Archive for Car Tips

Car Wash Soap vs. Dishwashing Detergent

After my recent post about Keeping Your Car Clean in Winter, I was asked about the suggestion that “car wash soap” be used instead of dish wash soap.

It is Best to Use the Right Soap

It is Best to Use the Right Soap

It is my view that it is better to wash the car with whatever you’ve got handy than to forever drive around in a filthy car.  Dead bugs, bird droppings, sap, and road grime can all do damage to your paint – especially if left there for months at a time.  While dish soap is great at degreasing, that may not be what you want.  For example, any wax that might be on your car will be stripped by many dish soaps.

But, real car wash soap is milder than your dish soap, and is designed with a different purpose in mind.  Good car wash soap will include waxes and lubricants that will both protect the vehicle after the wash, and help to make the process less time consuming while yielding better results.

Suds up!!!

 

Car Tips – Keeping the Car Clean in Winter…

844-DENT 411  / 844-336-8411

Winter is going to be over in a month, which means that we’re going to start having nice days in Portland and throughout The Gorge.  Before we get too worried about dents and dings, there are other things to attend to.

What do you do now that most of the snow from the last storm has melted, and your car looks like it’s been rolling around in the mud and sand?  Some of you are going to risk being blamed for the next week of rainfall and wash the car!!!

If you are the type of person that has people to handle such things – I applaud you.  If not, and you’re going it alone, read on…

Having somebody else wash the car for you...

Having somebody else wash the car for you…

Here’s the tipif the car has sand, rock and grit clinging to it, you must give it a good rinse before you touch it with a wash rag and soap.

I’m lazy, so I take it to the local pressure wash style car wash place, and blow the grit and grime off with a pressure wash wand, before I take it home for a bath.  This does an excellent job of reducing the amount of scratching that a hand wash can cause.

Other Tips:

  • Use automobile specific wash soap (Auto Parts Store, Wal-Mart)
  • Use different wash rags / mitts for the car and wheels
  • A waxed car sheds dirt more easily (Spring Project, or Auto Detail Company)

Here are some more tips for keeping your car clean.  Clean Car Tips