How a Car Wash Can Prevent Paint Scratches

Most people know that a car wash is a great way to get rid of visible dirt and make your vehicle shine, but did you also know that it can also reduce the likelihood of scratches in your paint job? When washed regularly using the right tools, your car can look its best and maintain its value for years to come. Here’s how.

Lingering Dirt and Debris

The exterior of your car is a magnet for dirt, debris, and other environmental hazards. In addition to damaging materials like bird droppings and sap, which cling to the paint and are difficult to remove, your car can also become coated in dirt, pollen, grit, road chemicals, and more.

Think about that dust blowing on your vehicle from a nearby construction site in Salt Lake City. Or consider the winter salt and grime accumulating from West Valley surface streets. If left on the surface of your vehicle for long periods of time, these things can work through the wax and clear coat to the paint below.

While this might not sound too terrible, consider what will happen the moment you wipe away at dirt that has had time to work through the wax and is touching your paint job. The softest material in the world won’t do any good if you’re pressing the dirt directly onto the surface of the car and wiping it to and fro.

Dirt also has a way of hiding problems with the paint that might go unnoticed otherwise. When your vehicle is very dirty, you might miss the door ding at the grocery store or the scratches being caused by a branch you pass every day on the way up your driveway. It’s difficult to take steps to avoid these problems when you can’t see them coming.

Benefits of a Car Wash

Regular trips to your nearby car wash can help reduce the likelihood of these types of scratches by removing damaging dirt before it has a chance to work through the clear coat to the paint job below. This is especially true if you take the time to apply a wax coat after each wash. Not only does the wax serve as an extra barrier between the environment and your paint job, but it works to repel dirt so that it doesn’t stick in the first place.

Car washes are also good at removing dirt from places where you might not realize it’s collecting. Cars are full of cracks and crevices where dirt can gather over time, which is why these areas are especially susceptible to scratching. A car wash sprays these away before they have a chance to become damaging.

The important thing to remember when washing a car to prevent scratches it that the right car wash matters. Choose a reputable company like Utah Auto Spa that uses paint-friendly brushes, sprays, and cleansers, and you’ll enjoy a beautiful ride no matter what the season.