All in the Details: Car Detailing 101

Because you care about your car's appearance, you probably like to take it to the car wash periodically. However, although you wash your entire vehicle during those washings, there are some types of dirt and debris that you should remove immediately in between washing to prevent damage to the paint.

Bird Droppings

While you may think that bird droppings on your vehicle are only disgusting marks on the paint, they can also be hazardous to the long-term appearance of your car. Especially if the birds have been eating berries, their droppings may contain acids and coloring that could eat into and stain your car's paint.

Whenever you find bird droppings on your car, wipe it off with a small amount of diluted baby shampoo. The shampoo is strong enough to remove the droppings but not so strong as to damage the paint.

Rock Salt

When you live in an area that gets a lot of snow and ice during the winter, you will eventually have rock salt pelting and coating your car as you drive down the road. If you leave the salt on your car for too long, it will eventually break down the paint, leaving bare metal exposed to moisture and increasing its risk of rusting.

As soon as the temperatures go above freezing, spray your car with a garden hose to remove the excess salt. Then, once the weather clears, take your car to an automatic car wash to remove any residual salt, as well as get the undercarriage cleaned.

Yard Debris

If your property has trees and a lawn that you frequently mow, chances are that you will inevitably have leaves and grass clippings on your car. If you leave this yard debris on the car's paint, it will make tiny scratches in the paint that will expose your car to rust and corrosion.

When you see leaves and grass on your car, however, do not simply wipe them off, as doing so could scratch the paint. Instead, spray them off with a fine mist from your garden hose to gently remove the debris.

Keeping up with cleaning off the above types of dirt and debris can help you keep your car's paint free from damage and stains. When you are ready to clean your entire car, find an automatic car wash that provides brushless cleaning and a variety of options to make you car shine from the hood to the tires.