In the winter, your car was covered with snow and road salt. This causes rust, so you should take some time to spring clean your car after winter melts away. Not all cleaning products in your home are good for your car. Here are a few cleaning supplies you should keep away from your car during spring cleaning.
Don’t Use the Same Bucket to Clean the Paint and Tires
Most people wash the tires before moving on to the rest of the car body. If this sounds like you, make sure you don’t use the same bucket to clean the tires and the paint. Tires are dirtier, and you should avoid using the same bucket so those germs don’t pass along to the paint. Tires also have brake dust, which can scratch your paint.
Don’t Use Paper Towels
Dish sponges and paper towels are fine for your house, but don’t bring them near your vehicle. Dish sponges are designed to scrub off tough food stains, and aren’t gentle cleaners. They have abrasive fibers that can form streaks and scratches on the car’s paint. Whatever you do, don’t use dish sponges to clean windshields and windows. Would you use a kitchen sponge to clean your home’s windows? Even the softest of bathroom towels can cause minor scratches to the car’s paint and windshield. Instead, use premium microfiber cloth or 100% cotton towels to wipe your car dry.
Don’t Use Ammonia Based cleaners
Every cleaning solution has a purpose, and you shouldn’t use a cleaner on something it isn’t meant for, For example, glass cleaning solutions have ammonia in them. It might be okay to use these cleaners to clean windows and mirrors, but windshields are different.
Ammonia causes streaks on windshields, which increases glare while driving. Ammonia can also ruin tinted glass. Over time, ammonia will cause the tint to peel, which won’t ever look good. Stay away from ammonia based cleaners when spring cleaning your car.
Don’t Use One Bucket
You may think using one bucket to clean your car is harmless, but there are considerable drawbacks. If you use the same bucket for your soap and for rinsing, the dirt from the soapy water will cling right back to the soapy water. Use separate buckets for soapy water and rinsing. After you have washed off the soap, you can hose down the car to remove any excess soap or dirt that stayed behind.
Don’t Use A Steel Brush
Experts recommend using a hard brush to remove stubborn dirt from your tires, but never use a steel brush. A steel brush can pierce the rubber and puncture your tires.
Don’t use any of these items when spring cleaning your car, and your vehicle will thank you for it.
