Some people do it because they find it relaxing. Others are a bit more paranoid about maximizing resale value, so they are at it every Saturday morning, rain or shine. If you have invested in a new or quality pre-owned vehicle, you might be thinking that taking care of your automobile is, to some extent, important to you as well.

Regardless of which camp you fall into, there are certain ways you do not want to go about when it comes to providing auto care in the washing of your vehicle. Unless of course, you simply are stuck in your ways, or have scientific versus anecdotal evidence for not performing some of the following tasks, you may want to reconsider how you wash your car next time.

First, if you would rather not have to apply auto wax every other week, do not wash your car with anything you might find under your kitchen sink. Why? The soaps you are likely to find in the kitchen or bath are specifically designed to clean certain types of substances. Animal fats, human fats, household stuff, but not the dirt which usually collects on that fancy paint job.

With repeated use of the wrong types of soaps, your car’s finish is going to become adversely affected and the car washing you’re doing every week will increase the decline (and likely the value) of your favorite car.

Still relating to the car’s waxy finish, you should not use warm water, either in your soap bucket or to rinse down your vehicle. The heat from the water will soften the wax finish. Then the friction from rubbing soapy warm water on the car will help loosen and remove bits of wax along with the dirt and debris. Always use cold water and detergents which have been formulated specifically for the automotive finish.

In conjunction with not using warm water, do not wash your vehicle in the direct sunlight. If you cannot place your hand, palm side down on the painted finish of your car, you should not be washing it until its surface cools down to the touch.

Do not even consider adding some sort of hose nozzle which increases the spray velocity. You want a gentle flow of water that will not grind dirt and debris particles into the finish. Additionally, high pressure water sprayers are used to strip the painted finishes off of homes and buildings. Do you really want to strip the paint of your luxury car?

Though not a hard and fast rule, the use of sponges can, if not careful, act as a sort of sandpaper on the car’s finish. If you are forced to use a sponge, be very careful. Try and gently spray as much dirt and debris off the car and then be very diligent with rinsing and wringing out the sponge in order not to allow sand particles to build up in the sponges cracks and crevices.

It’s ultimately better to use an auto mitt on your vehicle, the longer strands of material tend to wick up the potentially offensive particles and they also are easier to rinse out.

One final thing not to do to your luxury vehicle during washing relates to the drying process. First if you don’t dry your vehicle you are asking for trouble. Second, if you use anything other than 100% cotton towels, you are asking for trouble. Third, even if you use a natural chamois you may be asking for trouble because of the natural tannins they contain. These acids will negatively interact with your car’s paint and wax.

If possible do not rub your towels across the car’s surface, but instead allow their absorbent material to blot up the rinse water. Replace a soaked towel with a dry one and continue. Even the water which has been draining off the sides of the vehicle are better blotted than rubbed.

These are but a few tips you’ll want to implement in taking care of your car’s finish. Don’t forget about the interior and regular maintenance as well.

This post was brought to you by guest blogger Raymond Fisher. He is a freelance writer who specializes in insurance. Fisher writes many articles about car insurance quotes and how consumers can find the best insurance plans.

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