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Car Maintenance You Shouldn't Try at Home

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Car Maintenance You Shouldn't Try at Home

In a troubled economy, many people look for ways to cut costs by doing household tasks themselves. Some automotive jobs can be done fairly easily at home, particularly if you know something about cars. However, taking on the wrong job on your own will only cost you more time, stress and money in the long run. My name is Jill, and I want to tell you about which car maintenance tasks you can safely tackle on your own and which really do require some help from a pro. I'll break down the needs of a typical car and tell you exactly why you might need to ask for help sometimes.

How To Prevent Water Spots When Washing Your Car

11 February 2016
 Categories: , Blog

If you detail your car at home with a weekly wash, wax, and vacuum job, then you may be disappointed to find that your hard work sometimes ends with the appearance of water spots on the exterior of your vehicle. While the spots are highly unlikely to cause damage to your vehicle, they are unsightly. This is especially true if you are serious about the aesthetic appearance of your car. Thankfully, water spots can be avoided, and the following tips can help.

Dry Your Car Completely

Water spots on your vehicle are caused by the deposit of calcium, magnesium, and other minerals that are located in your hard water. Basically, as the water drops on your car evaporates, the minerals are left behind. This means that one of the simplest ways to avoid the appearance of water spots is to make sure your car is dried completely after a wash. While natural cotton and fleece cloths are both soft and absorbent, they are likely to transfer water back on to your car once the materials are saturated. To avoid this problem, purchase large microfiber cloths to dry your car instead. 

Microfiber is a synthetic material created out of extremely fine strands of polyester. The strands or threads are about one-fifth the width of a human hair and even finer than a strand of silk. When these fine strands are woven together, they create small pockets that trap moisture. This keeps the moisture from depositing back on your vehicle. Wipe your car with your cloth and wring the cloth over a bucket to release water as it becomes saturated.

Add A Water Filter

Since water spots form due to the appearance of hard mineral materials, you can keep water spots at bay by removing the minerals from your water before washing your car. This does not mean that you need to get a whole-house water softener system though. You can simply purchase an in-line water conditioner that attaches to the end of your hose. These devices are typically salt-free deionization canisters that contain filters with a resin-based material. This resin attracts calcium, magnesium, and metal ions and replaces them with hydrogen ions. This leaves behind a pure form of water with no contaminants.

While this filter works in a similar manner as home water softening system, it does not replace contaminant ions with sodium ions like residential units. This helps to keep salt residue off your car that can cause rusting concerns. 

For more help keeping your car looking fresh and new, contact local car detail professionals like Deluxe Detail & Window Tint.