Welcome back to the Proje’ blog! We get it – sometimes, it’s hard to find the motivation to do anything. With your car, you might look outside and think “You know what? I think I’ll pay someone else to clean it this time out”. That’s fine – we understand that sometimes you’re too busy, too tired, or whatever. But there’s a reason that we’re in the detailing business and it’s more than just cars; it’s about quality. So, we’re going to give you a few key reasons why you should avoid car washes, and either use professional detailers or, ideally, DIY – Do It Yourself!

Car Washes

You’ll probably know the three types of traditional car wash. There’s the one with the big rotating brushes, the one with the soft flaps that kind of give way as they pass over your car, and then the fancy modern touchless car wash with its lasers.

We’re here to tell you that they’re all vastly inferior to busting out the Vital Car Wash Soap and spending 20 minutes of your time working up a lather and giving everything a good buff and dry with a microfiber towel. Here’s why.

  1. Abrasion (grit)

The first port of call is a look at the two methods that involve touching your car – the rotating brushes and the flaps. Both of these have immediate issues in that they pick up and retain the dirt that has come off every single other car they have touched that day. By the time they’re running across your paintwork, bits of grit and dirt are being scraped across, meaning there is a risk of scratches and dents. Obviously, these need to problems with oxidisation and rust in the long run, so this is best avoided. 

When you do it yourself, though, you can use the two-bucket method, ensuring all the dirt has come off your wash mitt by rubbing it directly against your >grit guard each time you rinse it off. Much safer!

  1. Ingredients (chemicals)

Some of the cheap soaps that are used in these car washes will strip away the extra layers of protection on your car, and greatly reduce the shine on your paintwork. It’s a real waste of time and money, but using a detailing, lathering soap like our Vital Car Wash Soap avoids all of that. It’s an all-natural wash for your car which lathers up through a pH neutral reaction with water. Keep your paintwork safe, folks!

  1. Effectiveness

A touchless laser cleaner may sound futuristic and cool, but it isn’t as effective at removing some of the more stubborn build-ups of dirt as directly touching the paintwork and giving it a good scrub with a detailing wash mitt. Furthermore, while more friction might be generated in an old-school car wash with the revolving brushes, the quality of these brushes and the mechanical movement is likely to introduce streaks and swirls, which you can avoid by using the right kit, moving in a slow, controlled motion and, above all – doing it yourself!

We hope you’ve enjoyed reading this week’s blog – stay tuned for more tips and tricks next week. We’re going to feature more of our kits each month too, so keep an eye out for more great all-in-one deals and some incredible discounts!

If you have any questions about any of the techniques or products that I’ve mentioned in this post, just add a comment below and we’ll post a reply! Remember that we stock only the best auto detailing supplies, so why not click some of the links in this blog post, or visit our products page to find out more? From all of us at Proje’, Enjoy the Process!