Spring is a particularly taxing time for your car’s appearance. Between rainwater stains, pollen, and grit leftover from winter, there are plenty of factors standing in the way of your vehicle’s perfect shine. Luckily, car washes provide an easy fix. But there’s also a science to them.
Let’s break it down below.
5 Tips for Washing Your Car
Taking your car to a drive-thru washer can be risky. Here’s how you can do it yourself.
Let the car cool down before you begin.
Washing your car after you’ve been driving it all day is ill-advised. So is hitting it with the soap after it’s been exposed to direct sunlight for an extended period of time. Hot surfaces cause sudsy water to dry quickly and leave deposits. For a stain-free shine, it’s best to wash your car while it’s cool to the touch.
Rinse well before you start.
It might be tempting to jump right into the bucket, but you’ll want to start with a water-only rinse. Loose dirt and debris accumulate on your car, and if you start sponging the body before they’re properly removed, you could run the risk of scratching your paint job.
Always use a car-specific cleaner.
You’ll see all sorts of random recommendations on do-it-yourself blogs, but for your vehicle, a car-specific cleaner is the only smart move. Household cleaners like hand soap and dishwashing detergent aren’t mild enough for your car’s body, and if you’re not careful, they could strip the finish.
Use a towel or non-abrasive sponge.
You want to remove dirt and grime from your car, not its vibrant paint. Washing section by section in a lengthwise motion with a soft sponge or towel reduces the likelihood of unsightly scratches.
Hand-dry when finished.
Many drivers assume that a quick spin around the block will dry their car more quickly after a wash. Unfortunately, all this does is create unwanted watermarks. For the same reason, air-drying is not advised. Hand-drying your car with a chamois or terry towel is the only way to preserve its new shine.
See How Zimbrick Can Help
Of course, if you have cosmetic damage that a car wash won’t solve, schedule an appointment at Zimbrick Body Shops. We handle everything from paintless dent removal to glass and windshield repair at our collision centers in the Madison, Wisconsin, area.
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