5 common mistakes when washing your car at home

Using dishwashing liquid, laundry soap or hard dry towels... is one of the common mistakes car owners make when washing their cars at home.

Mistakes when washing your car can affect the exterior paint of your car.

Instead of taking their cars to the shop, many car owners today often have the habit of washing their cars at home every weekend. This method, for many people, not only saves some money but also allows them to take good care of their "beloved car". However, in reality, not all car owners are fully equipped with tools and wash their cars properly, leading to damage to the exterior paint of the car. Below are the most common mistakes car owners make when washing their cars at home:

Car wash under hot sun

Some drivers often wash their cars when the sun is hot or after the car has just traveled a long distance, in order to take advantage of the heat to help the car dry faster. However, this is actually a mistake, because under the absorption of sunlight as well as sudden changes in temperature, it is easy to damage the exterior paint of the car.

Small drops of water combined with detergent that remain on the car are quickly dried by the ambient temperature, creating stains on the paint surface as well as other details. Over time, the habit of washing the car under the hot sun can reduce the gloss as well as cause the paint surface to peel. Therefore, if you wash your car yourself, you should park the car in shady areas or choose early morning or afternoon when the sun is not too strong.

Use dishwashing liquid, laundry soap

For convenience, many drivers often use dishwashing liquid or laundry soap mixed with water to wash their cars. However, according to Mr. Tong Quang Phu - Director of Mobile Car Care Company specializing in car care and maintenance in Vietnam: "This is a mistake of drivers when washing their cars. Because dishwashing liquid or laundry soap contains many detergents, high alkalinity... when used to wash cars, it will directly affect the protective layer of the paint surface, over time it will reduce the color of the car's paint."

Instead of dishwashing liquid, when washing your car at home, car owners should buy a specialized solution for cars. These cleaning solutions contain dirt-cleaning ingredients that help remove “stubborn” stains without damaging the paint surface.

Use only one bucket of water when cleaning the car.

When washing cars at home, many people often use a bucket of water mixed with cleaning solution to clean the car. This will further damage the paint surface, because after each time wiping and dipping the cleaning cloth into the bucket, small particles of sand or dirt will accumulate in the bucket or can stick to the cloth, causing small scratches in the next wiping.

Therefore, when cleaning the car, you should prepare at least 2 buckets of water with a filter mesh at the bottom of the bucket. In which, 1 bucket contains clean water, the other bucket mixes a specialized cleaning solution with a certain amount of water. After each time using a towel or sponge to clean the car's surface, dip it in the bucket containing water, wash it before dipping it in the bucket containing the cleaning solution to continue cleaning. This method will remove sand particles stuck on the towel or sponge, helping the car not to be scratched after each cleaning.

Using poor quality towels

Normally when washing cars at home, many people often use old clothes or ordinary towels to clean the car. In addition, for convenience, some people often wipe the car surface in a circular motion. Using hard, low-quality dry towels combined with incorrect wiping methods can easily cause scratches in a spiral pattern on the car's paint surface.

To protect the paint surface when washing the car, car owners should use a specialized towel made of very soft, highly absorbent microfiber. The car cleaning motion should be horizontal or vertical.

Do not cover electrical connections when cleaning the engine compartment.

In addition to washing the car, some car owners often clean the engine compartment themselves. Although this area is covered by a hood, after a period of use, the engine and many other parts will be covered with dust and grease, reducing the heat dissipation efficiency. To clean this part, immediately after opening the hood, some people often subjectively use a water jet to spray strongly into the engine compartment. This helps to quickly remove dirt but can affect electrical connections. Water can penetrate electrical connections, causing short circuits.

According to experts, to ensure safety before washing the engine compartment, you should use waterproof tape to cover the electrical connections. Instead of spraying water, you should use a specialized cleaning solution to clean every corner of the machine's details as well as other parts.

According to TNO