Things You Should Know To Remove Water Spots On Your Car

Swirl marks and scratches are the results of improper methods of removing water stain. While swirl marks happen during cleaning and detailing, it’s actually the products and tools used that does the damage. For example, using dirty wash mitts or sponge is one culprit since even the tiniest dirt trapped in those can cause fine scratches. Another reason behind swirl marks are dirty wax or polish applicator or dirty microfiber cloth.

If you’re very meticulous when it comes to cleaning or detailing your automobile, you may want to at least do the washing yourself. This way, you can be sure that everything you’re using isn't dirty which can be hard to do for car washing stations since they’re handling a lot of cars and changing cleaning materials for each car would be a bit impractical.

Another cause would be removing missed patches with a drying cloth. It happens to the best of us: you rinse your car, only to find you’ve missed a bit. But, instead of reaching for the cleaning cloth (the recommended solution), you attack the spot with your drying cloth – a big no-no. By rubbing a mucky mark with a dry cloth, you’ll effectively work the dirt into the paint, or at the very least cause a stubborn swirl mark. Remember – never clean your car with a dry cloth.

Now, if you’re still getting those swirl marks even when you’ve made sure the cleaning cloths and applicators are clean, the problem could be your car’s surface itself. If your paintwork has embedded contaminants, polishing the surface and waxing it will only drag those harmful particles round and round, thereby creating those nasty swirls. This is where prepping your paintwork prior to waxing and polishing becomes very crucial. Start by running your fingers along the body of the car, if it’s smooth all throughout then you’re good to go. If not, grab a clay bar and special lubricant and then move the bar in a back-and-forth motion (without exerting pressure) to remove embedded particles. When the clay gets dirty, you fold it to reveal the clean surface and continue. After your vehicle is done, the paintwork should feel as smooth as glass.

Causes Of Water Stains

· Mineral And Dirt Deposits

Mineral and dirt deposits comprise the first category of water stains. These are mostly a result of trace minerals present in rain, sprinkler systems or in the car cleaning water, which remains on your vehicle exterior surface when it is washed but not dried off.

· Corrosive Liquids

This type of water stains refers to etchings or craters that appear in the paint due to some corrosive liquids such as air con water discharge coming in contact with the car surface, which can lead to deterioration of the car paint and even the lacquer.

Ways To Remove Water Stain Properly

· Wash It Thoroughly

People don’t just seek car servicing in Singapore due to engine problems, more often than not it’s due to exterior damage or imperfections like swirl marks from different kinds of dirt like grease, grime, bird poop and water. When left unattended for an extended period of time, they can cause serious paint damage on your car. Avoid the stress and unnecessary expenses by keeping your vehicle clean. 

· Seek Car Polishing

Polishing is one of the most misunderstood paint care procedures and as a result many individuals skip this important step. Polish is an abrasive compound, which, when worked into the paint using the hand or a polisher, shaves off imperfections of the paint. It levels out the surface and makes it smooth, thereby preparing it for the next step of applying wax or paint sealant. If you wax without polishing the surface first, not only will the paint look dull, but you will also notice that the wax layer will wear off quicker than usual. So ultimately it is a huge waste of your time and resources. Because polish is abrasive as mentioned above, it is important to master polishing techniques especially if you are using a rotary buffer, or you risk burning right through the paint.

· Apply Wax

Once you’ve polished all the areas you need to and you’re happy that you’ve removed all the polish, you can wax your car. This will protect the paintwork against water stain and future damage and give you a beautiful shiny finish which can last up to 12 months. It takes time to apply as you need to apply in small amounts and buff but your patience will be rewarded with a brand new and shiny looking car.

· Vinegar

White vinegar is a mild acid, and the minerals and pollutants in water spots can be broken down by this mild acid. To apply, simply follow these steps:

1. Mix white vinegar and distilled water in equal parts in a bucket.

2. Soak a sponge or a microfiber cloth in the solution.

3. Apply the solution to the water spots, allowing the solution to soak into the stains for about a minute or two. The key is to allow the vinegar to break down and loosen the contaminants’ grip on the surface so they can be wiped off gently.

