Black Pearl
Member
Piece taken from todays auto trader. It is probably worth being cautious over the next few weeks, especially when it rains!
Volcanic ash deposits could cause irreversible damage to thousands of UK cars.
As a fine layer of ash settles, owners rushing out to clean their cars in the spring sunshine could unwittingly damage paintwork, glass and wiper blades if the rights steps aren’t taken.
A spokesman for auto care specialist Autoglym claims the ash particles are “substantially larger, harder and more aggressively abrasive on paintwork and glass than normal atmospheric contaminants.”
So, simply using a bucket of soapy water and a sponge could scratch the car’s surfaces, potentially causing hundreds of pounds worth of damage.
Follow these steps for a safe car wash, as recommended by the experts at Autoglym:
1. Thoroughly soak your car’s bodywork with water to loosen surface deposits.
2. Use a pH-neutral car bodywork shampoo solution to neutralise acidic fallout.
3. Use a number of smaller buckets rather than a single large bucket to minimise the risk of ash particles being reapplied to bodywork from contaminated water.
4. Keep the car wet with clean water while washing – this keeps the paint surface lubricated to reduce the risk of scratching from any dust that remains on the bodywork.
5. Pay special attention to wiper blades – which may scratch the windscreen, sweeping ash across the glass surface – and side window seals, which may harbour dust that scratches windows as they are wound up and down.
6. Rinse thoroughly with clean water to remove all shampoo from the car
7. Dry the car using a high quality microfibre drying towel or synthetic chamois.
8. Apply a quality polish or high definition wax in order to provide a durable, long-lasting layer of protection, preventing further contaminants adhering to paintwork and forming a barrier against acidic deposits.
9. Use a specialist automotive rubber treatment to cleanse and protect rubber seals, wiper blades and tyre sidewalls.
10. Wash frequently until the volcanic eruptions cease to minimise the risk of future damage.
Volcanic ash deposits could cause irreversible damage to thousands of UK cars.
As a fine layer of ash settles, owners rushing out to clean their cars in the spring sunshine could unwittingly damage paintwork, glass and wiper blades if the rights steps aren’t taken.
A spokesman for auto care specialist Autoglym claims the ash particles are “substantially larger, harder and more aggressively abrasive on paintwork and glass than normal atmospheric contaminants.”
So, simply using a bucket of soapy water and a sponge could scratch the car’s surfaces, potentially causing hundreds of pounds worth of damage.
Follow these steps for a safe car wash, as recommended by the experts at Autoglym:
1. Thoroughly soak your car’s bodywork with water to loosen surface deposits.
2. Use a pH-neutral car bodywork shampoo solution to neutralise acidic fallout.
3. Use a number of smaller buckets rather than a single large bucket to minimise the risk of ash particles being reapplied to bodywork from contaminated water.
4. Keep the car wet with clean water while washing – this keeps the paint surface lubricated to reduce the risk of scratching from any dust that remains on the bodywork.
5. Pay special attention to wiper blades – which may scratch the windscreen, sweeping ash across the glass surface – and side window seals, which may harbour dust that scratches windows as they are wound up and down.
6. Rinse thoroughly with clean water to remove all shampoo from the car
7. Dry the car using a high quality microfibre drying towel or synthetic chamois.
8. Apply a quality polish or high definition wax in order to provide a durable, long-lasting layer of protection, preventing further contaminants adhering to paintwork and forming a barrier against acidic deposits.
9. Use a specialist automotive rubber treatment to cleanse and protect rubber seals, wiper blades and tyre sidewalls.
10. Wash frequently until the volcanic eruptions cease to minimise the risk of future damage.