![\"Hand](\"https:\/\/www.theultimatefinish.co.uk\/car-care-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Hand-Wash-Only.jpg\" "\\"Hand")
<\/a><\/p>\nCars get particularly dirty at this time of year. Road grime, environmental pollution in the rain, salt and grit on the roads \u2013 your cars bodywork and wheels take a real hammering. Washing and drying your car is where the majority of damage to your paintwork can occur, increased road contaminants make it easier than ever to inflict swirl marks and fine surface scratches. So, it’s\u00a0even more important to get the washing process correct!<\/p>\n
Step 1<\/strong> – Using a\u00a0Pre-Wash Cleaner<\/a><\/p>\n Firstly, Ensure your car is out of direct sunlight (if you\u2019re lucky enough to have any!). This will prevent the soapy water from drying prematurely on the vehicle causing water spot marks which can be very difficult to remove.\u00a0If you have a pressure washer, then an \u00a0Ultimate Snow Foam & Lance Kit<\/a> is a brilliant idea for loosening and removing large particles of dirt. During the worst of the weather the Ultimate Snow Foam\u00a0system can prove invaluable, particularly for darker coloured paintwork which is prone to showing up scratches and swirls more than lighter colours. The Snow Foam lance attaches to the most popular pressure washers, a little of the Ultimate Snow Foam goes into the 1 litre reservoir bottle and when the pressure washer is turned on the water and the Ultimate Snow Foam<\/a>\u00a0combine and shoot a thick, foamy solution all over the vehicle. The bubbles lift larger particles of dirt and grime away from the surface of the paintwork allowing it to be freely rinsed away. With the larger particles removed and the underlying particles loosened washing the vehicle will be much safer for the paintwork and much easier for you!<\/p>\n Spray the Snow Foam directly on to the vehicle without pre-rinsing it \u2013 Snow Foam works best when used on a dry surface. Spray it all over the vehicle bodywork and allow it to dwell for about 3-4 minutes \u2013 you will see the foam start to change colour as the dirt is lifted away from the surface of the paintwork. Rinse the foam off\u00a0using clean water from a pressure washer, not forgetting to clean under the wheel arches.<\/p>\n Step 2<\/strong> – Wheel Cleaning Many wheel cleaners are either acid or alkaline based cleaners which strip off any wax protection, degrade sealants and in the worst case scenario, strip the lacquer off the wheel face! It\u2019s important then to choose a gentle wheel cleaner to prevent this from happening. Ideally, thoroughly clean each wheel using\u00a0a pH Neutral Wheel Cleaner<\/a>,\u00a0a\u00a0microfibre wash mitt<\/a> and a long handled wheel brush<\/a> to safely clean hard to reach areas.\u00a0Rinse well using a pressure washer or strong jet of water. Pay particular attention to ensure crevices are thoroughly cleaned, as they can trap brake dust potentially causing pitting if left for long periods of time.<\/p>\n Step 3<\/strong> – Choose Your Shampoo\u00a0 There are many car shampoos on the market containing harsh chemicals designed to quickly break the bond between dirt and paintwork. Unfortunately many of these act to degrade any wax or sealant protection applied on the paintwork. It is therefore essential to opt for a wax \/ sealant friendly shampoo to ensure you get the best longevity from your protective layers. Some shampoos even contain\u00a0wax-grade carnauba<\/a>\u00a0and these are great for giving existing wax layers a boost each time you wash.<\/p>\n Step 4<\/strong> –\u00a0Wash Mitt or Wash Pad<\/a><\/p>\n If using a wash mitt opt for a lambs or merino wool version or a long pile microfibre. The softness of the wool and the long pile of the microfibre will lift dirt particles away from the paintwork and trap it in the pile, minimising the risk of scratching – Beware the cheaper, open cell sponge which will take a hold of dirt particles and trap them on the surface ready to be scraped over your paintwork!<\/p>\n Step 5<\/strong> – The Wash Process<\/p>\n The\u00a0Two Bucket\u00a0method<\/a> is a great way to prevent recontaminating of paintwork. The wash bucket contains warm soapy water, the rinse bucket contains clean water. Both buckets should have a Grit Guard in the bottom. Put a good quality wash mitt or wash pad into the wash bucket to load up with soapy water, wash a section of the vehicle, then place the dirty wash mitt \/wash pad into the rinse bucket, rubbing it over the Grit Guard<\/a> at the bottom to release the dirt particles from the fibres. With the wash mitt \/ wash pad safely rinsed, dunk it back into the wash bucket and repeat! Washing in this way helps to keep the dirt particles in the bottom of the buckets under the Grit Guards.<\/p>\n Start at the top of the car and work towards the bottom. Use a lambswool wash mitt with horizontal movements when washing rather than circular, as circular motions could make any swirls worse.\u00a0Once the car has been shampooed, rinse it off with a free-running hose making sure the suds are completely washed away \u2013 pay attention to door and boot shuts, around badges and window seals.