Tip #13

For the car body cleansing part, be gentle as well. Use a product that’s specifically manufactured for auto exterior. Never use a dish/laundry soap or a detergent—it would only remove your car’s wax and finishes.

Tip #12

See those Spidey scratches? You know those hideous cobweb marks on your car’s body… They’re actually easy to prevent. You just have to follow these friendly tips when wiping the surface:

• Follow the contours of the surface; not go in circular motion.
• Rinse the rag ever so often; not keep the grease and the dust.
• Be thorough and gentle; not scrub hard that it would remove the paint.

Tip #11

So which cleaning materials are the best to use for wiping your car’s exterior with?

For large areas:

- Sponge

- Cotton wash mitt

- Soft rag, which can go from your old shirts and terrycloth towels to your grown-up kid’s cotton diapers (Enough of the sentimentality, man!)

For small areas:

- Old toothbrush

- Cotton swab

Tip #10

Speaking of the hose, take it easy on the spray, though. It might be fun to point and blast here, point and blast there; pretending that you have a laser gun—but here’s the thing. As with all things that go overboard, it could do more bad to your car body than good. You see, spraying water with too much pressure could chip the car paint and loosen some critical car parts.

Moral of the story: Do everything in moderation. =D

Tip #9

Grab the hose; ditch the bucket!

So why is a hose better than a bucket?

(1) A bucket could contain only a limited amount of water. You’d wear yourself out getting all the water you need for car cleaning from your bathroom or whatever over and over.

(2) When rinsing the rag or sponge you used to wipe your car, notice how the dirt is passed on to the water then back to the rag or sponge. Beware, the cleaning material could scratch or streak your adorable car paint!

(3) On the contrary, a hose with a spray nozzle can release just the right amount of water with the necessary pressure to loosen the filth that’s been long stuck on your car exterior. That’s a happy farewell to caked mud, dead bugs, bird waste, and their kind.

Tip #8

As much as you want you car exterior clean, never grab a dry cloth and wipe the dust and girt on the car body with it. Or you could scratch the paint and leave some cobweb marks. Alright, it doesn’t seem so horrible a scene, but wait till the sun’s rays hit the spot and you’ll know what I mean.

Tip #7

Now, don’t get too excited. Keep yourself from using the hose under your car hood. It’s got some electronic circuits down there and you don’t want water to damage any of it.

Tip #6

Before getting into car washing proper, it’s best to hose your car down to wash away all the dust particles clinging onto its surface. Cleaning and polishing these exterior areas of your car should be given ample attention as well: vinyl hardtops, convertible tops, glass sunroofs, glass windows, chrome bumpers, chrome trims, side mirrors, wheel covers, whitewalls, and tires among others.

But why do all these things? It’s actually for you to make sure that you get rid of every last residue of substances you use after washing and rinsing your car exterior.

Tip #5

Check if your car’s sunroof and windows are tightly shut. Then grab your hose and spray—just lightly—around the edges of the sunroof, windows, and rear deck lid. Stay alert and observe if there’d be weatherstripping leaks. If you see some, better patch or replace the weatherstripping right away. Though you could always avoid spraying on or near the leaking areas, it’s always better to be preventive and safe than pissed and sorry when something untoward happens.

a weather that the water instantly an Poe fan here.) ration.

Tip #4

Speaking of weather, or since we’re at it, let’s talk about summer.

Well, if you intend to wash your car (and yourself as well) this summer, don’t do it under the hellish hot sun. Why? Take a time to remember your Chemistry lessons; forget about the Fs, of course. Cool water causes a hot body to contract, that’s why!

So what does it mean? My genius friends, your car paint could crack and your finish would most likely be finished. Terrible picture, huh?

So do the car washing in the shade or during the morning or evening. That would also lessen the risk of you having skin cancer. a weather that the water instantly an Poe fan here.) ration.