Top 5 mistakes people make while washing and protecting their cars paint

Although cleaning your car seems like a simple task, many people make mistakes and end up scratching their paint and hurting it more than protecting it. In the next section will be a short list of major mistakes lots of people make, and how you can avoid them.

1 - scrubbing with a dirty rag: many Detailers while washing the exterior will use the same side of a rag or the same wash mitt while scrubbing their vehicle. This is very bad because as you wash a car there is lots of dirt and metals collecting on the rag. So as you keep scrubbing the car, that debris will scratch your car's paint. To avoid this you should wash your car section by section or use the “two bucket method”.

2 - not pre washing: for very dirty cars a lot of people directly try to pressure wash a lot of dirt off before using soap and scrubbing. This is very bad for the paint because the pressure washer will push the dirt and grime all around the surface of your paint which will leave micro scratches. To avoid this always use a foam cannon or a pump sprayer to pre-rinse your vehicle, after soaking the car down you should let the soap sit on the car for about one minute. What this does is it breaks down dirt and adds moisture to the dirt to help pull it off your paint safely.

3 - soap choice: when washing a car you have to use the right soap. People will sometimes use dish soap or harsh home detergents as soap for their car. While yes it cleans the car, it strips away any protective wax and can damage the paint. To prevent this you should buy a PH neutral detailing soap, because these soaps are specifically made for cars 

4 - Washing in direct sunlight: if the sun is out and it’s 85+ degrees outside you should not be washing your whole car at once, soap and water can dry which creates water spots and smudges. To avoid this you should either wash in the morning or evening so the UV rays are less strong. Another way to avoid smudges is by washing your car section by section, for example washing and drying your driver side doors, then the front, then the passenger side, then the back.

5 - washing wheels last: if you wash your paint before washing wheels, you risk the brake dust and dirt from the wheels/rims spraying up onto your paint while scrubbing them. To prevent this from happening you should always clean and wash down wheels before starting to clean the paint on your car.