How Often Should I Wash My Car?
10/01/2021
Yes, we all want to maintain our new car appearance so we purchase the best unlimited car wash packages. Car washes are fast, cheap, convenient, and on every corner in Wilmington.
Here is the truth…any and every car wash using any pads, brushes, or dangling cloth regardless what they tell you, will put swirls in your paint. Over time you will lose clarity, mirror image, and slickness of paint surface. We are not “anti” car wash, but know car washes damage & diminish your paint’s gloss, shine, and reflection.
The more you wash the more swirls and scratches will be produced on your clear coat. When a premium sealant or ceramic coating is properly applied to a washed and clean paint surface, less washing will be required. You can rinse without washing.
How Often Should You Wax Your Car?
Dangerous Curves Detailing does not use traditional waxes. We do not use Meguiars, Chemical Guys, Adam’s, Griots, Mother’s or Top Coat. Anything applied is better than not using anything, and can leave a decent shine. Still, the technology in 2022 in sealants supersedes those DIY products. Wax manufacturers recommend that you apply a new coat every 45 days. Some newer synthetic waxes can provide protection for up to one year. It also depends on your preference along with available time and money. If you want a showroom look all the time and have the resources, get a professional service. Cars parked in a garage can go longer without a wax as those exposed to the elements. We would recommend applying a sealant twice a year as an absolute minimum. Once in spring before temperatures increase, and once in fall before winter to protect against rain and snow. When the water stops beading and/or stops running off the paint surfaces, it’s time to apply a premium sealant.
Fact #1: When you buy a new car, you are buying shiny new paint. It will bead water and look like it has wax but that is the new paint properties.
How Often Should I Wax my Vehicle?
Many people may see wax application as an extra for their car or as something you do on special occasions to provide a little extra shine. Waxing your car is actually something that should be done on a regular basis. Too often car owners provide regular maintenance on the engine of their vehicle and ignore the exterior altogether. The exterior of your car needs regular care as well. While neglecting the paint job may not lead to mechanical performance issues, it will result in a lower resale value and little to no protection from many harsh elements. Regular exterior maintenance will keep your car looking new for years after purchase.
Regular waxing helps to protect the paint job and clear coat on your car by preserving oils in the paint that help to prevent oxidation. This is when the oxygen molecules in the air react with, and in this case burn up, the free radicals in the paint. The result is a dulled finish and waxing can help to prevent this ugly process. Regular waxing also protects the paint from the daily wear and tear our cars get from being exposed to the outside world. Bird droppings, wind, rain, hail, tree sap, smog, ultraviolet rays from the sun — you name it. There are a host of threats to your car’s shiny finish.
Are All Waxes The Same? Absolutely NOT!
Fact #2 Do not buy anything from car dealerships to protect your exterior or interior surfaces. Car dealerships over charge and use inferior products. The more they can sell you and add to the sum total price the more money they make. You end up paying 7 years for a $25 wax product.
Wax For Two Reasons:
- Protection
- Visual enhancement
Car Wax Types:
How you apply the wax will end up depending on what form the product takes. There are 3 different forms of car protectants available on the market. We did not mention paste wax because it’s a thing of the past. Three sealants are:
- Liquid Car Wax
- Spray Automobile Wax
- Ceramic Coatings
Protecting a car’s paint has three main components: washing, decontaminating, and protecting.
Washing removes the majority of dust, dirt, and other visible grime. No automatic or hand car wash, regardless how thorough, can remove bonded or embedded contaminants which ultimately eat away at the paint or clear coat. Likewise, no wax or paint sealant can prevent paint contamination. These airborne pollutants come from a variety of sources—brake dust, rail dust, overspray, sap, and tar—and must to be exfoliated from the paint before applying any kind of protectant.
Several methods of paint decontamination are chemical, claying and polishing.
Before applying a sealant you want good adherence and bonding to paint surface. We wash paint surface then we apply chemicals to the paint surface to dissolve rail dust, fall out, spores, and hard water spotting. Then follow up with claying, done about every six months, attracts foreign matter from beneath the surface and pulls them away safely for a deep down clean. Clay even removes particles invisible to the naked eye for a glass-smooth finish. Polishing works in accordance by rejuvenating the top layer, smoothing tiny scratches and swirl marks with fillers, and restoring the paint’s deep vibrant colors. Skipping this step before protecting the paint locks in paint-fouling dirt, causing more damage down the road.
We no longer clay vehicles unless we are following up with a machine polish because even with a good lube for the clay it still diminishes the reflection, micro mars, and abrades the paint on a low level. Over time, this dulls the pristine mirror reflection.
Benefits of Sealants and Synthetic Waxes
- Durable:Withstands frequent washings, extreme climates, ultraviolet rays, infrared radiation, salt water and environmental contaminants.
- Protection: Armors your car’s finish.
- Long Lasting:6-12 months in severe climates, longer in milder conditions.
Stop by for further information on automobile sealants and coatings or call us at 910.769.0503.
