How to wash a car body after winter

How to wash various stains on the body using car shampoo for manual washing and more

Every car owner wants his vehicle to always look presentable - clean and beautiful. After all, a sloppy car causes direct associations with the carelessness and carelessness of the owner! But sometimes, no matter how carefully you treat your four-wheeled friend, stubborn stains still appear on it. How to wash a car body after winter, how to remove traces of rust, glue, resin and other pollutants?

After winter

Chemical reagents and salt used by utilities in winter to combat snow and ice have a very aggressive effect on the car body. Cold and exposure to chemicals contribute to the thinning of the varnish layer on a car, which then destroys the paint layer - and this is a direct path to corrosion.

After the winter months, a whitish coating is noticeable on the car - this is a mixture of reagents and salt, and it must be washed off in order to preserve the “health” of the body and other parts of the car. If you are interested in this topic, then here you can find out more about car shampoo for hand washing https://aquaxt.ru/avtohimiya/shampuni-dlya-ruchnoj-mojki. For high-quality self-washing of a car:

Rinse off the dried dirt with clean water from the hose and wait until it soaks. Do not scrape or scrape the car! Even micro-scratches will lead to damage to the paintwork and subsequently to corrosion.

Simple water is not enough to wash off salt, reagents, various greasy stains and exhaust gas residues. Dilute car shampoo for hand washing in a container with warm water and thoroughly wash the car with a large soft sponge, starting from the top: roof, doors, trunk, hood, bumpers, sills. Wash the arches and underbody with a special sill cleaner to prevent them from being corroded by the salt accumulated there.

Be sure to rinse off any remaining detergent with plenty of water and wipe the car with a dry cloth (for glass, use special soft suede to avoid streaks).

A budget-friendly folk remedy for removing white plaque from a car body is regular citric acid. Dilute it in warm water in a ratio of 100 g per 1 liter, apply to the surface and go over with a sponge or washcloth. If the plaque is too severe, add another 100 g per liter. Rinse off.

Traces of glue

If you decorated your car with stickers (for decorative or advertising purposes), after removing them, unsightly traces of adhesive may remain. Professionals know many answers to the question of how to remove glue from a car body:

special products - tape and sticker cleaners (German Liqui Moly, South Korean Kangaroo Scotch Remover), use according to instructions;

solutions for eliminating bitumen stains;

After cleaning, wash the work area with soap and water and rinse with clean water.

In advanced cases (old, ingrained traces of glue), you can sand the problem area with zero-grit sandpaper or treat it with a special rubber roller using a drill. The result will be 100%, but after grinding the treated area will have to be polished.

Saffron milk caps and rust

If red dots appear on the car body, how can you wash off these “freckles”, which are especially noticeable on a white and light-colored surface? You will definitely have to wash the saffron milk caps, because these are the first signs of corrosion.

A quick way to eliminate saffron milk caps is to use phosphoric acid. Apply it to the damaged areas, wait literally 25-30 seconds, then wipe the work surface with a damp cloth. The red spots will disappear, and a moisture-repellent film will form on the metal. But old corrosion stains cannot be treated like this!

How to remove rust from a car body? There are three proven methods, all mechanical:

drill with attachment.

As a last resort, you can use sandpaper.

You need to work with caution so that the visual difference between the treated and untreated surface is minimal. Then:

Apply a rust converter composition (for example, Deoxyl PR58), wait until the rust residues dissolve (about 30-40 minutes). Wipe off any remaining marks and composition.

Treat the work surface with solvent to degrease it.

Apply 2-3 layers of putty to level the surface. Sand until completely smooth.

Cover items near the work area with newspaper or clean plastic wrap.

Prime the prepared area in 2-3 layers. Select a primer of the desired color with anti-corrosion properties. Apply in a horizontal motion, holding the sprayer at a distance of 25-3 cm from the body. Let each layer dry before applying the next (this is 15-20 minutes).

Now you can paint the work surface. The principle is the same - 2-3 layers with complete drying. But the paint does not dry as quickly.

Apply varnish over paint for optimal protection.

To mask the transitions between the treated area and others, use body polish. This is necessary, it will protect the metal from:

ultraviolet rays (the car will not fade in the sun);

minor mechanical damage (remember that even light scratches are harmful, and even branches can cause them while driving through a forest or park);

absorbing dirt and stains (they will inevitably appear, but they will be easier to remove);

salt and reagents next winter.