4. After the waiting period, try to gently wipe off the spot. Avoid the tendency to wipe vigorously as you will be merely grinding the minerals and the pollutants onto the paint finish, creating scratches.

· Clay Bar

Detailing clay is a synthetic resin compound designed to pick up minerals and pollutants on your car’s finish as you glide it on a car’s well-lubricated paint finish. Use this if white vinegar wasn’t enough to get rid of the stains. Check out the following instructions:

1. Get some detailing clay and clay lubricant.

2. Spray lubricant onto the paint finish.

3. Glide the clay over the lubricated surface gently, with light pressure. It may take several passes to remove the water spots.

Things You Should Do To Protect Your Car From The Blazing Heat Of Summer

Road trips, longer days, and warmer weather are just a few of the joys of living in a tropical country like Singapore where it’s basically summer most of the time. But having the sun high in the sky most days can mean scorching car seats, muggy interiors, and potential damage to your vehicle's surfaces when it's exposed to hours of sunlight at a time. As much as the heat can take a toll on your car's interior, it's also rough on a vehicle's working parts. Aside from all these tips to help keep your car cool you should also head to your mechanic for routine summer maintenance, like a cooling system and fluid check, so that you'll not only stay cool, you'll stay safe.

Invest In Car Paint Protection

We can’t really help the kind of weather you’ll have in the place you live. Whether you have four seasons or two extreme weather, all you can do is take extra steps to protect your car from these. Paint protection in Singapore’s tropical weather will prevent your paint job from fading fast, it also keeps it from expanding and contracting which results in cracking where water or moist can seep through the cracks and create rust. Like most things, prevention is better than cure. A good paint protection system should protect your car long-term. Repainting can be costly, so if you can do something to avoid doing it too often, wouldn’t you do it and save yourself some cash and stress?

Apply A Silicone Protective Substance To  The Rubber Weather Stripping

All around the doors is rubber weather stripping that keeps air, water, dust, and debris from entering the nooks, crannies, and cabin of the car. Some of them are exposed to sun damage, but those that are not can also suffer from dry-rot. These can be protected by silicone protective substances that can be wiped on every few months to keep them lubricated and to keep them from rotting.

Tint Your Windows

Since glass allows sun to penetrate easily, the car gets hot in an instant especially during summer. This makes your entire car ride uncomfortable because of the heat and your air conditioning to work harder to keep the car cool which increases gasoline consumption. However, installing heat resistant window tint will solve this problem. Solar films for your car keep UV rays from penetrating your car windows. Aside from that, it can also protect your car’s upholstery from premature damage like color fading as well as cracking.

Charge Your Ac Unit

When you live in a tropical country, driving with your air condition unit running is a must. That is unless you like driving uncomfortable and drenched in your own sweat which I highly doubt applies to anyone. So if the hot days are coming up, check if your AC unit is in tip top condition or if it’s time to replace it. If you’re scheduled to visit your mechanic for maintenance anyway, don’t forget to get your guy to see if your AC needs some work. Whether it needs to be recharged, cleaned or completely replaced, it’s best to do this before summer time rolls in.

Top Up Your Coolant

Summer is an important time to regularly check your coolant is topped up - after all, you never know when your car will overheat! If you don't top up your coolant and allow your car to overheat, you risk vehicle damage that could cost you a pricey bill, with some moving metals melting together under the heat causing significant issues. Coolant should also be a 50/50 mixture of water and antifreeze during summer, but you don't have to worry too much about getting this ration exactly right with premixed coolant also available. 

