By Jesse W. Fox
Owner, Diamond Fox Detail

As a professional auto detailer with fifteen years of experience I can usually tell right off the bat why customers have run into their problem.
I often hear complaints from new clients about their dark colored vehicles appearing to have lots of “swirls” or surface scratches in their paint. To get more information and determine the root cause which can be various things, I ask how they wash their car.
As a standard procedure I ask a series of questions and/or analyze the vehicle myself. More often than not, all signs and answers point to the infamous automatic car wash. The fast- spinning wheels of car washes are abrasive to car paint; don’t forget they throw in a generous concoction of harsh chemicals that dull paint while stripping away any kind of protection wax too. Say hello to thousands of micro-scratches that go five different ways.

Cars are huge financial investments, and it’s important to educate people on proper car washing by using quality ultra-soft microfiber wash mitts and soaps designed for conditioning your paint. I understand that wash facilities are convenient or fast. But your car’s finish is worth a lot.

If you think about it, there are even risks at the “do it yourself” car washes. You never know how much dirt, grime and sand are trapped in those brushes and not rinsed out. Unfortunately, they usually even have “no bucket washing” rules, which means you probably couldn’t hand wash your car if you wanted to without the risk of being kicked out.

If you are one of the people who has a space to wash your car, it’s hard to go wrong with Meguiar’s car wash soaps. Never use dishwasher soap and remember it’s good to use a two bucket method; one for the paint another for wheels- leaving those for last. Always keep the car wet while washing.

Unfortunately, when someone comes to me with damage resulting from automatic car washes there is no easy, cheap, or fast route to correction. The only way to fix the problem is through professional polishing using various compounds and techniques.

With summer coming, you want your car to shine and your paint to be reflective of how you care for it for years to come.

If you’d like a free estimate on getting your car’s finish restored or other auto detailing you can reach Jesse at diamondfoxdetail@gmail.com