Apply polish with a sanding attachment or soft cloth.

Bitumen stains

Bituminous contamination is very noticeable on the surface of the body and greatly spoils the appearance of the car. Remove them using special means. Here are the top 5 cleaners:

Liqui Moly (Germany)

Kangaroo for resin and tar (South Korea)

If you don't have a cleaning product on hand, you can use margarine or sunflower oil. Apply to dirt using a swab or cloth and wait until the oil dissolves the bitumen. For old dried stains - white spirit, kerosene, gasoline.

In all cases, be careful when washing off the product - bitumen stains usually contain dust and sand, they can act as abrasives and scratch the car's paintwork. Therefore, remove the product with a soft napkin or rag, carefully and gently!

A clean body means a well-groomed car! Remember that pollution can lead to damage to paintwork and corrosion, and take care of your car on time!

How to wash your car after winter from salt and reagents

The long winter is over. The snowdrifts and ice have finally disappeared. But don't be so happy. Any experienced car owner knows that negative temperatures and snow are not so scary for his iron horse in winter. Much more worrying are the salt and reagents that utility services use to save the city from snow. No matter what anyone says, modern chemicals that dissolve snow are so aggressive that they cause serious damage to the car body.

Reagents can ruin even painted car parts, not to mention bare metal. Photo: rustcheck.com

Under the influence of low temperatures and salt, the varnish layer on a car becomes thinner and dull. Then the paint begins to deteriorate and rust appears. Corrosion also affects parts on the bottom of the car. Repainting a car body is not a cheap pleasure, so washing your car after winter is a must. And this must be done carefully. If you do not wash carefully, salt and reagents will remain in hard-to-reach corners of the body, which will lead to the destruction of the paintwork. Comprehensive car washing after winter is especially important in cities and suburbs, where there is a large amount of chemicals on the roads.

You can find out what octane and cetane numbers are in this material.

Here you will also find information about the new Lexus GX 460.

Professional car wash

It is best to leave washing your car after winter to professionals. As a rule, special sinks have all the necessary tools to do the job well. Professionals know in which places in the car salt lingers the longest.

It is also worth remembering that throughout the winter, salt on the shoes of the motorist and his passengers ended up in the car interior. Rubber mats do not always save you, so over three winter months a decent amount of reagents can accumulate. They not only spoil the interior, but also cause allergic reactions, especially in children. Therefore, when a motorist carries out a comprehensive car wash after winter, one should not forget about the interior either.

Self car wash

If you don’t want to trust your car to other people or you are used to doing everything yourself, then you can wash your car after winter on your own. Photo: premereautodetail.com

If there is a box or other room where you can wash your car, that’s great. But if it’s not there, don’t worry. The car can also be washed outside. You just have to take the weather into account. You should not wash your car in sunny or windy weather. The most suitable day is when it is cool, without direct rays of sun and strong wind. For a quality wash after winter, the car owner must have:

Large soft sponge.
Hard brush.
Vacuum cleaner (preferably more powerful and powered).
Nozzles for a vacuum cleaner (at least three, of different shapes).
Car shampoo (for body and interior).
A special product for removing bitumen and grease stains.
Suede for wiping, does not leave streaks.
Large water capacity.

It is clear that you need to wash your car thoroughly after winter, so there must be a source of uninterrupted water supply to which you can connect a watering hose. If there is no such source, then it is better not to carry out washing yourself.

Procedure

First, you need to spray the car thoroughly with clean water from a hose. This is necessary in order to wash off dried dirt. After dousing, the car should stand for a while to allow the dirt to soak naturally. It is strictly forbidden to scrape off dirt from the car using improvised means! Even unnoticeable scratches on the paintwork will lead to corrosion in the future.

If the top layers of dirt can be washed off with plain water, then reagents, exhaust gas residues, and various greasy stains cannot be washed off in this way. Therefore, in a container of water (preferably warm), following the manufacturer’s instructions, you need to dissolve car shampoo for the car body. It is prohibited to wash the car with various solvents, powders, bleaches or other products not intended for this procedure! You need to start washing from the top of the car. First, the roof is washed with a large sponge, then the doors, trunk and hood. And only last but not least are the bumpers and sills washed.

