Before we talk about how to keep your car clean, let’s talk about why leaving pollen of your vehicle on your is bad. For some background, have you ever walked by a car and noticed tiny scratches all over the paint? This is caused by either improper cleaning or any abrasive material on the paint causing scratches. This is where the pollen comes into play. Even though it may seem small and soft, on a microscopic level, pollen is actually extremely sharp. By washing your car, you risk rubbing the pollen into your paint causing damage and scratches to the paint.

If you want to wash your car, there are some measures you can take to help prevent damage. The first is to wash your car, even if this goes against what I just stated above. The first step to take is to thoroughly rinse your car. The more pollen and debris you get off the paint before you apply any pressure to the paint, the less chance of damage. After you rinse the car, take a fresh soapy wash mit and extremely gently wipe soap over the paint and let it drip down the car. After the soap washes down the car, give it a quick and gentle final wipe down with a soapy mit again then rinse the car off.

Once your car is perfectly clean, it is time to add some protection to prevent damage to the paint, not only from scratches but also from solar damage as well. The best way to prevent damage is by properly adding a layer of wax to your car. Now, this may seem hard, but it is really actually simple with the right tools. To start, head over to the store and pick up some microfiber towels, a good quality car wax, and a few applicator pads. After you wash and dry your car, bring it into a shady location, where the paint is cool to the touch. You do not want to wax the car when the paint is in direct sunlight or hot as you can do more to the paint then good. Start with one section at a time and take the wipe the application pad in the wax and slowly apply the wax in a swirling motion on a panel of the car. Do not apply too much pressure to the panel. After about 3-5 minutes, take a clean microfiber cloth and wipe the wax off the surface and lightly buff the panel. Continue this process around the entire car. It is important to note to keep the wax off any plastic trim and windows as it will leave unsightly marks that are difficult to remove.

Once your car is waxed, step back and enjoy the shine the wax just restored to the paint on your car. The nice part about wax is that it forms a hydrophobic surface on the paint of your car making future washes easy. When the pollen settles on your car again, and you want to wash it again, it will be far easier. Simply rinse your car and lightly wipe it down with a soapy mit. The reason why we can wash it with ease is the wax creates a second layer above your paint that will protect your paint.