes.
Washing your car by yourself is a cost-effective method to keep up the health of your car. However, understanding how to do it correctly is important so that it does not affect the physical appearance of your car permanently.
There are a few specific things you need to keep in mind while washing your car. Certain practices help you efficiently and thoroughly get the job done.
Top 5 car washing best practices
Scratches and scrapes are an eyesore. It also makes you feel guilty when you commit the crime yourself. You might be creating these damages without even knowing. Hence it is important to keep a few things in mind while cleaning your car. Here are a bunch of practices to help you was your car efficiently and carefully:
1. Start by using adequate lubricant or soap
Washing with little to no soap or lubrication is one of the most common reasons for scratches on a vehicle’s surface. While using a bucket, make sure to always generate enough soap suds to offer the necessary layer of protection when hitting the surface of your car.
The same idea holds true when utilizing products that spray on without water. Given the nature and composition of these solutions, scratching is more likely to happen since they are not the best choice for eliminating thick mud or grime.
Keeping individual buckets of water to clean the paint and wheels of the car
Using separate buckets for your wheels is one method to prevent brake dust and other particles on the paint of your vehicle, in addition to using a grit guard. You will inevitably come into contact with tar and other things that scratch wheels when working with them.
To prevent contaminating your primary wash bucket with grease and dirt, use this bucket to store your wheel brushes or sponges.
Initially starting by washing the wheels and then moving to the other areas gives you a chance to walk around the car and check the paint for any tar or other particles that may be caught on the wheel rim.
Tar and mud are two of the most common causes of scratches or paint on the car and ensuring that it does not suck to any other portion of the car are vital to avoid scratches and scrapes while washing it.
3. Using the top to bottom approach to wash your car
Washing your car, in the same manner, is always a good idea. The consistency of the method plays a role in the level of cleaning. Using the top to bottom approach is the best as the wheels are generally the dirtiest part of the vehicle.
Many expert detailers like to remove any debris from underneath the hood before washing the wheels and moving on to the paint.
Working on one side at a time, starting with the top portion and moving down to the windows is one tip for washing from top to bottom. The lowest part should be left until the very end because it is usually the dirtiest.
Another useful tip to remember is to remember to wash the back of the car first as that’s where the exhaust lies. It is the dirtiest part of the car and tends to leave a film behind making it tricky to clean.
4. Equip a no-contact process while using soap
Using a foam spray to apply soap is a great alternative if you truly want to reduce the scratching of the paint. Although some level of touch can make it simpler to remove debris, there is a very small chance of paint scratching when a thick foam layer is present beneath a wash mitt.
5. Do not use sponges on the car’s paint job
Using a sponge is a common practice. Sponges can make it challenging to remove little dirt particles from your car’s surface. Even though sponges have a flat surface, microfiber towels and mitts have piles (made to raise), which prevents rocks and other particles from escaping.
Final Word
The bottom line, although car washing is not rocket science and there is no bible that you can follow, there are some things that you can keep in mind to clean your car better.
Washing your car, the right way helps you minimize the risk of permanently damaging the appearance of the car while also improving its longevity.