Vehicle cleaning guide

Most people think washing a car is something so basic that any fool could do it, but they would be wrong. There are a lot of things that fools can’t do and washing a car properly might be one of them however, having the right car valeting products might help you out.

The reason might not be obvious, though. Since most things are readily cleaned with soap and water, it would follow that all that a car just requires some soap and water. While this is technically true, a proper car wash really is dependent upon the type of soap used and the media used to convey it to the surface of the car.

A lot of folks use dish detergent to wash their car; however, this is a pretty common mistake. Dish detergent is designed to clean food and grease off of ceramic plates and flatware – it’s not designed for use on your car. The manufacturers of dish detergents point this out on their web sites.

A successful car wash starts with a quality car wash soap. Basically, anything manufactured specifically as a car wash soap is fine. Meguiar’s, Mothers, 3M, etc., all make fine car wash soap. These soaps are designed to provide the gentle lubricity needed to coax dirt and grime off your paint without harming it.

My favorite car wash soap is from Zaino Bros – but not necessarily because it cleans any better or worse than others. I like their car wash soap because of how it smells! It’s an aromatic delight but I digress.

Using car wash soap is important, but so is the media used to convey the wash soap suds to the car. Now, the reason I use the word “media” is because a variety of quite different things are often used to get the soapy water to the car.

Unfortunately, one of the most common items used to wash a car also comes from the kitchen: the sponge.

Sponges have their place and I think every kitchen and bathroom needs at least one, but they are the least desirable thing to wash your car with.

The problem with sponges is their flat face. They get things “squeaky clean”, but that squeaky sound is the sound of friction and my heart breaking. Sponges do soak up water well, but their flat surface tends to trap small particles of dirt.

These small particles of dirt do not rinse out of sponges all that well and they become an irritant to the paint. The sponge’s flat surface does more “pushing” than “lifting” of dirt. It increases friction which makes the washing the car more difficult, and it increases the likelihood of scratching the paint.

The preferred media for washing your car is a wool wash mitt because wool is both very soft and very fine. Not only does wool reduce friction, it does a much better job of lifting dirt off of your paint. Also, a wool car wash mitt will hold a lot of water which helps further reduce the amount of friction. For those allergic to sheep, microfiber wash mitts have similar qualities.

Since our cars remain one of the largest capital purchases we make, it behooves us to care for them properly. A small investment in the right tools can keep you from playing the fool. Car washing is quite a complicated task, follow my tips and you should remain safe.