Car Washing Techniques/Introduction

Introduction

Maintaining the surface of your vehicle is as important as maintaining the vehicle's engine. A car that runs great and looks good may actually bring in a higher resale value than a vehicle that runs great but has a poor appearance. A clean vehicle's paint will last longer and need fewer expensive repairs than paint that is allowed to become dull and thin due to oxidation.

In today's modern industrial environment the surface of a vehicle is subjected to daily abuse. The sun beats down on your car all day every day, pollutants and dirt deeply embed themselves into your paint, and minute slivers of metal become lodged into your paint which eventually rust. If you have owned a white vehicle or have observed one then you may have noticed specks of rust. Those metal slivers are the cause.

Car washing techniques vary amongst individual vehicle owners. Car washing is an essential function of preventive maintenance. Keeping the exterior of a vehicle clean prevents rust and oxidation and also reduces the occurrence of fine scratches. This article attempts to relay the most common method and the significance of this pastime. Washing a vehicle with soap and a sponge is not the main body of work. In fact, this is only the preparation for the real cleaning. Soap and sponge will not remove all contaminants from a vehicle's surface. Other products will be required such as clay bars, cleaner wax, polish, etc.

It is recommended that you read the section in your owners manual about washing your car. There you will find specific instructions and cautions for cleaning the equipment in your particular model, such as prohibiting the use of acid based wheel cleaners.

In the next section we discuss the various equipment that you will need.