How not to care for the body: TOP-10 mistakes

Contents of the article, how to take care of the car body:

• A dry rag is the enemy of everything
• Not all rags are created equal.
• We rub cleanly, or the disease of license plates
• Household chemicals and car
• Savings on care
• Old pollution
• Hot shower
• Dampness in the cabin
• Chips and cracks
• Scrapers and brushes

"If you want to wash well, do it yourself" - says a slightly paraphrased folk wisdom. Many motorists are in complete solidarity with her and do not trust the car to car washes. They believe that self-cleaning is much more effective. And what a benefit - how much money can you save by learning to wield buckets and rags.

Some motorists generally consider the process of washing a car to be something akin to a Sunday walk in the fresh air, and they get incredible pleasure from it.

Are we doing everything right and where do the scratches on the body, mold in the cabin and rust in the recesses come from? Let's consider the TOP-10 most common mistakes when caring for a body.

1. A dry rag is the enemy of everything

Often in the life of drivers there is such a situation: they urgently need to wipe the headlights, glass or the surface of the body from dirt, and only an ancient tortured dusty rag is lying in the trunk. Well, where to go - there is nothing else, you have to rub with what you have. We did it one, two, three. ... And then, while washing, we suddenly noticed a lot of scratches. Where do they come from?

1. A dry rag contains a huge amount of small grains of sand. When rubbing any surface, it mimics the effect of fine grit sandpaper. Even if the fabric was initially clean, when it comes into contact with dirt and dust, it immediately acquires a sanding effect and severely scratches any surface.
2. The glasses become cloudy with frequent dry wiping, which spoils the driver's visibility. Here, the reason may be not only a rag, but also dust cleaning with dry wipers.
3. The plastic of the headlights also loses its transparency and does not allow the lights to shine in full force.
4. Well, it's scary to imagine what is happening with the paintwork of the body. The surface is covered with numerous scratches, the color fades and takes on a very "worn" look.

What can you advise:

• Never wipe the surfaces of the car with dry rags or sponges;
• If you urgently need to wash the glass or headlights, then wet the dusty surface, wait until the dirt gets wet, and only then gently wipe with a damp cloth, napkin or wipers;
• The paintwork needs to be delicately cleaned, so it is best to wash it according to the rules with plenty of water.

2. Not all rags are created equal.

At first glance, what's the difference than washing a car? Look, in the garage, old leggings are lying around idle - cut them into pieces, and let them be useful. Yes, many people think so, and in vain:

1. Regular rags, sponges and towels can of course wash the car, but they are not designed for gentle cleaning due to their structure.
2. The mud layer on the surface of the car consists of micro-grains. Ordinary rags are unable to "absorb" the dust granules. They simply smear the stain all over the car and scratch the finish.
3. For safe washing, use special automotive sponges, which have a very soft surface and a large grain size. Large pores absorb dirt and do not sand the paintwork and glass of the machine. In addition, such a sponge is easily washed out and does not accumulate grains of sand in it.
4. Before you start scrubbing the car, you need to knock off the main layer of dirt from it with water pressure. Only then can you apply shampoo and use a sponge.
5. So that the sand from the bucket does not end up on the surface of the body again, there is a special grate - a separator. This is a plastic mesh that separates the bottom of the bucket with accumulated dirt from the top of clean water.
6. It is best to dry the car body with a fiber towel. Only it must be either new or at least washed, so as not to contain residues of dirt from the previous drying.

3. We rub cleanly, or the disease of license plates

All car enthusiasts know how difficult it is to pick off the corpses of stuck insects from the front bumper. And it is so difficult to wash away their dried traces that you can spend more than one hour.

License plates are no exception, they are also prone to complex pollution. Only now you should not rub them with all your might. The fact is that black paint on numbers and letters is not always able to withstand the powerful pressure of a rag. Over time, it can completely disappear, and then you will have to make a duplicate number.

Naturally, there can be no dry wiping here, if you do not want to be left without state signs.

4. Household chemicals and car

On the Internet, you can find a bunch of tips on how to wash your car with dish soap, clean the interior with carpet fluid, and in the same spirit. The recommendations mainly consist in the fact that these products wash better than special, automobile ones. Perhaps this is so, but, for example, toilet bowl liquid also cleans perfectly, only it would never enter anyone's head to wash their hands with it instead of soap.

1. Household chemicals do sometimes cope better with various contaminants, but the car coating is not good at it. Too aggressive reagents corrode the paint layer, can ruin the upholstery and melt the rubber inserts.
2. Car cosmetics are specially designed taking into account all the features of your car. It will gently and carefully remove pollution without causing damage.
3. In any car shop, you can pick up the tools necessary for your type of interior, body and plastic.
4. When using something from car cosmetics for the first time, be sure to test the action of the product on a small inconspicuous area. If there are no unpleasant consequences, it can be applied over the entire surface.

