A guide to the better methods for safely cleaning and maintaining your glossy paint.
Let's face it: keeping a vehicle clean requires a commitment. It's a dirty world out there, and every car is under constant assault. But it is the routine vehicle wash and dry that makes automotive detailing a continually rewarding experience. You can have the best polish and wax on your paint, but a layer of dirt will nullify all of your efforts.
As in most endeavors, there may not be one right way to go about the task, but there are certainly many wrong ways. While these wrong methods may still remove the dirt, they can also damage vehicle surfaces, both immediately and over time by repeated efforts. Dirt is abrasive, and if not removed carefully, it will scratch the delicate paint surface, leaving swirls and marring that greatly reduce the gloss, clarity, and overall beauty of the finish.
So that is what this article is about: helping you to minimize the potential for damage by demonstrating an enthusiast's level of care in the wash and dry process. The best part is that these higher standards are no more difficult to implement than washing with--God forbid--a kitchen srubber and dish detergent. They just require a little more care and consideration to implement.
PREPARATION
Good Location.
Though you may not have a choice in the matter, there are a few preferred characteristics of a good car washing spot:
Shady.
Direct sunlight makes the surface hot and evaporates the water too quickly. Try to find a spot shaded by a larger building or overhang. If this is not possible, time your car washes for the early morning or late evening when the sun is lower in the sky.
Grassy.
If possible, a grassy lawn can make an excellent spot to wash the car. Why? The water is good for the plants and the soil acts to filter the dirty rinse water rather than having it dump, unfiltered, into a storm sewer and from there into waterways. Another alternative is a paved area that drains toward a natural or grassy surface rather than to a storm sewer.
Tree-free.
Avoid having sap and bird droppings fall on your car. Find a spot without overhanging tree limbs
Cool surface.
Even if the vehicle is now in the shade, make sure that the actual surface temperatures of the body panels are reasonable. A decent rule of thumb is that if you can hold your hand on the surface without the heat making you pull away, you're good to go.
THE WASH
1. THE TOOLS
Put down the dish detergent and scouring sponge, and step away. Paint is delicate and if you want to prevent marring and scatching, you need to use the proper equipment.
Automotive Wash.
Most household detergents and soaps are far too harsh for automotive cleaning. Those kitchen detergents are designed to attack and emulsify oils and fats. Unfortunately, automotive waxes and sealants have similar characteristics. Always use a quality liquid automotive wash concentrate. What to look for? The wash should be gentle enough not to strip waxes and sealants from the surface. It should be free rinsing to prevent a dulling residue from covering the paint. And, it should be lubricating enough to float away dirt and contaminants without scratching.
Wash Utensil.
Here you have a few choices based on personal preference: natural lamb's wool mitt, 100% cotton chenille mitt, or genuine boar's hair wash brush. Besides being soft and scratch free, these three utensils share one defining characteristic: they all release dirt when submerged in water. This prevents dirt and grit from being redeposited and wiped across the paint.
Some microfiber mitts are hitting the market now, but I have yet to see a microfiber product that readily rinses free of contaminants like the top three choices.
Bucket.
You need something to hold the wash solution. Consider getting a single bucket that has two compartments. Available at most home centers, this type of bucket will make things easier during the wash stage. (Keep reading to find out why!)
Hose.
Rather obvious. You will need a source of water to dilute your wash solution and rinse the vehicle.
2. THE PROCESS
Here we are at the meat and potatos of the matter. Location and tools are important, but it is the wash process itself that many people overlook. Done improperly, washing may get the vehicle clean, but it can also grind dirt into the paint surface, leaving marring and swirl marks.
Rinse.
Get all of the loose crud off of the surface. Keep the stream of water on the softer side. You don't want to blast abrasive dirt particles into the paint. You simply want to float away any loose debris.
Wash.
Attention: this is NOT rocket science. But, you may not have heard of this technique before. Simply keep two buckets: one with the traditional automotive wash solution and a second one with pure water to rinse the wash utensil. Even better, use a single bucket with dual compartments, and you'll only have "one" pail to move around the vehicle.
In your wash bucket, dilute your preferred automotive wash per the manufacturers recommendation. Fill the rinse bucket with clean water.
