Here are 4 Tips that can help you save your car’s finish and money

Q: I wash my car at home using a garden hose. Lately, the finish looks dull and marked. What could be wrong?

A: Washing your car at home is harmful to your car’s finish. Studies prove that a single home hand-wash can leave scratches in the finish as deep as 1/10 of the paint’s total thickness.

Also, the average garden hose cannot supply enough water and water pressure with the detergent action to avoid damaging a car’s finish. Only a professional car wash can provide the proper amounts of water, water pressure and the appropriate cleaning solutions to clean your car safely and effectively.

Q: Isn’t rain a natural, cost-effective car wash?

A: No! Rain and snow contain acid that eats away at the paint and finish of vehicles. After acid rain (moisture with trapped dirt and pollution) falls on a car, the water evaporates, but the acid (dirt and pollution) remains.

Concentrated by sunlight, this acid can become so strong that it will “eat” through the finish, ruining the vehicle’s paint and appearance.

Q: Is it true that my new car shouldn’t be washed or waxed for a certain period of time?

A: This may have been true a long time ago, but with the new modern acrylics and enamels, your new car’s finish needs tender care immediately.

Be careful to wash your car properly. Most new cars are treated with a clear coat finish. It’s important that you exercise extreme care – especially when washing your new car for the first few times.

Many initial washing errors result in water spots, setting stains and loss of luster. Without the benefit of protective coating layers that your car will receive over the years, mistakes made during the first few washes may not be correctable.

Should you decided to wax your car, use a wax that’s compatible with your paint. Check your owner’s manual and the wax’s label for instructions. The best advice is to trust your car’s finish to a professional from the beginning.

Q: Aren’t hand washings safer for my car and the environment.

A: No. Dirt that collects in wash water, sponges and chamois will scratch the paint. Hand washings use nearly twice the amount of water than professional car washes.

Cleaning solutions professional washes use are biodegradable and safe for the environment. Also, high-pressure water at self-serve and professional washes clean cars better and faster.

Also, professional car washes dispose of waste water correctly; waste water off driveways usually ends up in the water supply and pollutes lakes and streams.

Source Credit: carwashes.com

Porsche at Lighthouse Express

Park In The Shade

One of the best ways to keep your car interior looking like new is to avoid allowing your upholstery from baking in the sun.  Although it’s not always possible to park your car in a perfectly enclosed area or cool garage we recommend you to to look for shaded areas when you will be parking your car for any extended period of time. Not only will UV rays from the sun heat up your vehicle’s interior but can also cause unsightly damage to your dashboard and upholstery – leather, cloth, and vinyl.  Find a shady spot whenever you can and if a shaded area is not a possibility, consider utilizing interior car shades to block out harmful UV Rays from the sun. While the foldout shades may not look so cool the temperature inside your car surely will be and you’ll be thankful in the end.

At Lighthouse Express Car Wash we enjoy sharing important car care tips to our fans, patrons, and friends.  This month’s car care tip deals with with wiper blades and how often one should change wiper blades and how to check the condition of your wiper blades. Hold on tight, because here we go!

The answer to how often one should change their wiper blades may vary based on weather conditions and how often one uses their wiper blades.  If you use a car wash often and add Rain-X or Hot Wax to your car wash, you may not have to change them as often (once every 1.5 to 2 years), whereas if you live in climate areas where there is a lot of rain and you need to use your wiper blades frequently, changing them every few months to every year may be wiser.  In any case, we recommend drivers exercise a few car care tips with regards to their window wiper blades to ensure safest and clearest driving.  Here are a few points and recommendations we suggest:

1) If you notice your windshield wiper blades leave streaks and smears, or if they make squaking, scraping, or vibrating noises when used (particularly when their is liquid on the glass) this may mean it is time to invest in new wiper blades. This will be especially important if your glass is untreated and you find yourself in a sudden heavy rain storm and you find yourself struggling to see out your windshield, and outside visibility is blurred you could need new wiper blades.

2) Like with most things in life, let common sense be you guide.  If you notice your windshield wipers not providing adequate clear windshield with each wipe you may be wise to invest in a pair of new wiper blades which can be purchased for $10 to $30 based on model and brand of your vehicle. 

3) Wiper blades should function to easily and swiftly clear water, snow and slush from your windshield. The importance of properly functioning wiper blades is especially true in areas where salt is used on the roads as dried salt can create a great deal of hindrance to visibility and make a windshield glass very unclear.

4) Another tip to check if your wiper blades need to be replaced is to pull your wiper arm away from the windshield and check for any tears, rips, or cracks in the wiper blade. Again, use common sense.  

Personally, I recommend replacing your wiper blades every year as ideal.  As mentioned earlier I make regular use of a rain repellant that is found in our Rain-X wash or you can opt to apply a rain repellant such as Rain-Vision (available in our detail vending stations) which can extend your wiper blade life since regular use of such treatments can minimize the need to use wiper blades.

5) One last tip we can offer before replacing any wiper blades is try wiping the rubber portion of the blade with a clean, lightly moistened towel.  Do not use any harsh chemicals which may further damage  and make sure the wiper arm isn’t bent or broken and that the blade sits snugly on the glass. Sometimes just lifting the arm off the glass and letting it snap back into place will make the blades seat more snugly on the glass and work better.

Remember folks, as we like to say at Lighthouse Express : safety first.  Wiper blades are an important piece to hardware in ensuring clear visibility while driving.  Windshield wipers are generally inexpensive, so LHE Carwash recommends you check them and replace them regularly.  Feel free to ask any of our car wash technicians for help should you ever need assistance to check or install your next set of wiper blades.  LHECARWASH CAR CARE TIP SUMMARY: When in doubt with wiper blades, do it now — before it becomes a problem. If you own an SUV, minivan or hatchback, don’t forget to check your rear window wiper blade as well!

If you enjoyed this car care tip or found it useful, please share via social media with your loved ones with #letyourrideshine and/or #lhecarwash.

#haveapositiveday

It’s snowing in Atlanta, GA so Lighthouse Express Car Wash wanted to bring you this car care tip to help keep you safe and visibility clear.  Since it’s been cold outside lately car windshields and bodies are vulnerable to frost, snow and ice forming which can not only be annoying but a safety hazard.  Ice forms on windows generally because of moisture in the air caused by the environment and/or any water that is present outside that finds it way onto the windshield. Freezing temperatures can cause the liquid to crystallize and harden.  Snow and ice on windshield should be addressed properly and promptly.  Rather than trying to scrape off the ice, which can cause scratches and damage to your windshield, or using the defrost functions on your car, or trying to rub off ice with your hands, try pouring some water on the glass.  The temperature of the water should be room temperature or warm for best effect.

We do not recommend hot water as this can lead to potential cracking or damage of the windows.  I usually use a bowl of water and just slowly pour on top of the windshield and the ice will usually instantly melt away.  Additionally, you can put water into a spray bottle and spray the ice away though I find this method to be more time consuming and tedious than just pouring water from a bowl.

QUICK TIPS:

1) Do not use hot water.

2) Using a car windshield wiper to remove ice is not recommended due to the potential for damage.

3) Use room temperature water or slightly warm water.  Even cool water will generally be ok (results may vary).

4) Fill a bowl or any container that can hold a few cups of water with roughly a quart of water.

What do you think?  Do you have a better suggestion or safety tip for removing ice and snow from windshields?  Feel free to comment below.

Be safe, stay warm, and be in the know friends and have a very positive day.

If you found this tip useful, please share with your friends.