Car wash - car body needs attention in summer too - guide

Car body care does not require a lot of complex actions. It is important to wash and wax your car regularly.

Many drivers believe that car maintenance should be limited to removing winter marks. Therefore, do not forget to wash off the salt and protect the chassis from corrosion. Meanwhile, in the summer, contrary to appearances, there are many external factors that negatively affect the condition of the paintwork.

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Every day, the varnish is subjected to severe tests in the form of contaminants deposited on its surface. In summer, insects are especially disturbing. Insect remains can be found on the front of the body, side mirrors and windshield.

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Removing dirt from paintwork

Bird droppings are another big problem for the paint surface. We should also mention flying rust or small sawdust thrown out from under the brake pads, tar and asphalt - often found on the lower parts of the car body (small black dots). Let's not forget the tree sap.

Traces from asphalt or rubber are often invisible to the naked eye, but are clearly felt when we run our hands over the washed car body.

Dirt on the paintwork should be removed regularly and as soon as possible to avoid major problems and unnecessary expenses when visiting the body shop.

“Insect residues that are not washed off the paint surface penetrate the cracks, widening them and causing deeper penetration,” says Piotr Grzes from the S Plus salon in Bialystok, which specializes in advanced car cosmetics.

For car wash: as often as possible

On the other hand, not removed small metal chips embedded in the varnish, due to moisture and the oxidation process of the metal, increase damage over time. As with most stubborn body stains, the removal of traces of asphalt or tar is not only of aesthetic importance. Left on the varnish or ineptly removed, they cause discoloration and lift the varnish at the site of contamination.

Experts admit that it is difficult to say exactly how often you need to wash your car, as it depends on the use. One thing is for sure: shampoo and water do not harm the body, so the more often the better.

When choosing a car wash - automatic, manual or contactless - remember that each washing method has its pros and cons. The reasons for washing a car with a brush washer are time saving and convenience, but it is the most invasive method for refinishing. This service usually costs between PLN 10 and 30.

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The Touch manual wash is usually the most thorough, as every detail of the car body is cleaned by hand. The downside is the relatively high price for the service. For example: for washing a car by a car wash employee, including waxing, as well as vacuuming the interior and cleaning plastic and glass from the inside, we will pay about 50 PLN. Of course, this procedure will take up to an hour.

Drivers are increasingly choosing touchless handwashing for several reasons: they are more accessible, cheap, and open 9/XNUMX. An experienced person will thoroughly wash the car even for XNUMX zł. 

Do not wash under the block - you will get a fine

Many drivers love to pamper their four wheels in their free time. Residents of microdistricts face a difficult task, because such actions are not allowed by the rules and it is easy to get a fine for them. This, of course, is about the use of chemicals.

Example from Bialystok:

in accordance with the Decree No. LVII / 678/06 of the City Council of May 29, 2006 on the rules for maintaining cleanliness and order in the city of Bialystok, washing of vehicles, except for car washes, can only be carried out on the condition that this is done in the zone of a sealed surface, and the resulting wastewater is discharged into the city sewer system or collected in such a way that it can be disposed of. Such wastewater must not be discharged directly into water bodies or into the ground.

– With regard to liability, a person washing a vehicle without complying with the conditions can be instructed, punished with a fine of 20 to 500 zł, or in case of refusal to accept a ticket, a petition can be filed with the court – warns Jacek Pietraszewski, spokesman for the Białystok municipal police .

do it yourself

However, there are some things we can do ourselves. After washing the car at a car wash, we can easily polish the car body (avoid the sun in such cases), wash the windows thoroughly, polish the rims and tires, or preserve the varnish with protective wax. Then the neighbor will look with envy at our shiny trinket.

By the way, if we choose a waxing program on an automatic car wash, remember that the durability of such wax is about two weeks. Manual depilation is much more effective and durable.

The wax acts as an invisible rug. Dirt does not stick to the paint as easily and is easier to remove. In addition, the color of the car after waxing is more intense.

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If we comply with environmental requirements and decide to wash the car ourselves, we first rinse it from sand, dirt and dust. Let's use a special shampoo and then apply wax. This should not be done when the car body is hot. We must also remember to dry the car thoroughly.

Wax Benefits:

– protects against external factors that cause tarnishing of the varnish (for example, ultraviolet rays),

- facilitates car washing,

– retains the gloss of the varnish for a long time (provided that the coating is not badly damaged).

It is important what products we use to wash the car. Preparations containing strong chemicals contribute to the slow matting of the paintwork and remove the protective coatings from the car much faster if it was protected in such a way.

Selecting the right cleaning products

Let's be careful what we clean our drives with. For hoods, normal detergent is sufficient. If we have alloy wheels, then it is better to use gentle preparations with an acidic pH. However, before using them, let's test them in a less conspicuous place.

 Otherwise, black discoloration may appear. It is best to preserve chrome rims with alkaline pH preparations. Remove scratches with light abrasive pastes for chrome surfaces.

We can preserve tires with products based on fats and silicates. They are also suitable for cleaning bumpers and other plastic parts.

Scratches on paintwork

We can polish small scratches ourselves with polishing milk and a soft cloth. If we do not remove bird droppings, rust or tar from the car body in time, it will be difficult for us to repair the damage. This is the task of auto cosmetics specialists, and in the worst case, a visit to the paint shop will be required. Remember that unwashed bird droppings will permanently damage the paintwork after two weeks.

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interior 

The final cleaning effect here depends on three main elements: tools, preparations and skills. To make the car interior perfectly clean, the user can independently and independently. Only upholstery cleaning should be entrusted to specialists.

In the summer, let's focus on thoroughly cleaning the windows, because the stains on the glass in bright sunlight make driving very difficult and reduce visibility. The basis is a decent cleaning of the interior with a vacuum cleaner, wiping dust from the dashboard, steering wheel and door panels.

On the shelves of shops there is a huge selection of autocosmetics. Among them there are both absolutely necessary and completely useless, and even harmful to the materials in the interior. Luminous car cabins are a common phenomenon, which, according to many experts, is a wrong practice. Thus, we do not remove impurities, but only fill them with another layer of chemicals. The silicone contained in the rinse aid causes a strong reflection of light and, as a result, dazzles the driver.

Matte plastic is pure plastic, so even plain water with a minimal amount of some kind of detergent and a soft cloth is much better.

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Piotr Grzes: - In my practice, I have come across several cases of plastic damage after using wet rags. It is the same with the smell of a spilled car - this leads to irreversible wear of the plastic.

Examples of prices for auto cosmetics:

– regenerating wax paste 100 g: PLN 6;

– 250 ml polishing milk: PLN 20;

– coloring wax 500 ml: PLN 35;

– paint for plastic (restoration of black, faded elements): PLN 18;

– anti-fogging agent: PLN 8;

– chrome and aluminum paste: PLN 9;

– wax paste with sponge 300 g: PLN 11;

– advanced car wax: PLN 20;

– 500 ml of aerosol wax: PLN 18;

– synthetic liquid wax: PLN 39;

– disc cleaner: PLN 28;

– solid liquid wax: PLN 16;

Text: Piotr Valchak