Seven tips for 13 dirty summer problems

A clean vehicle in summer is like having a well-manicured lawn. It must be tended weekly to look any good, and there’s always some new problem that crops up.

The world outside your garage presents a constant battle against the 13 most common summer offenders—dust, bug goo, environmental pollutants such as pollen and soot, sprinkler water spots, paw prints, fingerprints, bird droppings, brake dust, mud, sap, soda and coffee spills, road tar and dog slobber.

No wonder the family jokester writes “Wash Me” on the rear windshield.

"Frequent car care is easy car care," Mike Pennington, director of training at Meguiar’s, Inc. "If you don’t get that stuff off your vehicle, it could bond and in some cases scratch or etch the surface."

There are a lot of rights—and wrongs—when it comes to protecting the finish on your vehicle. Moreover, modern vehicles often have a clear-coat finish that adds depth and shine to the painted surface including wheels.

Neglecting contaminants can cause oxidation, dulling and rough surfaces.

Frequent car care and wax protection helps prevent contaminants from bonding to paint, Pennington said. Yet, simply wiping it down with a towel is not recommended and can scratch painted surfaces.

"Choosing the right products is almost like being a doctor. You need to prescribe the right ‘medicine,’" Pennington said.

According to Pennington, the first steps involve quick analysis:

• Evaluate the surface. Are there rough spots? Tree sap? Caked on dirt? Oxidation?

   

• Decide what you are trying to accomplish. Are you trying to restore shine? Creating high gloss polish? Or simply maintaining a clean-looking car?

   

• Use the right techniques. What type of toweling and accessories are you using, and, what are the proper steps for protecting your car?

   

Use products specifically intended for cleaning vehicles, Pennington said. Cheap towels, t-shirts and diaper cloths can cause swirls or microscratches. Dirt particles trapped by fibers can act like sand paper across the surface.

Quality tools can help maintain the shine and avoid scratching. Also, car care products are available for specific purposes such as removing bug and tar build-up.

Maintaining the surface of your vehicle helps extend the paint life and improves vehicle resale value. Pennington offered the following recommendations:

• Sheepskin or microfiber wash mitts. They pull dirt away from the surface and into tightly woven filaments.

   

• Good car wash. It loosens contaminants and helps avoid scratching. Warning: Avoid dish soap because degreasing agents can remove wax, damage paint finish and degrade rubber.

   

• Quality wax to place a thin film between the environment and the clear coat (carnauba formulas and the latest in synthetic polymer technology are common).

   

• Cleaners that act on below-surface defects; clay bars that remove above-surface contaminants.

   

• A chamois, quality terry cloth towel, or even a micro fiber drying cloth with a thick nap for drying.

   

• Tire cleaner and a stiff brush to improve tire appearance.

   

• Wheel cleaner to remove corrosive brake dust and road grime.