H20! Friend or Foe?

09/01/2022

The truth is that this is a trick question. The answer is that water is both friend and foe of your vehicle’s paint surface.

We need good, clean water to keep our vehicles clean and maintained, but water can also create unwanted problems with our paint surfaces.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when washing your vehicle: 

 

1) Always wash in the shade, never direct sunlight.

2) Wash and rinse your vehicle in panels. 

  • Wash the roof and rinse. 
  • Wash the hood and rinse. 
  • Wash 1 or 2 doors and rinse.

 

3) After washing and rinsing, get the water OFF your paint and glass. 

 

Why? Leaving your vehicle to air dry will cause small, white circular droplets on your paint. This is called hard water spotting and it is caused by the minerals in the water settling on the surface after the water evaporates. Over time hard water spotting can damage your paint and require mechanical and chemical treatments to remove.

4) Use a leaf blower or compressed air to blow water out of mirrors, emblems, cracks, crevices, and rims.

 

5) Follow up with a high quality microfiber drying towel to remove remaining droplets on the paint and glass surface. Do not use Chamois!!!  

6) Finally use a high-quality spritz that will protect the paint surface.

Now your vehicle is ready for the next night out. Have questions or want to book a service? Give us a call.