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If you have a new car and you are worried about keeping the paint looking new, you aren’t alone. When it comes to washing, car owners tend to split into two basic camps, before getting into more exotic treatments like ceramic coatings and vinyl wraps. Sometimes calling it therapy, one camp washes their own car, trusting gentle routines with foam cannons, the two bucket methods, microfiber mitts, and drying towels. They sometimes opt for self-service bays for quick five-dollar, ten-minute washes.
The other camp takes the carefree automatic carwash method. The convenient, automatic washes are what create the divide, as they can cause paint swirls, trim discoloration, rim damage, and leave a chemical film that requires clay bar correction. We discuss it all in the article below.
Social media is full of discussion about how best to care for your car’s paint. Here’s a recent post with tons on comments on the Facebook Tesla Model Y group by Ryan Waterman about how best to wash cars to preserve the paint quality.
“Tell Me I’m Not The Only One Who Just Does Self-Serve Car Washes for My Tesla Model Y”
David Yepez responded with a comment about automatic car washes:
“You’re not the only one, the automatic drive-through car washes scratch your car and discolor the black trim.”
Julie Lyon mentioned a home car was system:
“I use the product Rubbit, waterless car wash in my garage”
Svetlana Yanova commented on the environmentally responsible way the home wash cars in Canada:
“We do it too. In Canada we can only wash with water when washing the car on the driveway (it’s illegal to use foam etc., when washing the car in your own driveway), so if it needs a deeper clean we take through manual car wash, no problems so far.”
Anhtuan Nguyen turned the discussion to the exotic by mentioning his ceramic coating:
“I ceramic coated my car, so I foam it, and rise off with high pressure gun no towel. You can get a nice drying towel to dry it off if you have hard water. Self-serve car washes normally have a soft water rinse at the end. If you do that, there’s no need for towel. If they have a nice blower, you can do that too.”
After years in the business, we recommend avoiding automatic car washes, including touchless options, since their strong chemicals can strip wax and degrade protective layers. Here’s a simple self-serve car washing sequence. Using gentle tools, and clean chemistry will keep paint glossy and defects at bay. This routine scales for any weather, stays efficient through sectioning, and is easy on coatings like wax, ceramic, and vinyl. Regular care using these steps preserves that new car sparkle while avoiding costly paint correction later.
Preparation and Supplies: Use a quality car soap formulated for vehicles. Avoid dishwashing soap. Set up two clean buckets, one for soap and water, one for rinse water. Choose a soft microfiber wash mitt for safe contact. If washing at home, to avoid soapy runoff into stormwater drains that leads to streams, rivers and the ocean, park your car on grass if possible. Self-serve car washes are usually connected to sewer systems so their soapy runoff doesn’t go into stormwater drains.
Pre-rinse and Debris Removal: Rinse the entire vehicle to lift loose grit and dust. Spray the wheel wells during this step for a cleaner start.
Safe Contact Technique: Wash with straight lines that follow each body contour. This approach reduces visible micro scratches and keeps the finish looking fresh.
Top-down Workflow: Work from the roof to the window moldings, including the windshield and back glass. Break the job into sections for control and consistency. In hot sun, wash smaller sections to prevent spotting and soap drying. After each section, rinse the panel, refresh the mitt in the rinse bucket, then reload with soapy water for the next area.
Panel Order: Clean the hood and fenders, then the doors, then the rear. Remember hidden areas such as behind the fuel door and the lower trim panels.
Wheels, Tires, and Wells: Switch to a dedicated mitt or brush for rims, tires, and wheel wells to avoid dragging grit across paint. This separation limits the risk of deep scratches from embedded debris.
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Drying and Light Protection: Use a chamois or plush drying towel to remove water safely. Apply a spray wax while drying to leave a protective layer between full wax applications.
Finishing Details: Wipe door jambs with a microfiber and a quick detailer to remove residue. Apply tire shine only when the sidewalls are fully dry. Remove overspray with the clean side of your towel.
