In Odessa, Texas, you’re no stranger to the sun. As massive as Texas is, you’re hard to find anywhere in our great state where you can reasonably escape from the sun and heat. While you’ve likely developed a thick skin to the sunlight, heat, and humidity, your car, unfortunately, has not.
As it turns out, direct sunlight does not play well with car washes. In fact, washing your car under the light of the sun is actually one of the worst things you can do for it. Let’s take a look at some of the reasons why.
Spotting and Streaks
One of the most annoying problems with sunlight-infused carwashes has to do with the heat. Your car is essentially a giant mass of moving metal, and metal, as we all know, is particularly susceptible to being warmed up by the sun. Under direct sunlight, car exteriors can get hot enough to bake an egg, and this has unfortunate effects on your wash, should you choose to douse your car in water and soap.
When the surface of your car is extremely hot, it causes soap to dry quickly — more quickly than you can scrub it in. This results in a mess of unsightly spots and streaks. If your aim was to make your car appear shinier and cleaner, washing it in the sun actually has the complete opposite effect.
One way to avoid this is to douse the car in water before applying soap, which can help to cool the temperature of the exterior. However, the best choice is simply not to wash your car under the sunlight. Doing the job at dawn or dusk is a good solution, or of course, rolling into an automatic car wash like the ones we provide in Odessa; these take your car into a tunnel to clean them, providing a cool space that’s free from sunlight.
It Hurts Your Finish
New cars generally are manufactured with a “clear coat” finish that’s supposed to protect your paint job against debris and dirtiness. This is one factor of a new car’s shine, and while your clear coat will inevitably wear away eventually, some things cause more harm than others.
Washing your car in direct sunlight is one of the worst things you can do for your clear coat. Under sunlight, your car can get so hot that it effectively boils water off seconds after contact. This causes a very brief moment of intense, concentrated heat wherever the water droplet is, and it can actually burn away your clear coat. That’s right, the harshness of the sun can directly strip away your finish if you carelessly wash your car, forever hurting its resell value.
It’s a Hassle
Ignoring the two points above that pertain to the actual health and appearance of your car, the simple fact remains that washing your car in the heat is just a hassle.
The heat of your car’s finish, as we mentioned above, dries the water out quickly, which forces you to use a lot more water than you normally would. You have to be proactive about making sure the car is constantly doused, because the water could evaporate quicker than you’re able to clean.
And then there’s the spotting problem. Ever tried to clean out streaks and spots in your car, only for them to be replaced by more streaks and spots? For the uninitiated, this can be an exercise in sheer frustration.
That’s why you should avoid all these problems, and stop by Crazy Clean Car Wash in Odessa, TX. Our car wash is automatic, and it brings your car into a cool space that’s shielded from the sun. It’s easier, faster, and better for the health of your car. Stop by today, and ask about our monthly passes!
