Maintaining The Paintwork

The best way to maintain your paintwork is to prevent it from getting dull in the first place. Usually neglect, wrong washing liquid or wrong washing technique are the causes of damaged paintwork. It is all too common to wait until your car is dirty before washing it but dust, bird droppings, gum and other dirt will get stuck. Bird droppings are acidic and will eat into the paint slowly. So the best way to clean your car is to wash it regularly before the dirt gets stuck.

While it is possible to keep the paintwork like showroom condition, it takes a lot of work and time. Classic car enthusiast and those into detailing their cars do take such effort. However most people lead busy lives with work and family commitments so although you might not have showroom quality, it is still possible to keep the paint in good condition with regular cleaning and some common sense.

In this article, we will talk about washing and in the coming article, we will talk more about cleaning the paint, waxing and polishing. Assuming your paintwork is still in relatively good condition, regular washing and occasional waxing is good enough to make your car looking new again. It also depends on the types of condition your car is exposed to. Cars exposed to weather and high mileage will of course need more regular washing.

The best way to wash your car is as follows. Park your car in a shady location out of direct sun. Let your car cool down first before washing. A hot surface will dry out the wash too quickly leaving dirt behind before you have a chance to rinse them off your car. Then there is also a risk of certain chemicals in the car wash reacting with the paint when it comes into contact with a hot surface. One thing to keep in mind is that you are cleaning dirt off the paintwork.

Use a hose with a steady stream of water and then a stronger spray to loosen dirt and dust that’s stick to the paint. Wash off as much as you can before you use soap and water. Next fill a bucket of water and add proper car wash liquid. Whatever you do, never use washing liquid from the kitchen or detergent for washing clothes. It will strip away the protective layer on the paint and damage the paintwork in no time at all. Make sure there is plenty of suds as it is the suds that’ll lift dirt from the paint.

Start washing from the top and work your way down. This will keep your sponge as clean as possible since the dirties part of your car is the lower sections near the wheels and lower doors where dirt and mud get thrown up. Scrub gently with the sponge to loosen dirt and don’t press down hard. If there is stubborn dirt, let it sit and soak in the water and come back to it a bit later.

If the weather is hot and dry, you’ll might want to rinse the car before washing the bottom half. Use a strong spray of water from the hose to loosen any excess dirt especially on the wheels and tire well. Again do not spray cold water onto hot wheels. You run the risk of warping the disc brakes.

Remember to change to a clean sponge when one is dirty. This prevents trapped dirt from scratching the paint. Finally hose everything down and dry with a soft clean cotton towel. When I was younger, I used to dry the car by driving it around. This is not a good way as dirt will get stuck to the wet surface again.

What do I suggest as a good car wash liquid? I’ve found that one of the best liquid is Meguires NXT Car wash. It has good reviews from people who use it. And the price is very reasonable as well. Click below and you see what other think.