CLEANING THE CAR.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 172, 23 July 1929, Page 16

CLEANING THE CAR.

DOING THE JOB PROPERLY. NOTHING GRITTY MUST BE USED. (By AUTOSCMBE.) (All Eights Reserved.) The sight of a friend cleaning his much fusscd-ovcr new coach with sandsoap on a recent Saturday, brought it home to me forcibly that there is a good deal of misunderstanding as to the proper way of doing this most necessary job. Car cleaning is the sort of routine job one does weekly for a start; then the intervals between washings drag on to a fortnight, later to a .month, and between the time the first coat of paint becomes "dead" and a second coat is applied, the car is probably left to its own devices, with a clean in between seasons. Unless it is done properly, it might just as well be left alone, and gritty substances such as sandsoap are the last thing that should be used on delicate varnish. Although it is a monotonous job, it should be carried out once a week, and if this i s done will probably take less time than less frequent cleanings. The first essential is a plentiful supply of water, and its value is enhanced if there is a good pressure, especially for the chassis.

Service Station Outfits. Many service stations arc now fitted with special pressure outfits which give a pressure of about .'3oolb to the hose water. Clients can often make arrangements' to use these at a nominal charge, and a few minutes with a hose of this description will take off all the rough dirt. One of the reasons why a car which has been left for cleaning at a station, usuallv looks better than the home-cleaned article, is that the right materials are used. A strong brush, a largo sponge and a piece of chamois leather comprise the outfit, and these should be in the possession of every motorist. The man who relies on a hose ' and a scrubbing brush, usually scratches the paint before long. , Even if there is only the smallest quantity of dust on the car, it should not be rubbed down while dry; tliat will spoil the mirror like surface, for even dust is gritty, and will cut into the varnish. Mud which is clinging to the wheels for tlic same reason should be washed off ,as far as possible. The less brushing and rubbing the better for the paint. Combined Hose-Brush. It is possible to buy a patent brush for fitting to the hose, this allowing water to play on to the brush,- and so softening the mud as you work over the surface—a most useful feature. Once the worst of the mud has been cleaned off with water, the rest may be tackled with the sponge, still assisted by quantities of water from the. hose. The worst of the mud lodges on the chassis of course, and here brushing will probably be necessary, especially if the car ha s been doing duty over some of our back country roads. The art of car washing is to start at the top and work downwards, for in this way you are not washing mud over the part you have already cleaned. Unless you finish off the job with a chamois leather drops of water will be left,, and these will dry up leaving the surface spotted. For the same reason it is a good plan, if you have been out in heavy weather, to run over the car as soon as you bring it back to 'the garage—a tedious business of course, but one that is worth while if you value its appearance. Getting a Fine Finish. ■ For the final rubbing-up a specially prepared polish of some sort is needed; cheap polishes designed for floors are useless on a car, and a specially prepared article will .give better results and not damage the varnish. If you haven't a polish handy, a brisk rubbing with a piece of velvet will give a glossy finish. The fine appearance of the car that you know is a year or more old, is due to care. The type of cellulose finish that is given nowadays will stand up tor a long time, if given adequate attention, but not if it is rubbed down with sandsoap when it needs cleaning. A very useful idea, and one that may save repainting the car for a while, is to have a tin of a high quality car enamel, of the colour of your car, always on hand. If. you scratch the paint at all, you simply apply a little ot the enamel before rust sets in. Mudguards are especially prone to damage when the car is left in garages, and a tin of black enamel is a cheap insurance against future mudguard repairs, for if left unpainted, the mudguards soon j,- rust through. Those paints.are all quick drying, and if left overnight'- ;wiir;/be'<,dry I in the morning.