Do's and don'ts of washing your car

Do you ever wondering why US and some automotive leading country is working hard on car detailing but we are hard to spot this nature in our local land?

But we still have car detailer around here. Check below useful information for doing detailing work(information from consumer report organization US):

Do's and don'ts of washing your car

FAQs on the do-it-yourself car wash 

For many vehicle owners, the weekend act of washing a car by hand is a therapeutic act as beneficial for the person's state of mind as to the vehicle's appearance. That's good, because frequent washing is also the best way to maintain a new-car finish. But as simple as washing your car may seem, there are some things to watch for so that you don't accidentally scratch or degrade the finish. Here are some basic car-washing tips.

When should I wash the car?

Don't... wait for a layer of crud to accumulate before washing. Dead bugs, bird droppings, and chemicals from the atmosphere all leach acids that can strip away wax and eventually eat into your car's paint. If left too long, they can cause damage that requires sanding and repainting the area to correct.
Do... wash off dead bugs, bird droppings, and tree-sap mist as soon as possible. Other than this, a weekly car wash will keep the finish in its best shape. In addition, if you live in an area that suffers from acid rain, rinse your vehicle off after a period of rainy weather. Otherwise, acidic chemicals in the rainwater will be left on the surface after the droplets have evaporated, leaving a mark that can permanently mar the paint.

What kind of products should I use?

Don't... use household cleaning agents like hand soap, dish washing detergent, or glass cleaner on the paint. These aren't formulated for use on a car's paint and may strip off the protective wax.
Do... use a dedicated car-wash product, which is milder and specifically designed for use on automotive paint. Apply the suds with a large, soft natural sponge or a lamb's-wool mitt. See our car wax buying advice for tips on all types of waxes.
Grease, rubber, and road-tar deposits picked up from the road often accumulate around the wheel wells and along the lower edge of the body. These can be stubborn to remove and may require a stronger product, such as a bug-and-tar remover. Use a soft, nonabrasive cloth to remove these deposits, as they can quickly blacken your sponge.
Use a separate sponge to clean the wheels and tires, which may be coated with sand, brake dust, and other debris that could mar the car's finish. Mild soap and water may work here; if not, a dedicated wheel cleaner may be required. Be sure the cleaner is compatible with the type of finish (paint, clear-coat, chrome, etc.) used on the wheels. A strong formula intended for mag wheels, for instance, can damage the clear coat that's used on the wheels that come on today's cars. To be on the safe side, choose a cleaner that's labeled as safe for use on all wheels.

Are there any general guidelines I should follow when washing a car?

Don't... wash your car when the body is hot, such as immediately after driving it or after it has been parked in direct sunlight for awhile. Heat speeds the drying of soap and water, making washing more difficult and increasing the chances that spots or deposits will form.
Don't move the sponge in circles. This can create light, but noticeable scratches called swirl marks. Instead, move the sponge lengthwise across the hood and other body panels. And don't continue using a sponge that's dropped on the ground without thoroughly rinsing it out. The sponge can pick up dirt particles that can scratch the paint.
Do... rinse all surfaces thoroughly with water before you begin washing to remove loose dirt and debris that could cause scratching. Once you begin, concentrate on one section at a time, washing and rinsing each area completely before moving on to the next one. This ensures that you have plenty of time to rinse before the soap dries. Start at the top, and then work your way around the car.
Work the car-wash solution into a lather with plenty of suds that provide lots of lubrication on the paint surface. And rinse the sponge often. Using a separate bucket to rinse the sponge keeps dirt from getting mixed into the sudsy wash water.
When rinsing, use a hose without a nozzle and let the water flow over the car from top to bottom. This creates a sheeting action that helps minimize pooling of water.

How should I dry the car when I'm done?

Don't... let the car air dry, and don't expect a drive around the block to do an effective job. Either will leave watermarks, which in areas with hard water are the minerals left after evaporation. In addition, don't use an abrasive towel or other material that can leave hairline scratches in the paint.
Do... use a chamois (natural or synthetic) or soft terry towels. If you choose towels, you may need several. It's best to blot the water up instead of dragging the towel or chamois over the paint. The drying process can be speed ed up by using a soft squeegee to remove most of the water on the body, but be sure the rubber is pliable and that it doesn't pick up bits of dirt that can cause scratches.

Why car detailing is so important?

Why car detailing is so important?

This is very simple. We are able to see that Car detailing term use in car industry that focusing on car maintenance. But not in this local land, our lovely Malaysia. In order to make a profession in car detailing, the profession needs to carry with skill profession, knowledge profession ,enough of patient attitude and passionate of doing the detailing work.

The important of Keeping your car clean and the finish looking good can also mean higher resale value when it comes time to get a new car. All else being equal, a car with faded paint and a dingy overall look sells for 10-20 percent less than an otherwise identical vehicle that just looks nicer.

So is detailing job a car wash for you only? In fact it is an investment to keep your car in better condition for your own car resell value.

Why is Coating necessary? Regardless of glass coat or a waxing.

Why is Coating necessary? Regardless of glass coat or a waxing.

(From Sierra Glow)

Coating for automobiles started with wax. Historically people in the olden Europe started to use wax, such as pine oil to protect the wooden surface of horse carriage from rain, wind and dust. Varnish and tree resin took the place of pine oil. In the modern society wax from Carnauba palm oil have been used. Wax technologies kept evolving and found the use as effective material to protect steel plate from getting rusty and to give shine to the surface. Initially Carnauba oil was used to make wax. Later on organic solvents technology has developed and artificial paraffin started to be used to make wax as paraffin oil can create layer on the surface when applied on it. What does it mean? By making an oil film, it helps reduce prism activity of sun light, and as a result, it makes hard to find small scratches on the surface by the naked eyes and can maintain the shine. Thus, wax made of paraffin has been indispensable for automobiles.