To wash the underbody and arches, you can use a special product for washing car sills. It cleanses well the reagents accumulated after the winter. This procedure must be carried out after winter. If this is not done, the salt will remain for a long time and will begin to corrode the parts of the underbody of the car.

Immediately after washing, you need to inspect the car for the presence of bitumen stains. If they are, then they need to be removed with a special tool that is intended for these purposes. Photo: irecommend.ru

If there are no stains and you are satisfied with the appearance of the coating, then the car needs to be hosed down with a large amount of water. To remove any remaining detergent. Then the car needs to be wiped with a dry cloth. To wipe windows, you can use a special suede that does not leave streaks.

In the car interior, salt and reagents may remain in the lower part. Therefore, rubber mats must be washed with shampoo and then rinsed with plenty of water to remove any remaining product. While the mats are drying, the interior of the car (especially its lower part) needs to be thoroughly vacuumed. For this, nozzles of different shapes are useful to get dirt from hard-to-reach places.

You can also learn how to wash the bottom of your car after winter from this video:

Every car owner makes a choice in favor of professional or self-washing of the car after winter. The advantage of self-washing is a more responsible attitude to work. And the disadvantage may be the lack of necessary materials or special knowledge to do the job well.

Vectra Club Russia

don't wash your car after winter

Moderators: Fusion, Myshanya

don't wash your car after winter

Post by bespectacled man » Mar 17, 2008 03:46 pm

Posted by !CE » Mar 17, 2008 3:49 pm

Post by bespectacled man » Mar 17, 2008 3:50 pm

Post by alex78 » Mar 17, 2008 4:36 pm

Post by Fitter » Mar 17, 2008 4:38 pm

bespectacled man
And if after Karcher you wash it with a sponge and regular shampoo, does the fat remain? Then you need to degrease, there is a lot of crap flying on our roads. I just wash it with gasoline twice a year, and then wash it off with regular shampoo. Does not affect paint.

By the way, for contactless washing you need a special shampoo. I can’t find anything anywhere, which one are you using?

Post by chugrik » Mar 17, 2008 5:30 pm

Post by Magma Red » Mar 17, 2008 5:32 pm

Post by kalin17 » Mar 17, 2008 5:42 pm

Re: not washing your car after winter

Post by pilot_svl » Mar 17, 2008 6:40 pm

Post by DeVIL » Mar 17, 2008 6:41 pm

Post by bespectacled man » Mar 17, 2008 07:11 pm

Posted by Soul-Reaver » Mar 18, 2008 11:28 am

Post by Vovik » Mar 18, 2008 01:32 pm

Post by Chisoft » Mar 18, 2008 4:33 pm

Post by braun » Mar 18, 2008 4:42 pm

Post by KVS » Mar 18, 2008 7:36 pm

Message by Goshk@ » Mar 18, 2008 8:16 pm

Posted by BAO-Rope » Mar 19, 2008 09:35

Hmmm.
Guys, I don’t know how it is in Moscow, but during a weekly car wash in St. Petersburg, about once a month you have to degrease the car with just ordinary White Spirit. And I’ve been doing this for over a year now. Recently I switched to ultra-purified white spirit, it has almost no smell, but is 2 times more expensive. Everything is fine with the paint, there is not even a hint of problems.
My painter recommended this to me, so if I paint anything myself :) It also helps to spray everything below the moldings and bumper with white spirit before washing, it destroys grease and the dirt is simply washed off at the wash. The only thing is that if you missed an area somewhere, there will be a greasy dark spot.

If you degrease yourself, then use disposable paper towels, do not skimp (2-3 pieces per element), because otherwise you'll just smear the dirt.

Washing after winter

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Washing after winter

Comrades, I had the following question: having spent the winter through the winter and breathing in the early spring air, despite the financial situation in the Russian Federation, I decided today to stop by the car wash, where I usually wash my car; as always, they provided polite service and offered a bunch of services, including washing reagents from the body. after winter. Today, as usual, I ordered a car wash for the body and rugs for 300 rubles; at first I reacted to the cleaning of the reagent as a scam, and I was confused by the cost - 1000 rubles for it (although the car wash is normal, they always wash conscientiously and from the heart). Later, when I picked up the car, which was already dry and polished, the guy came up again, who suggested this wash and said: “Run your hand over the body,” I ran my hand over the body, and the whole body felt as if it were in a fine grain of sand, like flies on the hood after a long journey.

