Choosing the right products for washing your car
Abby Wingett | 11th July 2023 | 7 minutes to read
While a hosepipe and a bucket of cold water will give your car a basic clean, there are loads of products for sale at Repco that will not only make your car look better, they’ll also help to protect your precious paint job from corrosion and contamination.
Having said that, with so many different products on the market, it can be tough to figure out which ones are worthwhile and which parts of your car you should focus on touching up.
Below are some key elements to consider when washing your car and some products that will amplify your clean:
Wheel Cleaners
Every manufacturer of quality car care products now has one or multiple wheel cleaners in their range, but why have these suddenly become so popular and why should you use them?
European and especially luxury German cars have always been known for producing copious amounts of brake dust through the course of normal driving. This is in part due to these large vehicles requiring extra stopping power but also through their use of softer brake pad compounds that heat up quicker and bite more effectively.
With the larger influx of European cars on our roads and more manufacturers utilising softer brake pads, most wheels will quickly become ingrained with brake dust. The need to clean this brake dust is not purely cosmetic, as it is corrosive and, if left for extended periods, can mildly etch some sensitive metals on wheel rims.
There are a ton of great wheel cleaner brands out there, from Armor All, Turtle Wax, and Autoglym, to Bowden’s Own and our very own Repco Eclipse. With this in mind, you’ll want to take care to find the right wheel cleaner for you, with many formulations of wheel cleaner offering varying results.
Some wheel cleaners are available as alloy wheel cleaners, acid free wheel cleaners, or specific wheel cleaners for brake dust, so it pays to look at what type of wheels you are cleaning and how dirty these get between cleanings.
Wheel Brushes
Like hangovers and Berocca or spaghetti and meatballs, some things just go together, and this is certainly the case with wheel cleaner and wheel brushes. Of course, you can have one without the other, but to experience the full effect of your recently purchased wheel cleaner, an array of wheel brushes helps provide the agitation and deep crevice cleaning that water on its own can’t compete with.
Applying Wheel Cleaner
Simply wet down the wheels of your vehicle, spray on your wheel cleaner, leave for 2-3 minutes then get scrubbing. The dwell time of the wheel cleaner coupled with the effective scrubbing of your wheel brushes loosens and cleans caked on and baked on brake dust and contaminants allowing you to hose off with ease.
When purchasing a wheel brush, it is vital to ensure you choose a brush with soft bristles to ensure no scratches or damage will occur to the rim of your vehicle, as well as allowing for full cleaning of all angles and faces of modern wheels.
Bug & Tar Removers
Not necessarily only for those vehicles that clock up the kilometres in the country, a suitable bug and tar remover can safely clean all manner of road grime and build up from your vehicle.
The formulation of these products is designed to safely remove bugs, tar spots, bird droppings, and tree sap from your vehicle whilst being friendly to its paintwork and existing paint protection. Safe to use on a variety of panels, including glass, metal, plastic, and rubber surfaces, this is another product that works best when allowed to dwell on the surface for a period of time prior to removal with a cloth or during car washing.
Bug and tar removers can be used for individual spot cleaning such as to remove bird droppings or tree sap safely or best used during the pre-wash phase of car washing to enable a more vigorous and detailed clean of your whole vehicle.
Iron Decontaminants
As a relatively new component in the effective cleaning of your vehicle, these products are used when the level of paint protection such as car wax or ceramic coating has deteriorated and iron-based contaminants from brake dust and industrial fallout have built up on the vehicle surface. These products differ from a bug and tar remover in that they target impregnated build up that goes beyond the surface contamination cleaned with these bug and tar removers.
Iron build-up can lead to rust developing underneath your paintwork as well as minimising the effectiveness of applied wax and other paint protections.
This step in washing your vehicle is to be commenced after you have washed and dried your vehicle as this will remove any loose contaminants prior to application. Once the vehicle is clean, spray the product over the vehicle’s paint. Leave the product on the vehicle for about 2 to 3 minutes; you will notice the product will change colour, indicating it is pulling out the iron oxide. Once 2 to 3 minutes is up ensuring you wash and dry your vehicle — do not let the product dry on the vehicle.
Using iron decontaminant sprays, you can watch the iron leave your vehicles paint. Making the liquid turn purple as the iron oozes down your panels.
Car Wash Sponges and Mitts
Personal preference is everything, but as technology has affected all points of the car care market so too have the advances in the humble car wash sponge. Whereas once a block of sponge rubber was the only thing available, today we have multiple options all designed to safely remove dirt whilst minimising scratches and swirl marks.
Repco’s range of sponges and car mitts come in a variety of formats and constructions, each with their own benefits when it comes to safe and effective car cleaning.
Washing sponge
Perfect for a quick and easy wash of your vehicle. If using a sponge on both bodywork and wheels, we suggest investing in two to limit the transfer of dirt between dirty wheels and sensitive paintwork.
Wash mitt
Worn on your hand, a wash mitt is easy to use with less likelihood of dropping it like a sponge. The dual surfaces assist in washing, especially removing stubborn dirt. A wash mitt is preferred over a sponge as it is less likely to get dirt, contaminants and particles stuck in the mitt. As a sponge has tiny holes as opposed to a wash mitt, these holes enable small particles to be caught in the sponge, making swirl and scratch marks more prominent.
Wash Pad
A mix between a sponge and a mitt, these comprise a sponge and soft washing surface layer designed to reduce the chances of dirt and other contaminants getting stuck in your wash pad. The microfibre surface layer provides exceptional pick-up-and-release of dirt and grime to deliver a far superior washing action compared to conventional mitts and sponges.
Car Wash Buckets
When looking for the cleanest car it pays to use 2 buckets in your car wash process. Whether starting to clean your car and having a bucket of car wash for the wheels and 1 for the bodywork, or when rinsing to have 1 for clean water and 1 for dirty drying towel or chamois water.
Utilising the two-step bucket method greatly reduces the chances of small scratches in your car’s paint that come from using dirty water between multiple steps in the process.
One of the biggest advancements in buckets in recent years is the inclusion of a grit or dirt guard that sits snuggly in the bottom of your car wash bucket. Designed as a platform to elevate your sponge or brush from the dirt and coarse particles that sink to the bottom. This ensures the dirt removed from your car doesn’t get back into your clean wash water.
Car Wash & Car Shampoo
Just like choosing the right tools to suit your washing experience, you also have to choose the right car wash. There are several different washes that are suitable for different purposes from snow foam, general car wash, and wash and wax.
Always look for a car wash or car shampoo that is pH neutral as significantly alkaline or acidic formulations will degrade wax or polish layers in their pursuit of surface cleaning. Also look for a wash that has good amounts of foam and lathers well to gently lift and remove dirt and grime from your paint surface. A good car wash or shampoo should feel slick when washing to minimise drag and the need to scrub hard to remove dirt.
General Car Wash
Designed for removing dirt and loose contaminants without leaving added protection or gloss. These car wash products comprise differing formulations that can range from hard to mild cleaning to ensure protective coatings and existing waxes are kept in place.
Wash & Wax Car Wash
These car washes are for removing grime and contaminants, whilst adding wax to provide protection, a streak free finish and a level of shine. Whilst not as effective as follow up paint protection or wax, these products are a quicker solution for those that don’t follow up with further detailing or surface coatings.
Repco’s Range of Car Washing Products
From wheel cleaners and waxes to shampoos and sponges, Repco has your car washing needs covered. We also stock waxes, polishes, and even pressure washers if you want to seriously supercharge your car washing!
