Thought about washing your car? Two options: do it yourself or go to a car washing service. If you don’t have time or supplies, professionals are easiest.
But half the fun of owning a slick car is getting to play around with it, so why outsource something as important as washing?
Regularly cleaning your car is important for safe driving and longer vehicle life, but car washes can harm paint. Various car wash types have different effects on paint, so let’s discuss the best car wash to protect paint.
The Different Ways to Wash Your Car
When it comes to washing your car, there are four options to choose from:
- Automated car wash
- Touchless car wash
- Professional handwash
- DIY handwash
The best car wash to protect paint of your car is by going to a touch car wash or handwashing it yourself. A professional service may not fully clean your car and could even cause damage. Cleaning your car, yourself is easier, cheaper, and allows you to control what touches the paint.
Hand Wash Your Car
Hand washing your car is the safest way to wash it. Be careful with chemicals and materials. Wrong choices can damage the paintwork. For example, coarse brushes can scratch the paintwork.
At home, you can use towels, hoses, and power washers. The best way is to use soap, water, and a soft mitt. Suds and a soft mitt break down dirt.
Rinse and dry your car. Use a car dryer to quickly dry without touching the paint.
Hand washing takes more effort but is gentle. You control the process and pressure. It is effective for your car wash.
Automatic Touch Car Wash
An automated touch car wash is fast but expensive compared to doing it yourself. The brushes used are tough and can remove dirt and grime, but they often leave swirls and scratches on the car’s paint.
The quality of an automated touch car wash can vary depending on where you go. Some car wash owners use high-quality soaps to keep the brushes lubricated, but it’s still not enough to remove all the dirt and protect the paint.
Once the car is washed, hot air is blown onto it, but it doesn’t dry it effectively. It’s recommended to use a microfiber cloth or a car dryer to complete the drying process slowly.
Touchless Car Wash
A touchless car wash is a cheaper option that cleans your car without touching the paint, using high-pressure spraying to remove dirt and avoid any harm to the car’s paint.
However, it leaves a film on the surface. This film is more visible in white cars. Using a microfiber towel, you can see the remaining grime and dirt.
A touchless car wash may be cheaper and less damaging but it doesn’t clean properly.
How to Protect Paint on Car
No matter how much experts recommend microfiber cloths and gentle soaps when car washing, too many people still clean anything they find.
Grabbing a paper towel can be tempting, but it can cause real damage to your paint, and affect the look of your car. If you want to know how to protect vehicle paint, the short answer is to not be lazy with your materials.
Be careful with what you are using to clean your car. Anything that is too harsh or rough could damage and affect the paint.
How to Protect Vehicle Paint
Washing your car is only the first half of cleaning your car. After it has been washed you need to dry it so that your car looks perfect.
How you dry your car is just as important as how you clean it.
Use soft microfiber cloths to wash your car. Use a microfiber cloth or car dryer to dry your car without harming the paint. If you appreciate your paint job, then you need to consider a service like this that will help to protect it and leave you with a pleasing finish and shine.
There are a lot of car paint protection solutions, including:
Whichever you pick, the aim is to make sure your paint lasts as long as possible and looks as good while doing it.
Best Way to Wash Car to Protect Paint
It’s simple: cleaning your car prolongs the life of your car – and makes it better to look at.
Doing it yourself by hand is the best way to protect your car’s paint. Use gentle soaps, and quality coatings, and don’t overlook the importance of drying.
