How often do you wash your car? While some drivers are not particularly careful about the condition of the exterior of their cars, there also drivers who are paying extensive attention to the cleanliness of their cars. Actually, both of these approaches might be harmful for your vehicle and this article will explain you why. Here, we will provide you with tips which will help you to choose an optimal way for washing your vehicle.
Why should you wash your car in the first place?
Some drivers, especially those, whose cars have already spent a couple of years on the road, are prone to be less attentive to the neatness of the exterior of their vehicles. Of course, this is absolutely understandable, especially if you are using your car in some area which makes the vehicle constantly dirty. Trying to get rid of this dirt everyday will take too much time.
Yet, washing your car regularly is a crucial step for protecting the layer of its paint, which is needed not only for a more attractive appearance, but also for protecting your car against corrosion which is detrimental for your car in the long run. Actually, the worst types of dirt which might be gathered on your car are bird droppings, salt, tree sap and insects. Unlike simple mud and sand, they are rich in chemical compounds which can react will the car paint on a different path causing various damages. Thus, you should get rid of this type of dirt as fast as possible.
What’s about too frequent washing?
Some drivers are aware of the harm filth can cause to your car or are just particularly concerned about its appearance, so they wash their car too frequently or with the use of inappropriate products. Why is this bad for your car?
First of all, if you are using automatic cleaning stations for washing your car, you should be aware their brushes can leave marks on your car if used too frequently. Furthermore, you should also be aware of the fact that the dirt collected in the brushes of these cleaners after washing cars can hardly get out of them which means you are risking to expose your car to brushes with sand or small stones stuck in them. You can imagine, how such brushes can scratch the paint surface of your vehicle.
Secondly, even if you are washing your car on your own, you might be using an inappropriate product. Some people just don’t want to bother themselves by shopping for a special car soap, others find such specialised products more expensive. Finally, there are also car owners, who believe laundry detergents or dish soap will do a better job since they are so effective for cleaning other items of rather serious stains. Actually, such products are not needed for your car at all and can make more harm than good.
Your car hardly have the same dirt as a crusty pan or a T-shirt covered with engraved stains of a 72h-antipersperant. The majority of filth on your car can be washed with quite gentle products, especially, if you are doing it regularly and do not wait for sand to make hard layers on the paint surface as well as for splattered insects to change the colour of the paint. Thus, if you are using a product dedicated exactly to washing cars, and you are using it with a soft sponge or tissue, you can perform such washing as frequently as you find it necessary.
Which car soap should you choose?
As you have now understand, against some expectations, car soap which is also popularly called a car shampoo is a way less aggressive than the majority of chemicals we are using on a daily basis. The major requirements for such a shampoo is a good ability to create foam and sufficient lubricity. These features of soap will allow you to get rid of the typical contaminants found on the surface of cars without any problems and harsh washing.
Like with shampoos for your hair, there is a large choice of products on the market. What you should know is that there are three major groups of them.
Basic car wash soaps
Basic shampoos for your car can be purchased at almost any store with car parts. These are quite gentle substances, so you can wash your car without being concerned about the layer of wax as well. At the same time, they are quite effective for washing your vehicle. A simple example of such a product is Meguiar’s Gold Class Car Wash Shampoo & Conditioner.
Basic car shampoos with additives
You can also find the same basic car soaps with some extra additives. For instance, it is quite popular to add some wax to the soap, so as washing your car will leave a protective layer on its surface. One of such products is Mothers Carnauba Wash & Wax. Certainly, washing your car with such a soap is not the same as performing a full waxing procedure, however, it is a great way to give your car additional protection.
Rinseless/waterless products
You can also find a variety of products which doesn’t require rinsing your car with water after washing is finished. Some of the great examples of such products are McKee’s 37 Waterless Wash On the Go and Aero Cosmetics Wash Wax. They are particularly great for anyone who would like to cut down the usage of water or just need some product which can be used for removing some dirt immediately after its occurrence. You can also find highly concentrated products of this type which should be diluted with water before usage.