Any true-blue car enthusiast will accept that scratches and swirl marks on a car hurt more than a heartbreak! What’s worse, you can’t pass the blame because mistakes that vehicle owners commit during a car wash are some of the major causes of scratches and swirl marks. We don’t have any superpowers to help heal a broken heart, but we sure do know how to save your car from further damage. In this post, we have mentioned three car wash mistakes you can avoid. Keep reading to know more.
Don’t Forget to Pre-wash Your Car
Rinse your car thoroughly with water before you make the first contact. You can inflict scratches on the car’s paint job if you start wiping the dry, dirty car with a towel or sponge. Always pre-wash your car thoroughly with water to get rid of as much dirt as you possibly can before you start cleaning it. Also, a good pre-wash will soften and loosen the dirt from the paint – this will make the cleaning process much easier. You can also use snow foam and jet wash for your pre-wash process.
Clean the Tires First
We’ve been conditioned to clean things from top to bottom. However, this approach is not recommended while washing your car. The tires and wheels are often the dirtiest part of a car. Now, if you’re cleaning them at last, there’s a risk of splashing the dirt from the wheels onto the car’s body. If that happens, you need to clean the car’s body again – and that’s just a waste of time and energy.
Let’s say you’re cleaning the tires at the very end and have splashed some dirt onto the car’s exterior. We can’t stress this enough – do not wipe the dirt with a dry towel. By forcefully wiping the dirt with a dry towel, you can drag the dirt across the paint and cause scratches. If you find dirt on the car’s exterior, rewash the dirty section instead of using a dry towel.
Don’t Wash Your Car Under Sunlight
If you think a lovely sunny day is an ideal time to wash your car, then we’d recommend you think otherwise! Any car wash expert worth his salt will tell you not to wash or detail your car under direct sunlight. This is because the heat from the sun will quickly dry off water or any product applied to the car’s body, causing swirl marks and water spots. To prevent swirl marks, wash your car in the shade or on a cooler day. Another misconception some people have is that parking the car under the sun after a car wash is the best way to dry it. However, this is not true. You can end up with streaks and water spots if you dry your car using this method.
Websites and apps like Way.com offer professional and top-rated car wash services at great prices. What’s more, the whole family can get in on the sudsy action thanks to Way.com’s Carwash Voucher and Family Car Wash Pass that can be used on multiple (that’s right, multiple) vehicles!
Renée Martin is a travel and car expert who focuses on road and air travel in the U.S. For the past 6 years, she’s been helping make driving and trip planning easier and budget-friendly for everyday travelers.
