Cleaning a Car Exterior

When the house is clean, sometimes it’s nice to get a step ahead.  As the last weeks of warm weather set upon us, it might be nice to drag out the hose and give the old sled a nice polishing.  While automatic car washes are great, washing by hand gives you a couple advantages.

WAX:
A thick coat of hand polished wax is the best defense against sunlight, uv rays, resting water, and makes your paint last longer.  You can use a can of thick wax, but there are even spray waxes filling the shelves at the store.  Which should you use?  Well, depends on how much time you have!  Before winter hits, when the weather and salt is at its worst, a hand laid coat of thick wax would really help.  Also, before summer moves in, when the heat on the car paint is the worst, a thick coat will also do.  So that may be the bare minimum.  However, in between, spray wax may do just fine, including what they use at the car wash.  Just keep an eye on if the water beads off your car when it rains.  When the beading stops, it’s time to wax up!  You can buff by hand, or by using a buffer, speaking of which, you can buy one very cheaply at: Harbor Freight.  Using a buffer means your arms won’t get tired, or you won’t feel like it’s a wall to climb after a long day or week at work.  Also, you can move at a more leisurely pace, and ditch the karate training technique with the swirling arms.

VACUUMING:
It’s a lot easier to get yourself to vacuum your car when you’re already outside staring at the shiny paint after you just washed and waxed it yourself.  Having a fully rehabbed car feels excellent, and doing the whole package at once might be the ticket to a sense of accomplishment.

WHEEL SCRUB:
Car washes don’t always get the worst of the road dirt off the wheels, and getting in there with a brush and some heavy-duty wheel cleaner might be the only way to really get the job done right.  When else are we going to take care of the wheels?

Whether you want to step outside and get some sunshine and fresh air, or seal up the surface of your magnificent ride, there’s always a good reason to get out and aim the hose sprayer at your car.  The supplies are really cheap these days, and can be found at almost any grocery store or common item store like Walmart.  It might be an excuse to get outside and have an afternoon that is a bit different than normal.

When the cold rolls in, one thing is for sure, the carwash will be a far better option.  It’s a rare moment to see someone outside in the frigid sub-zero pouring buckets of hot water on their car.  Far better to get out and have fun in the sun, let the dog run in the yard, and the kids run out and play as you take your time with a cold drink, giving your car some love.