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Although the temperatures may not reflect it, it’s official. Spring is here and with spring comes the annual spring cleaning. We want to get rid of all that grime, dirt and dust of winter, from our homes and our cars. We want our vehicles to sparkle like they did when they were new.

Well perhaps I am being slightly optimistic, but a clean car certainly does look a whole lot better. And cleaning your car isn’t just for cosmetic reasons. It’s important to make sure that you wash off harmful substances before they can damage the finish on your vehicle. For example, bird droppings and tree sap, if left for any period of time, can be particlarly harmful.

So which is the best way to wash your car? Some like to do it at home in the driveway, on a nice bright, sunny day; the picture of domestic peace and well being. But doing it at home may not be the best thing for your vehicle or the environment. Some products you might use, like dish detergent for example, are not be designed for cars and can be too abrasive for the finsh. Also, at-home washes tend to use more water and the runoff can be harmful to the environment.

So if you decide to go to a car wash instead you have three basic choices. The first is the old fashioned, self-serve, coin-operated wash where you do all the work yourself. This is better than doing it at home because the cleaning solutions are designed specifically for cars and the runoff is likely disposed of in a more environmentally-friendly manner.

Then there are two types of automatic car washes. With one, you drive onto a conveyor belt and your car is moved through the wash facility. Brushes and other cleaning mechanisms actually come in contact with your vehicle. You can choose various options like the “bottom blaster” and waxes and the like.

Because some owners prefer not to have their vehicle touched by brushes and risk damage to the finish, there is a second type of automatic car wash known as the “touchless car wash.” You drive your vehicle into a bay and remain staionary, while machines move around your car and clean it that way. I personally find that a touchless wash does not do as good a job, but again there is the finish you may want to to consider.

How often should you wash your car? Obviously it should be more than once a year! How often though really depends on your vehicles exposure to the elements and to corrosive materials such as salt. But washing your car a couple of times a month should do it. This helps avoid harmful substances from staying on your vehicle for any period of time.

There is also the ultimate in car washes – auto detailing; an extensive, expensive car wash option. I decided to treat my car to detailing once and next week I’ll share that experience with you.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 26th, 2008 at 10:27 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.