Clean And Flush The Radiator

When dirt, bugs, or road grime gets stuck and accumulates in your radiator, it becomes harder for the air to flow through it. As a result, it’s harder to cool the engine especially when the vehicle is stopped and the radiator has to rely on just the fan to keep it cool which is why it overheats when idle. So aside from getting rid of anything that your radiator has accumulated, fill it up with coolant (preferably) too especially if it’s in the brink of overheating. But if you don’t have it on hand, water works too. While you’re at it, see if your car’s hose is still intact and undamaged. Otherwise, you need to replace it so that the car’s cooling system would go back and function to normal.

Check Your Tires

You’ll want to check to make sure that your tires are properly inflated during the summer months. You’ll save an average of $600 a year by not having to prematurely replace them. It’s important to check that your tires are properly inflated because hotter temperatures can increase tire pressure, leading to unnecessary wear and tear.

Check Battery

It’s easy to assume that car battery works better when the temperature is high, but in reality its strength actually decreases when it gets too hot out. Aside from the outside temperature, the temperature under the hood can also contribute to quickened corrosion of car batteries. So if you have been having trouble with your car battery often lately, and it’s been scorching hot as well take your car to the servicing shop to have it checked.

How Ceramic Coating Paint Protection And Glass Coating Paint Protection Works For Your Car

Paint coatings are relatively new and are one of the up and coming leaders to car detailing in the automobile industry. It serves as an all in one protective layer to a car’s paintwork and UV ray protection is included in its specifications along with many others. It is able to keep your car’s paint looking polished, comparable to that of a showroom standard car and the best thing is that no re-application is required at all as it is highly durable.

So for those of you who treats their car like a prized possession, you may wanna look into paint coating and consider investing in it. There are different kinds of paint coatings but in this article we will talk about ceramic coating and glass coating. This may help you understand this kind of detailing and find that you favor one or the other depending on your car and your needs.

Glass Coating Paint Protection

Glass coating may be best for you if you drive a lot and take your vehicle to a lot of different locations. Though glass coating is pricier compared to ceramic, it is highly durable and shiny. So, even though cost is a huge factor when car owners are seeking car paint protection, you should consider what’s best for your car with your existing lifestyle because it may actually save you more money in the long run.  

1. Longevity

Although no specific time frame has been allotted for glass coating, users and manufacturers claim that it can last anywhere from six months to two years, depending upon natural and man-made conditions. This, they say, reduces, if not entirely eliminates car waxing.

2. Protection

While ceramic coating paint protection and glass coating products may look the same, their structural compositions usually differ. This results to varying characteristics when done to your car. But since both procedure can be performed based on nanotechnology, glass and ceramic coating can properly blend into the paint job, creating a strong and lasting layer of protective shield to the paintwork and surfaces of your car exterior. This also results to better insulation of the paintwork from effects of harsh chemicals and other elements of damage in the environment.

3. Beauty And Convenience

Other people assume that glass coating is the use of material like car windows or windshield, but it’s important to know that it’s not. Glass coating is a form of paint protection. It is performed using a sticky substance made from randomly arranged and transparent compounds. However, unlike ceramic coating, glass coating often bonds to the paintwork quickly. Glass coating is quite strong and easy to apply. Users profess that this product has enhanced the appearance of their vehicles. The superb shine that glass coating provides. This means, not only that it looks better for your car, it also won’t take that much time for the installer to finish so you can enjoy a brand new looking car without too much waiting period.

Ceramic Coating Paint Protection

Ceramic coating is cheaper and takes less time to perform but doesn't last as long. But if your car isn’t used often or isn’t exposed to harsh environment, ceramic coating may do.

1. You’re Guaranteed A Minimum Of 5 Years In Car Paint Protection

Car detailing can be expensive but if it can protect your car for a minimum of 5 years, at least, like ceramic coating can do then it’s worth the money. Ceramic coatings’ key characteristics that makes it so durable are hardness, smoothness and wear resistance. With this kind of protection, then you can keep your car exterior in pristine condition without having to get this same procedure done too often.

