08/08/2019
WHY WASH YOUR CAR AFTER IT RAINS?
One of the most important times to wash your car is immediately after a rainfall. Many people think that when the car sits under the rain, that the rain water will wash the dirt and salt off the car. Not true. Actually, rain water can cause even more damage than it helps.
Acid Rain on car paint As rain falls, it collects pollutants and contaminants from the air, and this is called Acid Rain. Look at the photo to the left, this is the effect of dried rain on a car. The Acid Rain has etched its way into the paint and caused defects. The only way to remove the etching is to polish and buff it out with a dual action polisher and professional grade buffing pads. Even after a short rainfall, rainwater and pollutants collect on your vehicle. The rain water eventually evaporates, leaving a thin layer of pollutants that can damage your car’s finish. The longer you leave the pollutants and contamination on your vehicle’s finish, the more damage it will inflict on your cars paint finish. Snow and sleet can also result in some damaging effects and are often compounded by chemicals in road salt. Road salts are very harmful to a car’s paint surface. It is recommended that you wash your car no more than 10 days after driving on a road treated with road salt. Many people are very busy, and time always plays a factor. In reality, washing your car, even once every two weeks, can be a great way to protect your car from salt that can eat away at the exterior of your car and create rust. When you do get your car washed, make sure that you wash it with clean water. Avoid any car washes that use recycled water to wash your car. Hand washing at home is always best. Many car washes use very aggressive “soaps” that will strip away any wax or sealant off your car’s paint finish. Salt is especially bad underneath the car, under the fenders, and the back of the vehicle, as it will whip up behind the car as one is driving.
