Why Is It Important To Keep Your Car Clean?

Ever wonder how can I maintain the value of my car? What things other than general maintenance could I do?

When thinking of your cars general maintenance and how to keep its value from depreciating, do you ever think that doing something as simple as washing it regularly can have a significant impact? Yes, it’s true. By maintaining your cars outer appearance, you’re technically adding more years to its life and keeping your wallet safe from any body repair work that a constantly dirty car may cause.

Fundamental Factors That May Influence Your Car-Cleaning Schedule

Whether you wash your car weekly, fortnightly or monthly, there are a number of elements that can influence how often you may need to wash it. Some of the most important factors will include:

Location

Whether you live on the coast, in the city or in rural areas, your location poses many threats for your car. Coastal areas have a high salt concentration in the air, so over time may be harmful to paintwork and may corrode metal parts, if not cleaned often. Living in the city poses dust and pollution problems whereas rural locations will lead to mud build up in the tires, with dust and tree sap residing on the car’s surface. If the buildup of contaminants is left unattended for a long period of time, this can lead to rust and potentially costly repairs.

Driving Frequency

If you’re commuting every day, to and from work for example, you will most likely collect a lot of grime on your car, so keeping on top of cleaning it will either be a weekly or fortnightly ritual. As detailed in the previous point, failure to keep on top of it may result in you having to dip into your funds for repairs, so you are better off with just popping a reminder onto your phone to save you the future hassle! On the contrary, if you don’t drive as consistently, then a monthly wash may best suit you, as over-washing your car can have its downside as it will wear down your wax coating and maybe dull your paintwork.

Weather Exposure

It’s quite difficult to see the downside of sunshine, but for cars, prolonged exposure can cause the paintwork to fade, crack or peel. If you reside in a location where there is a lot of rain, it’s probably a given that you will have to wash your car regularly, ideally weekly. Many people probably have the notion that driving in the rain is like going for a light car wash, but it is actually the opposite, more damage is being done. As soon as the water evaporates off your car, a layer of contaminants is left, and the longer you delay a wash, the more harm it will do to your paintwork.

Vehicle Parking Location

A car parked in a garage when not in use can reduce the amount of time it is exposed to contaminants; so regular car washes may not be necessary. However, a car parked on the street under trees, for example, will need a wash more frequently due to tree sap.

Do It At Home

While many individuals opt to get their car professionally valeted, you could save yourself some money and have a go yourself. Here are some steps to take to ensure you do the job well.

• Park your car in a shaded place before washing, as direct sunlight may cause premature drying, leaving water spots.
• Rinse your car from top to bottom with a hose (or a bucket of water) in order to remove any loose pieces of dirt, as these will only scratch your surface when being cleaned with a sponge.
• Have two sponges, one to wash the wheels first and then the other to wash the body of the car. Whilst using these sponges, be sure to keep rinsing them, to avoid scratching your car with any leftover debris embedded in them.
• Ensure you have an actual car washing shampoo and not any liquid detergent found in the house, as this could damage the wax coating and ruin your paintwork.
• At the end, dry your car thoroughly with a microfibre cloth, but be sure to have a few at hand, as damp cloths may leave streaks.
• Do not forget to wax your car once every two to three months, as this will not only act as a protective layer from UV sun rays, but will also add a gloss to your paintwork to prevent it looking dull.
• Keep your interior clean. By making it a habit to remove any litter from your car, wiping down all the surfaces, vacuuming and keeping the upholstery dirt and stain free, you’re essentially preserving its value… and saving yourself the embarrassment of having somebody witness the mess!

Realistically, washing your car frequently should have a permanent place on your to-do list, but again, your circumstances will decide how regular. Think of it as each time you solve this short-term problem, you gain an advantage in the long term; you’re not causing your car any unnecessary damage, your maintenance is helping its resale value and you have a clean car!

If you’re in the unfortunate situation of having imperfections in your paintwork, get in touch with us today. At Bodyteq we offer a range of paint correction services and we’ll be happy to take a look at it for you.