2. You Can DIY It

The process of applying ceramic coating to the paint is not a complicated one, and it can be divided into 5 steps. So if you’re a little short on cash, you can save a little on labor fee by doing this yourself. Remember to apply the coating in a dry room or shaded area, at an ambient temperature of 10°C to 35°C.

3. You’ll Get That Mirror Finish That We Can’t Help But Love

It’s one thing to keep your car clean looking and it’s another to make it look like it just got out of the showroom. With ceramic coating you know you’re always driving a sleek and shiny car. Because admit it, there’s something about that mirror finish that just exudes high-end, well-maintained and just overall coolness of the vehicle and you the owner.

4. It Can Even Repel Dirt

People don’t just seek car servicing in Singapore due to engine problems, more often than not it’s due to exterior damage from different kinds of dirt like grease, grime, and bird poop. When left unattended for extended period of time, they can cause serious paint damage on your car. Avoid the stress and unnecessary expenses by keeping your vehicle clean.  Having said that, one of the cool things about ceramic coating is that it is hydrophobic which means it is able to repel water molecules and dirt from the protected surface of your car. Now as a result, there’s less dirt on your car which keeps you from having to take it to car wash too often.

5. It Can Also Be Applied To Other Surfaces Of The Car

If the hydrophobicity didn't impress you, ceramic coating still got more. Aside from your paint job, it can also be applied to and protect other surfaces of your vehicle like windows, gasket, rims, plastics, chromed elements and headlights! Isn't that amazing? You can now basically protect majority of your car exterior which lessens damages on those surfaces resulting to less repairs and saved money.

ALSO READ:

Top 5 Benefits Of Investing In Ceramic Coating For Your Car

Top 5 Benefits Of Investing In Ceramic Coating For Your Car

Nowadays, there are a lot of ways to protect your car exterior, and one of them is ceramic coating. This is a liquid polymer that is applied to the vehicle surface. It creates a chemical bond with the paint and establishes a protection and hydrophobic surface. The properties of ceramic coating makes it harder for any contaminants to damage the car paint. Paint coatings are relatively new and are one of the up and coming leaders to car detailing in the automobile industry. It serves as an all in one protective layer to a car’s paintwork and UV ray protection is included in its specifications along with many others. It is able to keep your car’s paint looking polished, comparable to that of a showroom standard car and the best thing is that no re-application is required at all as it is highly durable. With this paint coating in place, you will not need to go through the regular hassle of consistently finding sheltered parking lots or frequent waxing sessions for your car. 

1. You’re Guaranteed A Minimum Of 5 Years In Car Paint Protection

Car detailing can be expensive but if it can protect your car for a minimum of 5 years, at least, like ceramic coating can do then it’s worth the money. Ceramic coatings’ key characteristics that makes it so durable are hardness, smoothness and wear resistance. With this kind of protection, then you can keep your car exterior in pristine condition without having to get this same procedure done too often.

2. You Can DIY It

The process of applying ceramic coating to the paint is not a complicated one, and it can be divided into 5 steps. So if you’re a little short on cash, you can save a little on labor fee by doing this yourself. Remember to apply the coating in a dry room or shaded area, at an ambient temperature of 10°C to 35°C.

Applying ceramic coating to the paint:

Step 1: Before you apply ceramic coating, it is important to carefully degrease the surface.

Step 2: Shake the bottle of degrease product and apply 6-8 drops to a dry satin microfiber wrapped on the applicator. Remember to moisten the microfiber abundantly the first time.

Step 3: Apply the coating crosswise and only once to surfaces no larger than 50×50 cm. Of course, the 50×50 cm is a conventional value. It is important to apply the coating once to a small portion of the surface. This way, we will avoid problems with polishing, which could occur when applying the product to larger elements.

Step 4: The next step is to observe the coating. After about 2 minutes from the application (at about 20°C) its color should begin to change.

The most important task is not to miss the moment when the coating begins to sparkle with colors, the coating should take on the colors of the rainbow. At this moment we can start to polish the surfaces with microfibers (higher temperature shortens the drying time, lower temperature lengthens it). WARNING! Do not allow the coating to dry on the paint.

