As a car owner, I am not proud to admit that I don’t polish or wax my own car. For the past 6 years, Splash Car Wash here in Bridgeport (where I live) has been doing a great job on my toy. And I am not alone on this matter. I am quite amazed about the fact that there are actually number of people don’t know how to properly clean or polish and wax their cars. These people use products not intended for their cars. Others use products and tools only professionals are allowed to handle.
So I asked the guys from Splash Car Wash Bridgeport about the products they use and tips for clients who wish to do their own car cleaning. I sum it up for easy reading.
- Do not use harsh non-automotive products when cleaning your car. Doing so will harm the car’s finish. When cleaning, spray water first to take the dirt off. As much as possible, use warm water to loosen contaminates, but do not clean your car under the scorching heat of the sun. If available, use an automotive car wash solution and make sure to follow the directions in the bottle.
- Use long handled wash brush, available mostly in auto parts stores
- Wash and rinse in sections; do not let the soap to dry before you wash them off
- Use soft towels to dry, or squeegee to dry faster and easier
- Use Meguiar to remove stubborn contaminants like bugs, tar, etc.
- Use a cleaner polish to remove bug splatter on your bumper, bird drop spots, acid rain etching, minor scratches, etc. Apply in circular motion. (Note: some cleaner polisher requires wet/damp applicator so make sure to follow directions in the packaging)
- Buff all the haze and residue from the cleaner polish. Use an orbital buffer or polisher, but use low rpm's to avoid damaging the paint
- Know the difference between a car wax and car polish.
