Properly Wash Your Vehicle Without Scratching The Paint

A D.I.Y Guide To Professional Standard Washing

Swirl marks are probably the most common paint defect on modern vehicles - and 90% of them come from poor washing technique. With the right method and a little care you can avoid scratching your paint and keep your vehicle in showroom condition for years.

Swirl marks are caused by dragging dirt across the paint surface. Small grit particles cut in to paint and leave tiny gauges as they are pulled along. When the paint surface dries, these become visible in bright light and appear in a circular pattern around the reflection of the light source. This circular spider's web pattern is how they became known as "swirl" marks. Contrary to popular belief this circular pattern is simply a result of the way the light source reflects away from the surface, they are not caused by washing or polishing in circular motions.

To prevent swirl marks it is important to prevent dirt being dragged across the paint surface. Keeping your vehicle regularly waxed or ceramic coated goes a long way to minimising swirl marks as properly sealed paint has a protective wax or sealant layer which prevents direct contact, and the coatings themselves prevent dirt bonding with paintwork, meaning more is removed in the critical pre-wash stage, which we will cover in just a second.

STEP ONE 🛞

The first and most overlooked step in caring for your paintwork is washing your wheels first, before you even touch the paintwork. This is because wheels are almost always the dirtiest part of a vehicle. It is important to have clean wheels before you even start on the bodywork so you are not recontaminating bodywork with grit, brake dust, grease and aggressive cleaning chemicals later. Keep separate buckets, mitts and brushes for cleaning wheels and DO NOT USE THESE ON BODYWORK!

STEP TWO 🫧⋆｡˚

The second (and arguably most crucial) step is the pre-wash stage. Pre-washing involves using special shampoos or cleaners which penetrate and loosen dirt and grease from vehicle bodywork allowing removal with a pressure washer without physically touching the bodywork. This stage removes the majority of swirl-causing particles almost 100% safely. Within our range we have a few pre-wash products available, each one suitable for a slightly different application. It is important to remember that a product doesn't necessarily need to be called "pre-wash" to be useful for this stage. In fact standard vehicle shampoos make excellent pre wash additives as they contain all the ingredients needed for good foaming, lubrication, cleaning and degreasing. Pre wash products should be chosen based on the severity of soiling on the vehicle and the type of vehicle itself. Heavy or greasy traffic films need more aggressive pre-wash products. Gentler products should be used for less severe traffic film, high end vehicles/delicate finishes or vehicles with existing wax/sealant protection. Here is a brief break down of our Black Diamond range and where you would use each product:

• Super Concentrate TFR - Our strongest, most concentrated pre wash product. Provides powerful degreasing and cleaning properties. Its highly alkali pH and strong cleaning also strip wax protection and mean it must be diluted correctly. Popular for industrial applications or as economical option where price and performance are top priority. Suitable for heavily soiled cars.

  
  

• Traffic Film Remover - Also known as our 'standard TFR'. Again, providing strong cleaning and degreasing properties. Slightly more forgiving and less aggressive on wax and sealant coatings than Super Concentrate TFR, but still a fairly robust option. An excellent choice for heavy soiling or thick, greasy traffic film. Again, useful mostly on heavily soiled cars.

  
  

• G850 general purpose cleaner - Among many other uses, this product is also suitable as a pre-wash. Provides solid middle of the road performance - giving good cleaning and degreasing power without being overly aggressive on wax and sealant coatings.

  
  

• Economy Shampoo - While being designed for use as a shampoo for contact washing (which we will cover next), a good quality shampoo such as our Economy Shampoo should never be overlooked as a pre-wash. A good shampoo provides the complete package of surfactants needed for pre-washing. Providing strong foam for excellent dwell time and good cleaning and degreasing properties, all in a pH neutral package which does not strip wax or sealant protection.

  
  

• Snowfoam - The most gentle type of pre-wash product. Almost all snowfoams are essentially just shampoos with a surfactant blend leaning more towards high foaming and gentler degreasing/washing properties. The thick foam allows excellent, long dwell times so the product can penetrate dirt and grit and help lift it away from the vehicle surface, all while remaining very gentle on wax and sealant coatings.

Pre-wash solution can be applied in a few different fashions and really it just comes down to convenience and personal preference. Solution is often applied through a foam lance on a pressure washer or with a trigger or pump sprayer. A small, soft bristled detailing brush can be used to agitate dirt in hard to reach areas such as door handles and mirrors before rinsing. To get the most out of your pre wash it is best to rinse with a pressure washer. Be sure to go over the vehicle thoroughly with the pressure washer to remove as much traffic film as possible. This process can be done from bottom to top to maximise dwell time of the product rather than rinsing away all the product as water runs down the vehicle. If you do not have access to a pressure washer, you can improvise with a hose pipe or buckets of water for rinsing the pre-wash stage which is certainly better than skipping it altogether.