Step 5: After applying and polishing the first layer, wait for at least 1 hour and repeat steps 2 to 5 (for maximum durability, you should apply 3 layers).

3. You’ll Get That Mirror Finish That We Can’t Help But Love

It’s one thing to keep your car clean looking and it’s another to make it look like it just got out of the showroom. With ceramic coating you know you’re always driving a sleek and shiny car. Because admit it, there’s something about that mirror finish that just exudes high-end, well-maintained and just overall coolness of the vehicle and you the owner.

4. It Can Even Repel Dirt

People don’t just seek car servicing in Singapore due to engine problems, more often than not it’s due to exterior damage from different kinds of dirt like grease, grime, and bird poop. When left unattended for extended period of time, they can cause serious paint damage on your car. Avoid the stress and unnecessary expenses by keeping your vehicle clean.  Having said that, one of the cool things about ceramic coating is that it is hydrophobic which means it is able to repel water molecules and dirt from the protected surface of your car. Now as a result, there’s less dirt on your car which keeps you from having to take it to car wash too often.

5. It Can Also Be Applied To Other Surfaces Of The Car

If the hydrophobicity didn't impress you, ceramic coating still got more. Aside from your paint job, it can also be applied to and protect other surfaces of your vehicle like windows, gasket, rims, plastics, chromed elements and headlights! Isn't that amazing? You can now basically protect majority of your car exterior which lessens damages on those surfaces resulting to less repairs and saved money.

We can’t really help the kind of weather you’ll have in the place you live. Whether you have four seasons or two extreme weathers, all you can do is take extra step to protect your car from these. Paint protection in Singapore’s tropical weather will prevent your paint job from fading fast, it also keeps it from expanding and contracting which results to cracking where water or moist can seep through the cracks and create rust. When it comes to paint protection, there are different ways to do that. You may wanna see if ceramic coating is suitable for your car in your daily lifestyle.

ALSO READ:

Why Regular Car Wash Is Important For Your Vehicle

Things That You Can Do To Keep Your Paint From Fading

Paint doesn’t just give color to your car and make it look like new, but it also protects it from premature rusting and corrosion. This is why it is very important to protect your paint from things that fades it sooner than it should like ultra-violet rays, chemicals, natural pollutants, careless application of car polish and wax and abrasions.

· Know What The Causes Of Paint Fading Are

When you know what’s causing your paint to fade, you’ll be able to keep it from it accordingly. If you know the cause, you’ll find a better solution.

· Cover Your Car Whenever You’re Parked Outside

Though it’s highly discouraged to park your car outside, sometimes there isn’t really a choice. But if you have a car cover this would at least keep anything from being in direct contact on your paint.

· Park Under A Shade

If there’s a tree nearby it would be great to park under it. However, there’s a high risk you’ll come back to your car with a bird poop on it. Just make sure you’re carrying a microfiber towel to wipe it off and then clean it once you get home.

· As Much As Possible Make Sure To Have A Garage At Home

Well, this shouldn’t be an option but a non-negotiable. Parking your car outdoors at all times is exposing it from natural pollutants as well as theft.

· Get A Covered Carport In The Absence Of A Garage

In case your house is too small to have a garage, you can always rent a covered carport. The idea is to have your car parked in a secure space while it stowed.

· Regular Car Wash Helps

Weekly car wash is highly recommended, but if you drive on rough roads or anywhere your vehicle is exposed to all these kinds of chemicals you should wash more often than that.

· Apply Car Paint Protection

Another thing that you can do is take your car to your trusted car grooming shop and have a car paint protection applied on it. This will serve as a protective barrier between the paint and any particles.

· Drive Carefully To Avoid Scratches And Dents

Keep your speed to a minimum, not only that speeding consumes more gas but it also puts you in risk of accidents. When it comes to accidents, no car paint protection can keep your car from damage.