<\/p>\n Step 6<\/strong> – Choice of\u00a0Drying Towels<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0De-Ionising Water Filters<\/a><\/p>\n Natural Chamois leather can be difficult to look after and will remove wax layers quite easily. Therefore a soft, absorbent waffle-weave<\/a> or microfibre drying towel<\/a>, or a synthetic chamois leather are the professional’s choice. Waffle-weave drying towels have absorption pockets to soak up huge amounts of water and don\u2019t leave lint on the paintwork. Microfibre drying towels tend to feel softer to the touch but may take a couple of washes before the linting stops. Synthetic Chamois<\/a> usually are supplied with their own storage box to prevent contamination whilst being stored in the garage.<\/p>\n The Aqua Gleam<\/a> De-ionising Water Filter is a wonderful alternative for those who either don\u2019t have time to dry their cars, or simply would prefer not to! The Aqua Gleam filter connects to your hose pipe and removes the impurities in water which cause the water spot marks. Once the car has been shampooed and rinsed, connect the filter to the hose and give the car a good drenching with purified water. Then walk away and leave the car to dry without having to worry about white spots all over it when you come back to it! It\u2019s the easy, no-fuss solution to drying your car \u2013 and it also leaves a significantly enhanced shine behind too!<\/p>\n Step 7<\/strong> – Admire!<\/p>\n Finally, step back and admire your hard work, before making sure all your equipment is thoroughly rinsed and stored safely.<\/p>\n Make sure you have everything you need to keep your car free from winter pollution by visiting Ultimate Finish<\/a>\u00a0providing ‘Legendary Automotive Care’ since 1999.<\/p>\n ‘Hand Wash Only’ is a registered trademark of Three60 Limited<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" How to wash your car effectively and safely – a basic safe wash guide to help you maintain your car’s<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","colormag_page_layout":"default_layout","_eb_attr":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1789],"tags":[148,991,352],"class_list":["post-3306","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-exterior","tag-car-shampoos","tag-ultimate-snow-foam","tag-wheel-cleaners"],"magazineBlocksPostFeaturedMedia":{"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false,"colormag-highlighted-post":false,"colormag-featured-post-medium":false,"colormag-featured-post-small":false,"colormag-featured-image":false,"colormag-default-news":false,"colormag-featured-image-large":false,"colormag-elementor-block-extra-large-thumbnail":false,"colormag-elementor-grid-large-thumbnail":false,"colormag-elementor-grid-small-thumbnail":false,"colormag-elementor-grid-medium-large-thumbnail":false},"magazineBlocksPostAuthor":{"name":"Jez Gilman","avatar":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/39063ec6e7265533cb03be397490031d714f01b1f05577c54882058a7a71ceee?s=96&d=mm&r=g"},"magazineBlocksPostCommentsNumber":false,"magazineBlocksPostExcerpt":"How to wash your car effectively and safely – a basic safe wash guide to help you maintain your car’s","magazineBlocksPostCategories":["Exterior"],"magazineBlocksPostViewCount":1200,"magazineBlocksPostReadTime":6,"magazine_blocks_featured_image_url":{"full":false,"medium":false,"thumbnail":false},"magazine_blocks_author":{"display_name":"Jez Gilman","author_link":"https:\/\/www.theultimatefinish.co.uk\/car-care-blog\/author\/jezg\/"},"magazine_blocks_comment":0,"magazine_blocks_author_image":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/39063ec6e7265533cb03be397490031d714f01b1f05577c54882058a7a71ceee?s=96&d=mm&r=g","magazine_blocks_category":"Exterior<\/a>","yoast_head":"\r\n![\"Ultimate](\"https:\/\/www.theultimatefinish.co.uk\/car-care-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/UltimateSnowFoam.jpg\" "\\"Ultimate")
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\n<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Non-Caustic](\"https:\/\/www.theultimatefinish.co.uk\/car-care-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Wheel-Cleaners.jpg\" "\\"Non-Caustic")
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\n<\/a><\/p>\n![\"pH](\"https:\/\/www.theultimatefinish.co.uk\/car-care-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Car-Shampoo.jpg\" "\\"pH")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Wash](\"https:\/\/www.theultimatefinish.co.uk\/car-care-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Wash-Mitts-Wash-Pads.jpg\" "\\"Wash")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Ultimate](\"https:\/\/www.theultimatefinish.co.uk\/car-care-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/UF-Two-Bucket.jpg\" "\\"Ultimate")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Drying](\"https:\/\/www.theultimatefinish.co.uk\/car-care-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Drying-Towels.jpg\" "\\"Drying")
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