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Home Grown Car Wash
According to the Car Care Council – keeping your car clean will significantly preserve the vehicle’s overall value.Cleaning your vehicle not only gives you a sense of pride and achievement but it also is a protection against a valuable investment. A small task requiring little money and effort but having huge returns.
It is recommended to polish your vehicle every six months and to wash it weekly to prevent the build-up of chemicals and dirt that are damaging and may cause more damage on the vehicle’s finish. In addition to routine and regular care, it is vital to look for any dents, dings, scratches or cracked glass. These problems – when left untreated – can lead to more costly repairs in the future.
So the deal is to clean your vehicle with products that have been manufactured and sold specifically for cars. These are formulated to ensure the treatments that your vehicle underwent during manufacture remain intact. Harsh detergents – not intended for use on vehicle’s – can damage these protective layers and leave your vehicle vulnerable to the harsh elements even more than before you washed your car.
We have scraped together a list of Do’s and Don’ts when it comes to washing your car.
1. DO Pick the Right Soap
As mentioned above using products that are not specifically formulated for exterior car washing can cause more damage than anything. Dish soaps are great for doing dishes but those strong chemicals and detergents will strip the wax off of your car and will end up dulling the paint and trim.
2. DON’T Let Anything Touch the Ground
Dropping your soapy sponge or drying cloth on the floor and thinking you can pick it up again? The cloth or sponge has now picked up small particles of dirt and grime and is guaranteed to leave scratches on your car should you use it before giving it a thorough wash in the washing machine. Keep an extra supply of towels, cloths or sponges so you aren’t left hanging if you accidently drop the ball.
3. DO Use TWO Buckets or Rinse Carefully
You should ideally be rinsing between removing the dirt off the car to prevent scratching the vehicle further. You could have two buckets – one for rinsing and one for getting a clean batch of soap for the next wipe down.
4. DON’T Wash in Direct Sunlight
Ensure that the car stays wet for as long as possible before it is properly and thoroughly dried. If the metal is hot – then your soap and water will evaporate too quickly which will leave spots all over the paint. Either park in the shade or wash in the early evening will prevent these spots from forming. Rinse with an indirect spray instead of a jet blast of water.
5. DO Use a Microfiber Drying Towel
General household towels are made of cotton or polyester and are too harsh and abrasive. A microfiber drying towel is softer and more absorbent.
Keeping my eyes peeled for those squeaky clean cars…
Adapted from Napa Know How Blog and Car Care Council, 2019/30/01
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Jody Johanssen
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The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
Whereas the majority of our feedback has been positive, like any company, we also drop the ball from time to time. Sometimes our deliveries have been delayed, sometimes our product does not meet our standards and sometimes, well, we just get it wrong.
A recent experience with an unhappy customer highlighted just how important clear communication is. All that it took was open dialogue to clear up the confusion with regard to the process and to resolve the situation.
Online shopping is a very particular process. From customer expectations; product presentation and the overall experience. It can be a daunting process for some, and although we try to make it as smooth as we can, there might still be a bump along the Start My Car road.
When it does come down to the challenges– we try and deal with it as quickly and as efficiently as we can. Feedback is taken in constructive ways to improve certain procedures and processes. It is also an open platform to bring issues to the forefront that we were not necessarily aware of to start with.
An observation that we have made, and that we wanted to share is that sometimes the solution to the problem is more simple than you might think. In cases where you might find yourself frustrated or simply in need of an explanation or need help, we urge you to contact us. This is how we will be stronger, together. And this is how we will improve our offering to you.
In times gone by, companies tried to project an image pf perfection. Whereas this might have been possible in an era before online shopping and social media, this is not possible today. In the case of Start My Car, it is also not an aspiration. We know that as much as we try, we will make mistakes and like in any real relationship, we might to accept that even if we do our best, that it might, sometimes, not be good enough.
One thing that we are certain of is that we will continue to learn from our mistakes and that we will endeavour to improve our product offering and our efficiency.
In order to help us improve, let us know:
- What we should continue doing
- What we should stop doing
- What we should start doing
More importantly, let us know if there is some way in which we can help you.
