Sometimes, you just have to fill up a few buckets with water and get to work washing your car. We’ll call it a labor of love—you get the hose going, and maybe some tunes blasting from the radio, and you’ve got yourself a primo setup for an American tradition. However, your local Greensboro Auto repair shop wants to tell you to be careful when washing your vehicle, as some conventional practices may actually be harming your vehicle. Here’s a quick list of do’s and don’ts of car washing from your local Greensboro Auto Repair center:
DON’T wait for your vehicle to accumulate a bunch of dirt and muck and droppings before washing it. Here’s an easy test: If you can write “wash me” on the windows of your car, then you’ve waited too long to clean it off! It is recommended that you wash your car at least every two weeks.
DO wash your vehicle in a cool, shady area. Reason being, a warm surface means the water you’re washing your vehicle with will evaporate faster, which causes unsightly water marks to appear on the paint. Your local Greensboro Tires shop doesn’t want all your hard work to go to waste—they recommend parking in the shade for a bit or waiting for the sun to go down before washing your car.
DON’T use household cleaning products to wash your vehicle. Keep these on the NOPE list: dishwashing detergent, hand soap and glass cleaner. These can actually strip the protective was over the paint! Your reliable Greensboro Auto service shop suggests you go to an auto store and buy some special car wash soap. This stuff will be a bit milder, and therefore won’t harm the surface.
DO use a clean, new sponge next time you wash your car. It’s a bad idea, though, to wash your car in a circular motion. This creates subtle but noticeable scratches called “swirl marks.” Your local Greensboro Auto Repair center suggests moving the sponge in a horizontal motion across the surface of your car. EXTRA: Should you drop your sponge, we recommend taking a few extra moments to really clean it out. Stray sand or rocks can REALLY cause some damage to your vehicle!
DON’T let your car air dry. Even further, don’t even take it for a spin around the block to dry it off. Remember those unsightly water marks we talked about earlier? Don’t let those happen. Using a soft terry cloth to wipe off the excess water is the suggested method to use when drying off your vehicle.
Remember, these tips are just a few that make your car wash that much better. For more tips, don’t hesitate to stop by a local Greensboro NC Auto Repair shop like Malave’s Auto Repair or call (336) 547-0026 today!
