What Not To Do
Poor washing techniques can be disastrous for your vehicles paint. You may think a quick car wash is all you need and you may not be concerned about the paint, but correctly maintained paintwork will keep resale value of your vehicle higher than one whose paint is scratched and swirled. Swirls and scratches can be removed using the correct products either by hand or machine polisher, however better results are achieved by using the machine polisher. The picture below shows swirls and scratches caused by poor washing techniques. The problem can be seen more clearly under lights but the sun will also show the defects just as clearly. The left side shows the paint finish is in a very bad state and the right side has been corrected using the right techniques and products.
Another image below shows swirls on the side panels, again illuminated to show the damage more clearly. Remember the sun will also highlight the swirls and scratches.
How Deep
Below is an image widely used to show defects on your car paint. Swirl Marks are light, shallow scratches covering larger areas of the paintwork, usually caused by poor washing techniques, sponges, brushes, drive thru etc. Random Deep Scratches (RDS) are deeper scratches, usually caused by grit being dragged along the paint in sponges etc, or minor key scratches. Severe Scratches go through one or more of the paint layers, sometimes down to the bare metal. These cannot be sorted by machine polishing and require painting (minor filling or section respray) to fix. Oxidisation usually occurs on cars with no clear coat and causes the paint to fade and look dry.
The Drive Thru
For the sake of your car, and your wallet when it comes to selling time, we always advise to stay away from drive thru type car washes. The process of these machines is predetermined and the same for every vehicle that rolls through them. So in effect some of that dirt that came off that filthy van that went through before you did, can end up being rubbed in to your cars paintwork by those not so soft cloth strips or hard bristles. Contaminants (dirt/grit etc) become trapped within the weave or bristles and then spun vigorously against your car, which leads to scratches in the paint. The car is then dried off by what looks like a Rolls Royce jet engine hovering no more than three feet over your head, but still leaves water marks in your paint when you drive away.
The Jet Wash
Are you sure you need to hold that jet spray so close to your car? Should you be aiming it up the exhaust? All good fun but even a jet spray used incorrectly can damage your cars exterior. Most are equipped with long handled brush similar to a yard brush with hard bristles to scrub away the dirt on your car causing paint damage. Contaminants are again trapped within the bristles and are transferred back on to your car. Another blast of the high-power jet spray and then a quick flash over with some diluted car shine/wax.
The Hand Car Wash
Sponges have hundreds of pockets which can fill up with dirt and grit which is then applied all round your car. Every drive in hand wash I have seen always use sponges and always return that dirty sponge to a bucket of already dirty water and then right back on your car again, defeating the object of washing the car in the first place. You are literally on a production line as you drive to the next stage of the process.
At Home
No problem, as long as you have the right products, equipment, the time and you know what you're doing.