Molecule of Paraffin is a monomer, which means paraffin has relatively small molecule weight and big cluster. This property means that paraffin tends to be dissolved by water and vulnerable against fluctuation of heat.

Lately, polymers or compound of iso-paraffin and acrylic silicone started to have been used for coating of the automobile paint surface. As this polymer has large molecular weight and is composed from many chemicals, they are strong against water and other atmospheric elements, which mean they can last much longer than wax. They can penetrate into paints cluster holes which wax can’t penetrate into.

But the other important point is that paraffin used in wax contains abrasive particles to get rid of dust in the air. It means one time waxing gives scratch of approximately 0.02 to 0.05 micron to the paint and repeated waxing may gives the paint up to maximum of 0.25 micron scratch equivalent to the grit of abrasive paper No.1500. Subsequently the paint begins to lose the shine. It is therefore desirable not to give waxing unlimited to the paint surface. From the view point of the above it is advisable to take the importance of coating of the paint surface with polymer or sealant into the consideration.

Currently, glass coating programs* are getting popular more and more for the coating of the paint in the market. They are comprised of silicate dioxide and other materials. When applied on the paint surface, silicate dioxide reacts with hydrogen in the air and leaves the silicon layer on the paint surface. This silicon is 100 % inorganic material, which means immune to oxidation, and has static electricity prevention effect and makes the paint surface extremely smooth, which functions to keep dust and soil away from the paint surface.

Every Car's Worst Nightmare - The Car Wash

See what US CP car detailing said about Every Car's Worst Nightmare - The Car Wash.

Information from Professional Mobile Show Car Detailing Serving US –The CP car Detailing

Every Car's Worst Nightmare - The Car
Wash

You’ve probably used it before, but you never knew the levels of damage done to
your pride and joy.  The CAR WASH is the number one worst place to take your
vehicle, period.

All it takes is ONE improper car wash to ruin the appearance of your vehicle.

Car wash operators know that their machines damage your vehicle, and that’s
why they have signs posted everywhere assuming no responsibility for damages
done to your vehicle!  Taking your vehicle to the automatic car wash results in
damage to your paint and trim that only skilled car detailers can correct, such as
CP Car Detailing.

Damages Caused by Car Washes:

Swirls - Dirty bristles accumulated from other dirty cars spin
at extremely high revolutions onto your paint, resulting in fine
scratches on your paint.  Then, dirty drying materials,
incorrect drying methods, and damaging beach towels are used
to ruin your finish to the max.  Beach towels have polyester in
them, which is the equivalent of using steel nails on your paint.

Water spots - You drive away from the car wash, only to have
water fly out of crevices, never to be dried by towels.  Over
time this water dries into your paint, eventually leaving
mineral deposits that can etch into your paint, causing
permanent damage

Scratches - Those dirty bristles can be carrying large dirt
particles which are large enough to leave deep scratches in
your paint.  The same dirty towels used to clean the wheels of
the car before yours is introduced to your car’s paint, release
large solid particles that will leave deep scratches

Trim damage - Harsh chemicals can stain your delicate rubber
and plastic trims, while spinning bristles can permanently scuff
your paint and chrome trim

But I Go To A Touchless Car Wash?

Doesn’t matter.  The touchless car wash will damage your
paint using other methods:

Highly pressurized water - Such a stream of water can
aggressively drive particles into your paint, causing fine
scratches

Extremely dangerous chemicals - Dangerous, aggressive
chemicals are sprayed onto your paint to break-down dirt to
make it easier to come off when rinsed-down with pressurized
water.  These chemicals will strip away your wax protection,
damage your chrome trim, and stain your rubber seals.  I
actually had a friend work in one of these touchless car wash
establishments, and when he was refilling one of the chemical
holders, he spilled it on his hands and he got 2nd degree
BURNS on his hands.  The chemicals that these touchless car
washes use are extremely dangerous.

Drying your car - Careless workers will use dirty, cheap towels
to dry your car, resulting in fine scratches and swirls, resulting
in a greatly diminished appearance, especially on dark colored
cars

The fact of the matter is, any high-volume car wash facility,
even a hand wash location, can be a major threat to your
vehicle.  The major culprits are using damaging methods to
wash/dry your vehicle and using DIRTY materials to wash/dry
your vehicle.  In order to ensure safety to your vehicle’s paint,
each vehicle should be cleaned and dried with new, clean
towels and wash mitts.  Now what car wash does that?  

http://www.cpcardetailing.com/car-wash-nightmare

How is the car body paint coat look like?

How is the car body coat look like? Study this from sierra glow information:

Paint and Polish
How much of urethane paint of an automobile can be polished? Isn’t that polishing removes a thin layer of the clear coat and harms the paint or clear coat? These are frequently asked questions.
First, we must understand how thick the car paint is? It depends on the car model, the production year and etc. Generally speaking, the layer and the average thickness of the car paint is as below:
The primer (to protect rust) : about 10 micron
The surfacer : about 20 micron
The undercoat (or color base) : about 30 micron
The topcoat (or clear coat) : about 50 – 60 micron
The total thickness of the paint, therefore, is about 110 – 120 micron or 0.11 – 0.12 mm. Very thin, indeed. Just compare with about 100 micron of newspaper thickness. The thickness which can be generally polished (or removed) should be less than 15 – 20 micron, less than one third of the topcoat to protect the paint and keep its shine.
Next, is the actual polishing work. For your information and reference, please refer to the table below: