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EXTERIOR CLEANING

Always remember that the paint should be cool and the vehicle washed in a shaded area.

You will need a large bucket and a very clean washing mitt to prevent scratching or scarring of the paint. Start by rinsing the entire car from top to bottom in order to dislodge any large contaminants that could be picked up by the washing mitt. TIP: Always use the least amount of shampoo solution necessary. More is not better, and prevents the chance of shampoo drying on the vehicle and leaving a film. Shampoos are designed to break the electrostatic bonding of contaminants from the paint. Some paint specialists recommend using a separate bucket with clear rinse water. The wash mitt can then be rinsed prior to being re-lathered in the wash bucket. Sounds a little extreme at first until you see fine swirl marks in a five to ten thousand dollar paint job. Suds the car from the roof down while frequently rinsing mitt. Always wash the vehicle in sections and rinse often. This will prevent the chance of soap drying on the painted surface and causing a film or streaking later. To rinse, remove your hose end nozzle and gently and thoroughly rinse your car from top to bottom. By removing the nozzle and rinsing with the open hose, a sheeting action of the water will actually aid in drying the vehicle. Plastic shut off valves for the end of the hose can usually be found at any hardware or home center and work well for this purpose, and will prevent damage to the paint should accidental contact occur. Now move the car to a less water soaked area so that it is safe to use one of our favorite tricks, the leaf blower. This is not really necessary on the smaller compact vehicles, but is a great worksaving aid on suv's, large trucks, and rv's. Also it is safer working in a dry area to prevent slips or falls. By using the leaf blower to dry the vehicle, the drying time will be cut dramatically. This step will remove the largest volume of water and will also dry hard- to-reach areas such as window channels, headlight rims, and grill areas. This will also prevent excess wiping which causes removal of wax. To finish up, you will use a 100% cotton or microfiber towel. Gently dry by moving in back and forth straight strokes; the same direction as the wind flows over the car. During this drying process inspect the entire paint surface for impurities that might need special attention. TIP: Washing your vehicle in inclement weather can be a chilling thought. You really don't want to use the drive through car wash, but you don't want your hands frostbitten either. Solution: Use a horsehair or flag tipped fountain brush attached to a four to five foot rod with a shut-off valve that attaches directly to the hose. You can wash your entire vehicle with one of these without even getting your hands wet. The valve on the handle will regulate the water flow for gently rinsing the car. Then just dip the brush into the bucket with your favorite car shampoo and begin. You can even flush the bristles of the brush in between sections by turning the water off and on with the attached valve. Use your leaf blower to dry. A pair of rubber gloves and a microfiber towel will finish the job in no time.

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