8 myths about car washing and cleaning

The car is our showcase. We want him to always show his best side. For this purpose, we are more and more interested in, for example, polishing the paint, waxing it, or at least properly cleaning the surface of the car. Contrary to appearances, these themes are sometimes quite complex, and there are many myths associated with them. It is worth getting to know them so as not to repeat the mistakes of other drivers.

Myth 1: I washed the car, so it's clean.

Really? Run your hand over the polish and make sure the surface is perfectly smooth and clean. A good cleaning is possible only with the use of so-called lacquer clays and is best after using the so-called. iron remover. Just remember that not every clay is suitable for every type of varnish. So let's check the parameters of the drug before buying, so that it does not turn out that we will do more harm than good.

Myth 2: It's best to wash your car in an old T-shirt.

Old, worn T-shirts, even cotton or cloth diapers, are not good for car washing. Their structure means that after washing, instead of a perfectly shiny surface, we can observe scratches! Therefore, the car should be washed only with special towels or microfiber cloths.

Myth 3: Dishwashing liquid is great for washing cars.

Dishwashing detergent may be effective at removing stains, but isn't it very effective? Unfortunately! Dishwashing detergent destroys the varnish, depriving it of such important properties as water permeability and oxidation resistance. Dishwashing liquid also allows us to remove wax from the surface of the varnish, which we carefully applied beforehand. So remember that we clean the car with a pH neutral car shampoo.

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Myth 4: Rotary polishing is “easy”, I will definitely do it!

Yes, polishing is relatively easy. Provided that we do it manually or using an orbital polisher. The polishing machine is already the highest school of driving. The high speed of the device requires skill and intuition. It is better to entrust the work with this device to professionals. Or at least practice a lot before touching your car with it.

Myth 5: Polishing, waxing... aren't they the same thing?

Oddly enough, some people confuse them. By polishing the matte surface of the lacquer, it becomes shiny again. Waxing has a completely different task. Thanks to the mixture of silicones, resins and polymers, the wax should protect the surface of the lacquer.

Myth 6: Waxing is enough to protect your paintwork from dirt.

Unfortunately, even waxed paintwork does not relieve us of the need to regularly clean the car. We have to remove tar falling from trees, insect residues and rubber thrown on us from the tires of other road users from the surface of the paint. Otherwise, these substances will stick more and more to the paintwork and become more and more difficult to remove over time.

Myth 7: Waxing lasts easily for a year.

If you live in Tenerife this is probably enough. However, if you live in Poland and you park "in the open air" and not in a garage, then there is no chance that the waxing effect will last a year. It is negatively affected, in particular, by adverse weather conditions and road salt, which is abundantly used by Polish road builders.

Myth 8: Scratches? I win with colored wax!

You can try to remove the so-called micro-scratches on the paint. "Paint Cleaner" If this does not help, then there is no point in trying to solve the problem only with tinting wax. After a few months, after waxing, there will be no traces left and the scratches will be visible again.

If we want to achieve a lasting effect, we must (if possible in the case of our car) decide to polish and then wax. You should also remember about the care of varnish. After all, scratches occur due to the use of dirty sponges, unsuccessful T-shirts and diapers, hard brushes in car washes.

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