5. Savings on care

Well, we figured out that you need to use specialized car cosmetics. But then you entered a store where there are several products of different price categories. Which one will you choose - the cheapest one?

1. The main purpose of automotive chemicals is to cleanse old dirt and protect against new ones. And there are also compositions for leveling the coating from microcracks.
2. A quality product should do its job well and leave an inconspicuous layer on the surface so that less dust adheres.
3. Cheap products most often only imitate the effect of the protective film. And their composition is such that after application it turns into a sticky slurry, smeared over the interior or body. There will be no benefit from such withdrawal, but the action will be exactly the opposite of what was expected. Dust and dirt will stick to the plastered surfaces with a vengeance in no time.

6. Old pollution

Every housewife knows that stains need to be washed and washed as early as possible, preventing them from sticking into the material. The car in this case is no different:

1. The worst dirt for a car is those that can harm the paint layer or other surfaces. They need to be washed off immediately. The list of dangerous includes stains from various juices, soda and other oxidizing drinks.
2. Traces from insects and bird droppings can sometimes corrode any coating, and even paint - and even more so.
3. Bitumen also needs quick cleaning, otherwise, over time, it is strongly absorbed into the pores of the surface and will bring a lot of trouble to those who want to wash it.
4. Deep old stains in the interior can be difficult to remove even by dry cleaning.Therefore, you should not delay cleaning, but it is better to regularly keep the car tidy.

7. A hot shower for a car is not a good idea.

Undoubtedly, washing your car with warm water is much more pleasant than with cold water. And the dirt will get wet and fall off faster. How does this affect the car?

From a sharp uneven heating, the paintwork may crack and later partially move away. This is especially true in winter, when the temperature drop from frost to hot water is maximum.

If the floating liquid hits the frozen glass, it can completely destroy it.
You need to wash the car with water at room temperature - then your hands will not be cold, and nothing will hurt the car.

8. Dampness in the cabin

To keep the inside of the car cozy, comfortable and safe for health, cleaning alone is not enough. Just frequent washing can provoke unpleasant consequences with insufficient drying of the interior:

• With wet cleaning, some of the water gets under the carpet. If the amount of liquid is small, then it will calmly evaporate by itself and will not cause any problems. But when it starts to squelch underfoot, leaving everything as it is is fraught;
• Untreated dampness will lead to mold, oxidation and rusting of exposed metal parts;
• In cool weather, all the windows will fog up from the inside and spoil the driver's view;
• If there is such a problem, you need to find a way to dry the car. This is done either outside during the warm season, or in a heated box during the cold season. Remove all rubber mats from the car and leave it with the windows or doors open. Sometimes, with a large amount of liquid, the process can be delayed for several days.

9. Chips and cracks

Did you notice a small chipped piece on the glass surface, and a couple of deep scratches on the body? Shake your head and leave it as it is? Then expect trouble soon:

• If the integrity of the glass is violated even by the smallest chip, then there is a very high probability that the destruction will not stop there. It will creep in all directions and turn into a beautiful, but dangerous web of cracks that interferes with the driver's vision;
• The paintwork protects the body from rusting. If it is damaged, the place of the defect will soon undergo corrosion, and it will also hook on the adjacent areas, under the enamel. Over time, the paint will swell and fall off, and the iron will be hopelessly destroyed;
• Do not delay the elimination of the above defects. The sooner you go to the workshop, the less repairs you need;
• To protect the body from cracks, it is worth using a polish. You can apply it in a car service or on your own, following the instructions.

10. Scrapers and brushes

Winter is coming, and the cars will inevitably be covered with a layer of snow and ice. Almost everyone will have shovels, long brushes and special glass scrapers in the trunk. It is absolutely clear that it is impossible to move without these tools, but are they using them correctly?

1. Hard bristles scratch the car body under strong pressure, so try to brush off only the top layer of snow without touching the car.
2. The scraper can only be used after the glasses have warmed up and the ice begins to move away on its own, otherwise you are guaranteed scratches. And the force applied to remove ice can cause the glass to crack and crumble.
3. The same goes for the work of the wipers. Be patient until the ice melts, and only then turn it on.
4. No hot water! Do not heat the glass of the car and locks with a floating liquid. The sudden change in temperature has a tremendous destructive effect.

Proper car care is the key to its long service life. If you follow the basic tips, you can take care of the cleanliness and condition of the machine yourself. Do not just forget that this must be done on specially designated areas equipped with drainage systems and purification systems. Someone also needs to take care of nature.