subject: Protect Your Car's Paint [print this page] Protect Your Car's Paint Protect Your Car's Paint
They say no good deed goes unpunished. In the case of washing your car, this could very well be true unless you avoid some common mistakes.
The paint on your car is pretty hearty, but you have to take care of it if you hope to have a nice shine. Unfortunately, many people do damage to their auto paint job when washing and waxing it. Even though they have the best of intentions, certain steps and materials can really cause problems. The first issue is the location and condition of your car. The sun dries paint quickly and will cause water spots to appear. Park your car out of the sun. the paint should be cool to the touch before you spray any water on it.
Now give the car a good watering down. You want to remove as much dirt, gunk, leaves and whatever as you can with just the water. Make sure to run water down seems, particularly along the upper hood area and door jams. Now you are ready to wash the car. Do not use any old soap you have around the house. Go with a quality wash like Zymol, Mothers or Meguiars. Do not use a sponge. Instead, go with a chamois or drying towel. Other towels and microfiber materials can leave scratches, which defeats the purpose of washing and waxing your car.
Now dry the car completely to avoid spotting marks. Again, it is vital you avoid microfiber towels that will scratch the paint. Go with chamois or cotton towels for the best result. You can often find DIY detailing kits that have the towels. Your car is now cleaner, but not clean. You need to walk around it focusing on the lower panels, particularly behind the wheels. You should find tar and other sticky stuff that requires special attention. The best way to get his off is to use a clay bar. It comes with a lubricant you spray on the paint. Gently pull the bar across the area and it will suck the tar and such off the paint without leaving scratches.