STEP THREE 🧽

It is important to remember that pre-washing will never remove all the dirt from the vehicle. The aim is just to remove as much as possible to minimise the likelihood of swirl marks forming during the main washing stage - Contact Washing - As this is where swirl marks and scratches are usually formed.

The first critical step is to use a good quality, pH neutral shampoo to create an ample strength wash solution. Always make sure you follow the recommended dilution ratios and if in doubt it's always better to add more product rather than less. A good quality shampoo provides gentle cleaning and a protective, lubricating film which greatly reduces the likelihood of scratching if grit particles still remain after pre-washing, as these particles are able to glide over paintwork rather than bite in to it.

Almost as important as the shampoo solution are the tools used to wash the vehicle. Any brushes used during the pre-wash stage should be purpose designed and soft bristled. Most professionals prefer thick wash mitts rather than sponges during washing as the thick pile gives plenty of room for dirt and grit particles to be captured where they are not being pressed against the paintwork. We offer a few different mitt options which all provide that extra layer of defence against scratching when compared to a traditional sponge.

Before washing commences ensure all equipment is clean. Rinse out wash buckets and ensure sponges, mitts and drying towels/chamois are clean. If any of these are worn out or cannot be thoroughly cleaned, replace them with new items.

Proper wash technique is critical to prevent scratching. Many people nowadays use the 'two bucket' method. As the name suggests, this method involves using two buckets for the washing process, one containing the shampoo solution, the other containing clean water only. The idea is that the mitt or sponge is regularly rinsed in the bucket containing only water, where captured dirt and grit is released and is not picked back up when the mitt or sponge is dunked back in the shampoo solution. In any case the number one goal is to minimise dirt within the sponge/mitt at all times. The sponge/mitt should be regularly rinsed off within the buckets - it's a good idea to use two hands to agitate it while doing this to help release trapped particles. A grit guard in each bucket provides an extra layer of defence against grit collection as it rules out any possibility of the sponge or mitt coming in to contact with the layer of grit as it forms at the bottom of each bucket. Vehicles should be washed from top to bottom - this ensures shampoo solution has chance to run down to the lower parts of the vehicle, which are typically the dirtiest, giving plenty of time to penetrate traffic film. It is often a good idea to leave the lower third of the vehicle and rear boot area (which is where traffic film is often quite heavy) until last so the wash mitt or sponge does not get heavily contaminated early on in the washing process. Rinse the mitt or sponge regularly and use lots of shampoo solution, keeping body panels soaked during washing.

Apply only light pressure during washing. Try to let the sponge or mitt glide over bodywork rather than pushing or scrubbing. It is better to do several light passes than one aggressive scrubbing motion. Take your time and try to ensure bodywork is thoroughly cleaned. Make sure you do not miss any areas. It is often hard to see these missed areas once they are wet with shampoo solution, especially on darker colours. Try to remember where you have washed and where you haven't and ensure no areas are forgotten.

If at any time your wash mitt or sponge comes in to contact with the floor, bin it or put it aside for thorough cleaning. DO NOT CONTINUE TO USE IT!

STEP FOUR 🌊

Next, thoroughly rinse your vehicle. This can be done with a pressure washer, hose pipe or even buckets of water. As long as the water is clean and the dirty shampoo solution is thoroughly rinsed away it doesn't really matter.

STEP FIVE ✶⋆.˚

Drying - The final stage. In theory no more dirt or grit should remain, however the truth is that tiny amounts of stubborn, ingrained contamination will still remain and some particles can be dislodged during drying and cause micro scratching. We're almost there now, we have one final step so we can't drop our guard yet!

Every professional valeter and detailer has their own favourite method for drying vehicles. Traditionally a leather chamois was used. Many people nowadays prefer a large drying towel as the thicker pile helps lift any remaining grit away from paintwork in the same way a mitt does versus a sponge during washing. Alternatively a silicone hydraflex blade can be used to sweep away residual water. The ultimate scratch free method is with an air drier which prevents any 'dry' contact with the paint. This dry contact should be avoided at all costs with an unwashed surface as this is guaranteed swirl mark territory. If any areas have been missed during washing, never wipe them clean with a cloth or drying towel. Awlays go back and wash the area again with the shampoo solution.

As with washing, if at any stage your drying towel or chamois comes in contact with the floor, bin it or put it aside for thorough washing. DO NOT CONTINUE TO USE IT!

No matter which method you choose, a quick spritz of Black Diamond Rinse Aid solution around the vehicle removes almost all standing water keeping the drying process quicker, easier and safer for your paintwork, while also adding that all important protective sealant layer for next time. Rinse Aid and an air blower really is the gold standard for scratch free drying.

BONUS STAGE 🛡️

It is never a bad idea to top up your vehicle's protection once clean. A good quality wax or 'ceramic' sealant really boosts the appearance of your washed vehicle and provides paintwork with a showroom gloss. More importantly it protects your vehicle allowing you to follow this bulletproof guide time after time while repeating the cycle, keeping your vehicle in top condition.