Your car’s body picks up a lot of dust and grime while driving. Anyone who drives a dark car can tell you that. All of that grim slowly chips away at your vehicle’s paint, exposing the sheet metal beneath. Winter is especially rough on your vehicle’s exterior. Though salt is great at melting the ice on the road, those same properties make quick work of your exterior. And once the sheet metal is exposed, the rust moves in and gets very comfortable. And it’s a greedy, hungry guest.
Weekly washing is best because some contaminants quickly do serious long term damage to paint if they are allowed to remain. Two such organic compounds are bug remains and bird droppings. These bio-hazards contain complex proteins that bind to the surface and organic acids that penetrate and break down the surface, eating into your clear coat if not removed promptly. Weak spots in the clear coat make your vehicle susceptible to corrosion and discolouration.
It’s best to clean your car on a warm day in the shade, especially if you are cleaning the interior, as it will need to dry quickly. Choose quality car care products over household cleaning products for the best results. Car care products are designed to clean the surfaces without damaging or removing the protective coatings that need to stay. Start with the wheels as they often hold a lot of gunk that you won’t want sprayed or splattered over your newly cleaned car. First, wet the wheels with water, then spray them with a wheel cleaner. Scrub them well with a cloth or scrub brush. Rinse completely with water. Then, wash the exterior. Spray the entire car down with water. If you want to detail, use a small brush to get in the cracks and crevices. When drying the exterior, use a terrycloth or microfibre cloth to remove the water and dry the exterior. If possible, open all of the doors for 5-10 minutes to allow the water drips in the door frame to dry. Wipe these areas to speed the process along. Once the exterior is dry, you are ready to wax it and make it shine. Choose a quality wax (black wax for black cars) and follow the instructions on the package to apply and remove it. Now that the outside is clean, it’s time to move to the inside. Remove any cups, trash, papers, etc. that may have been left. Use the attachments to get into the tight areas and vacuum out the rest of the loose debris. If you have an upholstery or steam cleaner, this is a great time to clean the fabric seats. Remove the dirt build up with a quality shampoo. Keep the windows open until the seats dry completely. For leather seats, use a leather cleaner and conditioner to keep the seats in top condition. The final step is to clean the windows and mirrors. This will remove any oversprays that may have occurred while cleaning and give the car a finished look.
Owning a car comes with a lot of responsibility and can generally eat away at your wallet. You have to register it, purchase car insurance for it, and make sure it gets the general care and maintenance it needs. All cars need to preserve their value longer, and might be the simplest thing you can do for your car, is to always keep your car clean and well maintained.