Getting Into the Exotic
Many car enthusiasts, including myself, recommend applying a ceramic coating to your car. As opposed to old school wax that lasts for months, ceramic coatings last for years. You can have a ceramic coating applied professionally which can be costly, or as with the rest of this article, you can apply a ceramic coating yourself.
Preparation begins with a full rinse, followed by an iron remover sprayed across paint to dissolve embedded particles. If you want to do the wheels, they should receive special attention due to heavy brake dust. A thorough wash, decontamination, and polish set a clean foundation for the coating.
Panel Wipe Preparation: A residue free panel wipe, such as CarPro Eraser or an equivalent product, should be used to remove polishing oils before any coating touches paint. Clean panels improve bonding, durability, and gloss.
Tools and Setup: Use hand protection like latex gloves. Over the counter ceramic coating kits typically come with a small glass bottle of product, a foam block, and microfiber suede applicator pads. Dedicated microfiber suede towels are needed for product leveling and final wipe.
Application Method: A single line of coating is laid onto the applicator, then worked in a crosshatch pattern, up and down, side to side, across small sections. Straight lines help maintain uniform coverage while making high spots easier to spot under reflections.
Flashing and Leveling: Allow the coating to “flash” until the film visually softens. High spots are leveled with the applicator, followed by a careful towel wipe to clear residue and reveal a consistent finish on each section.
Wheels and Sequence: Wheel rims should be treated as a separate project to avoid dragging grit onto paint. A dedicated mitt and towels protect the finish throughout the process.
Vinyl Wraps and Paint Protection Film
A step beyond a ceramic coat is a full vinyl wrap or partial covering with paint protection film (PPF). When you a pay a detail shop to professionally wrap your vehicle in vinyl, the shop will start by deep cleaning and decontaminating the paint, and removing trim as needed. Then they apply adhesive film with heat for crisp edges. Alternatively, paint protection film, is a clear, thicker polyurethane used mainly for impact protection, while a full vinyl wrap is thinner and built for color, texture, and style. PPF is ideal for areas that are most vulnerable to rock strikes like the front bumper, hood, mirrors, and rocker panels on a daily driver. A full wrap suits a color change, matte or satin looks, or bold finishes. A complete color change typically takes two to four days. Pricing runs about two thousand to six thousand dollars, complex vehicles and premium films can reach eight thousand dollars. PPF packages can range from fifteen hundred to about eight thousand dollars depending on coverage.
PPF delivers strong defense against chips, road rash, and micro scratches, with self-healing top coats that recover under warmth, though styling choices are limited and edges may be noticeable up close. Vinyl wins on design freedom and can refresh aging paint for less than a quality paint job, although impact resistance is lower and edges need mindful care. Quality vinyl usually lasts three to seven years, garaged cars in mild climates can see up to ten. Vinyl wrap warranties range from three to five years. PPF often lasts seven to ten years, with warranties commonly in the five-to-ten-year range. Leading wrap makers include 3M, Avery Dennison, Oracal, Arlon, KPMF, Hexis, Inozetek, and TeckWrap. Leading PPF brands include XPEL, SunTek, Llumar, 3M, and STEK.
Please Drop Your Thoughts in the Comments Below
Do you self-wash or use automatic, and why?
For PPF owners, did self-healing actually remove scuffs in heat?
Chris Johnston is the author of SAE’s comprehensive book on electric vehicles, “The Arrival of The Electric Car.” His coverage on Torque News focuses on electric vehicles. Chris has decades of product management experience in telematics, mobile computing, and wireless communications. Chris has a B.S. in electrical engineering from Purdue University and an MBA. He lives in Seattle. When not working, Chris enjoys restoring classic wooden boats, open water swimming, cycling and flying (as a private pilot). You can connect with Chris on LinkedIn and follow his work on X at ChrisJohnstonEV.
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Source: torquenews.com