Dip your wash utensil in the soapy wash bucket and apply the solution gently over the body panel. As much as possible, use straight back-and-forth motions. DO NOT SCRUB. Float the wash mitt or brush over the surface and let the wash solution dissolve the dirt and grime.
Rinse Wash Utensil.
Before returning the wash utensil to the soap bucket, dip into the second rinse bucket, and give the utensil a good swish to release the dirt. Let the excess water drain off, and then head back to the clean soapy bucket.
Afterward, even if the car was not heavily soiled to start, you will be amazed at how dirty the rinse bucket has become while the wash solution is still clean. You've helped prevent that dirt from being dragged over the surface again. Congrats! Your paint thanks you.
Rinse the soap from the vehicle and repeat the wash procedure until the entire vehicle is clean.
TIP: From the top down.
Always wash your vehicle from the top down. First, dirty rinse water will flow over dirty areas of the car instead of over cleaned areas. Second, the lower sections of the vehicle, closer to the road, tend to be dirtier and grittier. It eliminates some of the danger of rubbing this grit over the more visible sections of the car.
TIP: For dirty cars, use multiple light passes.
For extremely dirty vehicles, work on smaller sections at a time. Never scrub with pressure. It is better to go over a dirty panel a few times with light pressure than to try and get all the grit in one hard pass. Rinse the wash mitt often.
TIP: Rinse often.
Even the best automotive shampoos should not be allowed to dry on the surface. This can leave a dulling haze that defeats the purpose of washing! Depending on the weather and how quickly the water is evaporating, rinse the wash solution after cleaning a few body panels.
TIP: A word about wheels.
If using a "spray on, agitate, and rinse" wheel cleaner, this should be done BEFORE washing the paint. Follow the instructions and rinse well.
If using the automotive wash solution to clean the wheels (which is the safer method and recommended for most routine washes), clean the wheels AFTER washing the paint. Use the remaining wash solution and a different wash utensil than what is used for the paint. An old wash mitt works well. (When you buy a new mitt for the paint, relegate the old one for wheel duty.)
THE DRY
Where there is washing, there should be drying. Otherwise, get ready for waterspots.
1. THE TOOLS.
Towel.
Back in the day, a natural chamois was the premium offering. Not any more. While good at absorbing water, a chamois can exert too much surface friction on the paint. Add a speck of sand and you've got a good scratch.
Well, what about 100% cotton terry? A good choice for sure, but why settle for second best.
Bottom line: microfiber absorbs far better and is still forgiving enough not to push any errant bits of dirt into the surface. On a high quality microfiber towel, the individual strands are superbly fine, far reducing the chance of surface marring from the towel itself. Cotton cannot compete.
For best performance, choose a microfiber towel with a weave designed for maximum liquid absorption, such as a deeper-pile plush or waffle weave. The structure of these towels exposes more fibers to the surface for even greater water-holding ability.
2. THE PROCESS.
Some people help the drying process along by doing the final rinse with a flow of water (ie straight from the hose, as opposed to a nozzle or trigger sprayer). The rush of water helps sheet the water off the surface rather than leaving droplets.
Others resort to "air" methods to remove excess water from the surface. Two options are a leaf blower or compressed air stream. With either option, use caution, and do not get too close to the surface.
But for most folks, the basic microfiber drying towel will work perfect by itself. Again, work top to bottom over the surface. Ring out the towel as necessary. And, be gentle, using slow, straight back-and-forth strokes with very little pressure. Alternatively, you can blot the water from the surface rather than wiping. Sometimes it is best to get the majority of the water with one towel, and then switch to a second, dry towel to get any remainder.
Don't forget to dry the door jambs, sills, and seal areas. Trunk and hood jambs also accumulate water. The details always make the difference.
When you're all done. Drop that microfiber into the dirty microfiber pile. It's done touching a car until it's laundered again.
AFTERGLOW
Even the gentlest wash routines will eventually remove any applied protective coating. With the paint clean and gleaming, it would be a good time to add a booster coat of wax or give the paint a once-over with a quick detailing spray.
Also, take a look at the tires and plastic trim. It may be a good time to coat these surfaces with a UV protecting dressing that also renews the rich black color.
Then go for a drive and enjoy your gleaming car! Isn't that the point?
