SWIRL MARK 101
Top 6 Tips – How To Prevent Swirl Marks
USE CLEAN TOOLS
When it comes to swirl marks, sponges and brushes can be the worst criminals. Deep swirl marks on the surface of your paint can be easily caused by the rigid brush hairs and unforgiving sponge texture. To reduce the chances of scratching, clean your washing mitt after each wash and wash all the clothes you use!
AVOID CROSS CONTAMINATION
Some pro tips when washing your car, start to wash the wheels before the paint to prevent making the car dirty again after you have washed it. But, if you prefer to wash the wheels after the bodywork, make sure you don’t use the same mitt that you have used to wash the paint on the wheels. The main reason is to avoid picking up iron filings/metallic particles from the wheels, then drag the sharp debris across the paint causing all kinds of damage.
DRY IT PROPERLY
For the drying stage, it’s important to use a proper car drying towel rather than an old bathroom towel. The best towels for drying are those which have quite a high pile such as microfiber cloths. Using microfiber cloths can minimize the chance of paint damage. It can ‘pull’ water into itself and to easily soak up remaining water with ease.
DON’T TOUCH!
To avoid a swirl mark no matter how shiny and attractive the paint is, don’t touch or rub it with your bare hand! Besides, majority of swirl marks are caused by poor washing techniques, especially when it comes to contact washing. If you can remove as much dirt as possible without touching the vehicle, the chances of damaging the paint during a contact wash are greatly reduced.
2 BUCKETS BETTER THAN 1
The idea here is to use 1 bucket for your shampoo solution (wash) and another bucket for plain water (rinse). Simply wash a panel with the shampoo solution, then dip the mitt in the rinse bucket, scrub it by hand to remove any dirt, then dip it back in the shampoo from the wash bucket and repeat the procedure. This ensures that any dirt removed from the paint is also removed from the wash mitt and isn’t dragged across the car during washing, further preventing the likelihood of damage.
UPGRADE YOUR SHAMPOO!
As well as the product used for washing your vehicle, using a good shampoo with it will make a huge difference in terms of safety and swirl-mark prevention. The best shampoo to look for is the one that is pH neutral so it doesn’t strip your wax/sealant/protection and also easily rinses. Did you know that TEVO BUBBLEMAX SHAMPOO is pH neutral car shampoo specially designed for high foaming deep cleaning without damaging your car paint!
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