Mother nature is a beautiful thing, but at times, it can work against us. If you have been a recent victim of a dust storm, then you would know all about it. It triggers all sorts of complications from health issues to dust-plagued vehicles, all in all, it’s a headache.
Although we are not medical doctors, we are car experts and taking care of your vehicle post a dust storm is where we can definitely help!
Now if you are here, chances are, your car is covered in a mask of dust and dirt. The fact that you are looking to treat this right away is a good start. Failing to treat the car ASAP can save you thousands of dollars in addition to the embarrassment of driving a car that looked like it came from the museum. When dust and dirt settles on to your car surface, the longer you leave it the harder it is to remove and if long enough, can really intensify paint damage.
So what should you do? Glad you asked!
1. Park Your Car In A Quiet Area
It may seem like common sense, but please wait for the dust storm to pass by and wait for the winds to calm down before thinking about washing the car. Alternatively, you can park your car in an enclosed area such as the underground car park or under a car port. This reduces the risk of dust particles flying back on to your car surface during the car wash.
2. High Pressure Jet Rinse
If you have a Gerni or Pressure Washer in the backyard shed collecting dust, now’s the time to use it! Investing time in to a thorough rinse is your first and if not one of the most crucial steps to perform. Spray off all excess dust particles embedded on your car paint, please remember to keep a reasonable distance between your car and pressure washer, as some Gerni’s can pack a lot of pressure/power.
Failing to rinse the car thoroughly means that dust is still sitting on your car surface. When you decide to use your sponge, microfiber towel, mitt or whichever it may be, it will act similarly to sandpaper. Rinse properly and don’t risk it!
3.Use a 2-Bucket Wash Method
To avoid cross contamination, you’d want to invest in having two buckets. One which contains shampoo, for application, and the other with just water, for rinsing. Having two buckets is not always necessary, as it often depends on how dirty your car is, but if we are talking about a heavily contaminated vehicle, you can use two buckets. Or what we recommend, is use a high pressure washer and rinse for longer, along with using a stronger dilution shampoo agent for additional cleaning action.
4. Use a Grit Guard
Given that a dust storm has hit, you’d definitely want to use a grit-guard. Inserting a grit-guard in each bucket reduces the likelihood of dirt particles resurfacing to the top of your bucket every time you rinse your wash mitt/towel/sponge. Keep the contaminants at the bottom of the bucket away from the clean soapy water at the top. Personally, we do not see grit guards making that big of a difference, well as much as the manufacturer and other car care gurus claim. But, if you rather tread on the safer side, it could not hurt to add this to your automotive repertoire in your garage or car detailing set up. Alternatively, rinsing the car is the more effective process of it all beyond the 2 wash bucket method and grit guard.
5. Rinse Often
Rinse your cleaning apparatus regularly in each bucket to make sure you are not collecting contaminants and scraping these against your painted surface. Also remember to rinse each panel as your done shampooing it, this prevents shampoo from drying on. You will want to regularly rinse the car so that any dust remnants from other parts of the car are blasted off and not tampering your results.
6. Clay Bar
Using a clay bar is an excellent way to decontaminate your paintwork and particularly ideal for contaminants that are quite stubborn and will not budge with the regular car wash process. Simply apply a lubricant on the surface and use a clay bar in a cross-hatch motion and work yourself around the car. How long you need will often depend on how much contamination is present on the surface there.
7. Machine Polish
Consider machine polishing your car with a machine buffer after a clay bar. It is probably the most important step that corrects the paintwork to minimise any blemishes that may have been caused as a result of the dust storm. It is arguably the most important car detailing step as it rejuvenates the paintwork and leaves that new glossy finish at the end. If you have never corrected paintwork before, always do consider using a professional exterior car detailer to ensure that you do not further mar or damage the paintwork as you could essentially burn the paintwork if you do not know what you are doing.
Whether you are lacking time, equipment or expertise, we completely understand. Which is why Schmicko, Australia’s #1 rated mobile car care provider, our team are happy to service your vehicle during these unexpected and wild weather conditions. You can ask about our other services today such as dash cam installation, car roof lining repairs and much more.. For more information, you can view our packages below.