Proper Washing Practise for Clear Coat & Other surfaces.

The safest way to wash your vehicle is by hand, with a properly balanced soap (pH soap), specific for automotive finishes. Do not use household detergents like Ivory Soap, Dawn or anything along those lines. They are specific to removing grease and are designed to be used on bare metals like pots and pans. If used on your vehicle, they will remove the wax or polish you worked so hard to apply and will rapidly deteriorate the vehicles paint by oxidation. The majority of commercial machine car wash systems will result in some level of surface scratching. In addition, there is the potential that these car washes use recycled water and harsh phosphate soaps. The recycled water may have harmful contaminants and will not benefit your vehicles paint. If you think you will use a touch less system to avoid scratching, guess again. The only way to remove dirt from your vehicle effectively from touch less systems is to blast the surface with high pressure water, which will contain contaminates, like dirt and grease and will be either itched into your paint or sit on top, thus resulting in water spots.

THE MOST EFFECTIVE AND SAFEST WAY TO WASH YOUR VEHICLE IS BY HAND AND FOLLOWING THE INSTRUCTIONS BELOW.

When you are ready to wash the vehicle, make sure that the paint surface is cool to the touch and wash from the top down. Recommend that you use a natural fiber mitt, (wool) natural sponge or good clean terry cloth. Follow the instructions for the amount of soap to use (recommended guide lines on the bottle).

                           I.      Before starting to wash your vehicle, make sure you rinse it well with plenty of water to remove lose dirt and give it a pre soak. The vehicle should be washed in small sections at a time, by starting at the top of the vehicle (roof). Wash thoroughly with soap, with frequent rinsing to prevent the water and the contaminants drying. The minerals in the water can also etch the paint if they are allowed to dry on the surface, causing water spots

                         II.       While washing the roof and before rinsing it, you can go around the car on the top section (windows) and wash those areas all the way around, but do not do the sides of the vehicle yet. If there is enough shade, you can wash the top of the hood also and rear trunk lid. You can now rinse all these areas thoroughly concentrating removing all the soap from every crevice.

                        III.       Make sure to rinse your washing materials often (sponge or mitt). You are now ready to wash the sides of the vehicle, making sure you do not go pass the side moulding. If there are no side moulding present take extra care in washing these areas, since there is more dirt and contaminants closer to the ground. Once these areas have been completed washed you can now rinse them thoroughly.

                      IV.      Make sure to rinse off your washing equipment (sponge or mitt). You are now ready to wash the bumpers, front grill, rear section (light area), front section (light area) and all areas that were not done, excluding the wheels. You can now rinse these areas thoroughly.

                        V.      When you get to the wheels, they maybe dry, make sure to rinse them again. Make sure to also use a different sponge for the wheels and continue to use that sponge only for tires and rims, DO NOT contaminate the wheel sponge or mitt with the sponges or mitts that you use for the top section of the vehicle. They will have grease, dirt and particles that will scratch your paint surface. You can now wash your rims with the soapy water with the cleaner side of the sponge, this will ensure less scratching on your rims. Yes rims are also delicate and you should wash them appropriately. With the less clean side of the sponge, you can wash down the rubber part. If there is white lettering present you can use a white wall cleaner and then apply soapy water to wash down the rubber. You should wash and rinse one side at a time, you don’t want the soap to dry on the rims and rubber.

                      VI.      Finally you can rinse the whole vehicle again to make sure there are no dry spots. Use a proper chamois to remove the excess water from the top part of the vehicle first. Open the doors and hood to release any excess water that may be trapped, this will eliminate you going over it again. The same steps and rules apply when drying your vehicle off. Start from the top and work your way down, removing excess water first then going over it again to do a final drying. Use a separate chamois for the door jams, under the hood, under the trunk and wheels.

Documentation Source Unknown (author). This document was sent to Magg-Tech Enterprises with Author unknown, but the document holds true to our beliefs.

These washing practices with a proper conditioning on a monthly basis will keep your vehicle looking great and protected for years to come.