Washing your car is a popular activity, especially in the spring and summer months, when everyone brings out the hosepipe and soapy water to try to restore the vehicle to a showroom-shine. Car cleaning isn’t a complicated process, but it can get very costly if you get it wrong.
It may seem obvious that all you need is a some soapy water and some clean water, but there are a few tips and methods that can positively actually affect the bodywork and glass in the long-term. Read our list of car cleaning mistakes to make sure that you get it right for the perfect results.
1: Cleaning the car in direct sunlight
It is recommended to avoid cleaning cars in the hot sun as the car’s surface heats up so cleaning products and water evaporate too quickly, meaning they don’t work as effectively and can leave watermarks on your paint.
A top tip is to wait for late afternoon when the sun is just about to set, when you can get an amazing shine on the car and you can see where the dirt is.
2: Using household cleaners on your car
A bucket with a squirt of washing up liquid is all many car owners think they need to wash their car. However, these products are not meant for cars, as they can strip the protective wax coating of the bodywork.
Instead, using a specialist car washing product from an expert like Carplan’s exterior cleaner, these products are specifically formulated to clean your car’s paint so it won’t strip the wax and it foams up really well, providing a great surface while you use your cloth against the paint.
3: Using old towels or rags to dry your car
On that note, the only thing that should touch your paint should be a micro-fibre towel.
Your everyday household towels or kitchen roll aren’t great for picking up loose materials, a micro-fibre towel will actually pick up all of the dust and dirt for a perfectly clean surface that you can wax and polish when the bodywork has dried out.
4: Cleaning from the bottom up
You always want to start cleaning your car from the top and finish cleaning at the bottom. You could spend an age cleaning your wheels only to start working on the top of your car when all of the dirt and water runs over your shiny wheels…devastating.
Wash the body of your car to start with, beginning with the roof and working your way down onto the glass. It’s then your choice whether to do the bonnet, doors or boot; but always finish with the wheels when everything else has been washed off.
A top tip for cleaning your wheels is to use a specialist wheel cleaner that is designed to cut through the dirt and grease that you may have picked up off the roads to clean and protect your alloy wheels.
5: Dropping your towel and using it on your car
If your towel falls on the ground it is likely to pick up dust and fine debris that can scratch your paint. It is best to fetch a clean cloth and continue with a completely clean micro-fibre cloth rather than rinsing the cloth.
Hopefully, this blog has given you insights on cleaning your car. For more useful information on cleaning methods, advice, buyer guides and much more to improve, clean, repair and maintain your car, visit the Euro Car Parts blog.