I think the question is clear. Who washes? Is it worth doing or is it a scam? If so, what is the real price? Will this really cause the varnish to peel off and the chrome to die?

PS: My car doesn’t drive in MSC - very rarely, more and more in the region, but nevertheless the bottom of the body is speckled to the touch.

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Re: Washing after winter

Mine has a red spot, they can be cleaned off with a fingernail, when it’s warm I’ll buy a bottle of whitesperit, some rags and rub it on the back

Re: Washing after winter

Hello!
Let's roll up to the meeting, don't get away with thanks))
On the topic, buy a remover from bitumen spots - 200 or 300 rubles.
You’ll defeat these chicks right away, yes, and touch the door downstairs, there’s even more of this raid lurking there.
After use, I rinse with additional water.

It’s the contactless washing that causes the chrome to peel off, because...
there is a lot of ammonia in the composition - it's a piece of cake. Look at the car nameplates, where there is chrome on the plastic, it can immediately form into bubbles, even from one wash

Re: Washing after winter

I think the question is clear. Who washes? Is it worth doing or is it a scam? If so, what is the real price? Will this really cause the varnish to peel off and the chrome to die?

PS: My car doesn’t drive in MSC - very rarely, more and more in the region, but nevertheless the bottom of the body is speckled to the touch.

After winter, in order for the car to shine like a cat’s egg and not have any scratches or grains of sand, it is necessary to do high-quality polishing, and not wash it with something unknown, especially for 1000 rubles.
I am sure that the only natural ingredients in the chemistry that this Uncle offered you were the money you would have used to pay for it.
I do this, I wash my car at least twice a month, I’m already a regular customer at the car wash - I’ve only been coming to them for over three years now.
The price is as follows: top with chemicals + wax (enough for three washes) + wiping + 4 rubber carpets + vacuum cleaner + windshield with glass cleaner (in winter) = 650 rubles.
Regarding wax, I recommend it.
- a very useful thing. I didn’t believe it myself until I tried it, but on a black car the effect is clearly visible. And polishing is just the BOMB. car like new. The price really bites, we have 6,000 rubles for my Forester, I plan to start working on it in May.

Tips and tricks for car care

Spring is the best time to clean your car from dirt and salt.

With the arrival of spring, each of us is in a better mood, and we all begin to think about picnics, evening walks and how we will spend the summer. At this moment we forget about our cars. But with the arrival of spring weather, every car owner must take care of his car. After a long autumn and winter, any car needs attention. With our tips, you can get your car in order so that it will shine in the spring sunshine.

Recently, due to rising prices for car wash services and falling incomes, self-service car washes have become widespread in our country. In such places, you can pay a nominal amount and wash and clean your car yourself. But in order not to cause harm to your car and to wash your car as efficiently as possible, you need to follow certain rules.

1) Body cleaning

Before washing the car body, be sure to open the hood and remove dirt, dust and any remaining dry leaves that usually get there from under the windshield.

It is quite possible that leaves have clogged the central air duct that supplies air to the cabin.

Next, take the high-pressure hose and turn on the water at a distance of about 30 centimeters. Under the pressure of water, you must remove salt and dirt from the car body.

Attention! It is necessary to wash off the sand, salt, and reagent before you apply shampoo to the body using a sponge. Otherwise all the sand, dirt, etc. may cause damage to the body paint.

After you have washed off all the dirt from the body under pressure, you will need 2 buckets of warm water, car shampoo and a sponge. You should dilute the shampoo in one bucket. In another you will rinse the sponge.

Apply shampoo to the body using a sponge. Try to immediately scrub off stubborn dirt with a sponge. Pay special attention to the driver's door, which more often becomes dirty during the operation of the car.

Finally, power rinse your car and dry it with a suede or microfiber cloth. You can also use a waffle towel, which absorbs water perfectly.

2) Cleaning the rims

Initially, you will need to wash off all the dirt, sand, reagent and salt from the rims and arches using a high-pressure hose. Just like you did when washing the body, hold the water spray at a distance of about 30 centimeters.

To remove stubborn dirt, such as brake pad carbon (burnt-in dust from brake pads), you will need a special wheel cleaner, which is sold at any auto store.

When applying this cleaner to the rims, always hold it upward so that the spray is directed upward. This way you will apply the product evenly over the entire disc and avoid stains on the rim.

