Top 8 Car Cleaning Mistakes You Need To Know!

There are couple of car washing mistakes people make because they adhere to the process just as any other chore. There are basic principles of the dos and don’ts when it comes to car washing and it is important that you are aware of them.

1.Taking Your car To A Car Wash

These car washes are guaranteed to scratch your finish even if it says its soft bristle and soft cloth. Dirt usually gets trapped in the cloth and that will scratch you paint work and there is very little you can do to avoid it.

Car washes are very aggressive even for the touchless types where powerful jets and water slam your paint surface to remove the dirt. The water pressure could be too high pushing the dirt aggressively against the paint.

Cleaning In Direct Sunlight
Almost everyone does this because they think the sun coming out is the perfect moment for cleaning the vehicle. The reason why you shouldn’t be cleaning your car when it is too hot is because the car’s surface will be so hot and the water you are cleaning with will evaporate leaving water marks on your painting. Most chemical cleaners are not meant to be put on hot surfaces.

Using Detergents
Using some kind kitchen soap is not good for your car’s paint as they will strip the protective wax coating. These products are also not properly PH balanced and you could be damaging your clear coat. Make sure you are using the recommended automotive soap to clean your vehicle.

4.Not Using Lubrication

This is another of the car washing mistakes people make. You can use spray wax if you car’s finish is completely dry. An example would be if you have bird poop on your car. Instead of just wiping it off with a towel, you can apply a lubricant. Bird poop has acid in it and can mess up your paint.

5.Paper Towel

You should never use power towel, sponge or old T-shirt on your paint. The only thing that should touch your paint is a nice soft microfiber towel.

6.Bottom To Top Cleaning

A lot of people would want to start washing their tires before moving up. This is completely wrong. The only exception is when you are cleaning the rims. You also want to make sure you are using soft cloth or microfiber towels and a wheel cleaner. Make sure you are not using the same towel for the rims and the paint work as rim dust is acidic

7.Cleaning In A Swirling Motion

You should pick a direction and make sure you stick to it. If you do it in a swirling motion, you are more likely to see scratches at different angles. You should go from the front of the car to the rear.

8.Using one bucket

Almost everyone is guilty of this one as car washing is a chore that you’ll want to get rid of it as soon. There should be a bucket for soapy water and another bucket for rinsing the vehicle.

And finally, you don’t want to put any chemicals on the steering wheel, gear knob or brake pedals. This will make them slippery which makes driving dangerous and you can potentially cause an accident.

Article Source: RocketCarParts.com (https://rocketcarparts.com)

Nice list of cleaning mistakes every car owner should be aware of. This is really helpful to car owners so they can avoid doing it in their car that could ruin their car's exterior appearance. Additionally, it's also a good practice to bring your car to your trusted car shop for a car wash as they are more capable of doing the task without damaging any parts of your car. Thanks for sharing this!