If we look closer, it is likely that we will spot swirl marks on our car and this is caused by regular washing. It is important for us to realize that the car cleaning task can actually progressively damage the visual appearance of our car. Car washing is a simple task, but we often forget to realize that it is possible for us to damage it. We should look for tools and methods that won’t scratch the paint, such as microfiber cloth and chenille wash mitt. They should do a nice job of removing dust from the surface of our car. However, it is important to realize that we can scratch the paint if we remove dirt, even with the right tool. In this case, anything larger than dust should be sprayed and removed with water.
It is not advisable to use dish washing soap to wash the car. Detergent in the soap can strip the oil component from the oil and this will degrade the integrity of the paint. It is preferable to use car wash solution that has no detergent. These special products may also have small quantity of lubricants that can add gloss in the paint finish, as well as protecting the surface. If we want to avoid having swirl marks, it is important to use water hose constantly and make sure we have high enough water pressure. It is even better to use pressure washer that can easily remove dirt from the surface of the car.
If there’s no water source nearby, we should have at least two water buckets; one with soapy water and another with fresh water to remove dust or dirt from our mitt or microfiber cloth. We can remove dust and dirt much more easily by wetting down the car. Let the water to soak the encrusted dust for about 10 minutes and we can remove them. Larger dirt should be removed with high pressure water sprayer, instead of being wiped. Large chunk of dried mud should be removed with hand, followed with high pressure water sprayer and finally microfiber cloth. Tar should be eradicated with tar remover solution and we should check the instruction manual on how to remove it.
We should always remember to keep the wash mitt clean all the time. Any dirt and small rocks in it can scratch the paint. When washing the car, we should check the hood pocket outlining the engine, the space outlining the trunk and the door jams. Cars should be cleaned from the top. This way, we don’t need to clean the mitt and microfiber cloth too often, because we would usually only need to clean dust on upper parts of the car. By cleaning from top down, it is also less likely for us to damage the paint. There will be no or minimal swirl marks if we wash our car properly. Proper methods should be followed, because car washing is an activity that can progressively damage our car.
