Protecting Your Vehicle's Finish - Washing and Waxing

Vehicles today are probably the second highest investment a person will make, next to their home. With so much invested it makes good sense to properly take care of that investment. By keeping the vehicle looking good, and running good, it will increase it's re-sell value when that time comes. Maintaining a vehicle properly will pay off in the long run.

Vehicles today are painted with a base coat/clear coat system. The actual color is protected by a catalyzed clear coat. This paint system does offer more protection than older paint systems that had no clear coat protection. However, the clear coat needs protection as well. The best way to protect the clear coat is to keep it cleaned and waxed on a regular basis.

The first step is washing the vehicle. The vehicle should never be washed in high heat situations. If you can lay the back of your hand on the hood and your hand burns somewhat, you need to cool the vehicles metal down by moving the vehicle into the shade or a garage. Once the vehicle has cooled it is okay to wash. You don't want to wash a hot vehicle because the soap will dry before it can be rinsed. There are many brands of car wash soap on the market. Choose the one that best fits your needs. Once the vehicle has been washed it needs to be dried or wiped down. Water in many areas has chemicals in it. Left sitting on the vehicle the water will spot the finish. This looks as bad as dirt and harder to remove. To dry the vehicle use a chamois or terry cloth towel. Always make sure what you use is clean, very clean. Clear coats are easily scratched by a tiny grain of sand or dirt in a towel.