Additionally, when cleaning your drives, you may encounter hard-to-reach areas where there is dirt. To remove dirt from such places, take a small brush (even a toothbrush can work) and use it to remove dirt where you cannot do it with a sponge.

After cleaning the wheels, rinse everything off with water. Also, after finishing washing, we advise you to inspect the wheels for damage to tires and rims after winter use.

— If you are using a special wheel cleaner, carry out the work only with gloves and goggles, as the wheel cleaner is too toxic and hazardous to health..

— If the rims are heavily soiled, then before using a special cleaner, you must first wash off the surface dirt under water pressure, then clean it with shampoo, applying it with a sponge, and only then apply the cleaner.

3) Cleaning rubber bands and plastic strips

Plastic moldings on the body, as well as rubber seals, become very dirty over time. In addition, rubber seals become brittle over time.

In order to clean the rubber seals and return them to normal condition, you must wipe them with a damp cloth, and then, after drying, apply Vaseline to them. This way you will return the elastic bands to their former elasticity. By lubricating the rubber seals with Vaseline, you will also protect the rubber bands from temperature changes. This will improve the sound insulation and sealing of the cabin.

To clean plastic panels, moldings and inserts on the body, use a special car cleaner for painted plastic panels.

4) Body care after washing

After you have dried the car body, inspect it carefully. Check that you have removed all dirt from the paintwork. Next, cover all plastic parts of the body with masking tape, and apply body polish to the body using a microfiber cloth or soft cloth and thoroughly wipe the entire body with the polishing compound.

Take your time while polishing the body. Try to apply polish to every area of the body.

Next, we recommend applying a protective layer of wax to the body (sold at any auto store). If you are not familiar with how to work with wax, we recommend turning to professionals for this.

To polish a plastic bumper you will need a special grinder and a special product for polishing plastic surfaces. Therefore, if you are not sure that you can polish the bumper yourself, then better trust those who know this work.

5) Window cleaning

Automotive stores sell many chemicals for cleaning car windows. As a rule, it is enough to thoroughly clean the car windows. For this you will also need a microfiber cloth (microfiber rag) with which and a cleaner you will make your glass as transparent and perfectly clean as possible.

We do not advise you to use old-fashioned methods of cleaning glass using newspaper, etc. The fact is that in the modern world, glass on the outside is heavily contaminated with reagents and other chemicals that cannot be removed using ancient folk methods.

Use only special cleaning products for this.

In order to quickly clean glass, you need to apply the product to the glass and first walk vertically and then horizontally with a microfiber cloth. Next, you will easily see those places (strips) that need to be removed to achieve maximum frequency and transparency.

When cleaning the side windows, you will need to lower them slightly to clean the top edge before you begin. Next, lift the glass back and clean the rest of the glass surface.

6) Interior cleaning

When cleaning the interior, you need to forget about water. All interior materials are resistant to moisture. Cleaning the interior can only be done with a damp cloth.

Before you start cleaning the interior, you need to thoroughly vacuum the interior. Particular attention should be paid to chairs, where dirt and crumbs like to accumulate in the cracks.

When using a vacuum cleaner, be careful with plastic coverings in the interior, since the vacuum cleaner tube or its nozzle can damage fragile plastic interior elements. For example, scratch them.

To clean the interior after vacuuming, you need to take a clean microfiber cloth and a special cleaner.

— When choosing a product for cleaning upholstery, give preference only to expensive products that are unlikely to cause harm to interior elements with their chemical composition. Remember, the cheaper the product, the more risk it poses to your salon.

— If you find sweet stains in the interior (from coffee, baby food, juices, etc.), then before using the cleaner, lightly moisten the area with warm water. Warm water will dissolve the sugar and allow you to use a special cleaner to perfectly remove sweet smudges and stains.

— Apply interior cleaner as quickly as possible, as it will quickly lose its properties if you do not rub it into the interior trim with a rag.

— Use a special conditioner to cushion the interior after washing. This way, you will remove odors from various cleaning products from the interior.

- If you find strong stains from chocolate, then first you need to moisten them with hot water. Do not rub such stains under any circumstances. After wetting them with water, wipe the chocolate stains with a dry cloth. Only then use a special cleaner.

— If you find blood on the upholstery, then before using the cleaner, place ice cubes on the stains, and then wipe everything with a rag soaked in cold water.