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The first time I washed a car I made many mistakes. At the time, I didn't own a car, so I had no car soap on hand. So, I used dish soap. Dish soap is designed to remove grease and oils, which is great.. for dirty dishes. Car paint actually needs wax on top, to protect it from the elements. Dish soap removes all that protection. So, don't use dish soap. Any car soap is better than dish soap.
Another mistake I made was using old rags to wash the paint. If the car had been new or the paint maintained, this would have left terrible scratch marks. Brushes and dirty microfiber cloths can cause damage as well. It is recommended to use soft microfiber cloths or mitts.
This leads to the next point: the two bucket wash method. This method consists of using a wash bucket with your soap and a rinse bucket with clean water. Both buckets should also use a grit guard. Now, before cleaning the paint, it's best to do the wheels and tires first. You can also clean the trim pieces now if you are going to dress them.
Now, onto the paint: first dunk your cloth or mitt in the wash bucket and clean a small section of your car. Start from the top of the car. Immediately after, dunk your cloth in the rinse bucket and clean it against the grit guard. This will clean your microfiber cloth or mitt from the dirt on the car that could scratch your paint.
Once the whole car is clean, it is important to dry quickly to avoid water marks. Use an extremely soft microfiber drying towel. Place it on the car and drag. Put the least amount of pressure as possible.
Afterwards, you can apply tire shine and trim dressing or you can also prepare to wax the car. If there are deep contaminants, claying is a good option. Or if the paint is in bad condition, the car is ready to receive paint correction.
Mendez Mobile Detailing uses the safest methods to wash your car and care for your paint. Call us now to book an appointment!