Exterior Archives - Page 8 of 8 - Car Detailing Planet

What's the most dirtier part of our cars? Well, I think that everybody knows the answer, it's the undercarriage. Look at the photo above, it's so clean - we all should maintain our car like this one. We all want to keep our cars clean, but, is undercarriage wash safe for your car? Let's find it out. Since many important car parts in undercarriage affect driving, handling, and safety in general, you want to keep them in the best possible condition. All the dirt from roads is sticking to car undercarriage and may cause problems in the future. However, before you go straight and wash the undercarriage of your car, I would like you to read this article, and find out what you should or shouldn't do when washing the underneath of your car (or any vehicle). I couldn't find any single blog that speaks about this, and I decided to write you an article to warn you about some damages you can make if you don't wash your car's underbody the right way. Table Of ContentsshowIs Cleaning Underneath The Car Safe?What Damage Can You Make?Why Should You Wash The Underbody?Tips For Washing The Undecarriage1) Don't Wash It Too Often2) Avoid Using Too Much Pressure3) Buy Yourself an Undercarriage CleanerConclusion Is Cleaning Underneath The Car Safe? Washing the underbody of a car not only is safe but is crucial if you want to keep your car in good condition without rust and corrosion. However, washing in above-freezing temperatures and without too much pressure will make it 100% safe for your car. Well, this was the short answer, but let's dive into some damages you can make if you don't do it correctly. What Damage Can You Make? Well, there aren't too many things that you can damage, but some of them are very important. If you follow the steps in this article, you won't cause any damage. So, here's possible damage if you wash your undercarriage the wrong way: Car Underbody Coating/SoundproofingJoint Protective RubbersCar Electronics Car Underbody Coating protects from rust and corrosion of car's undercarriage. Also, it may reduce noise between the road and your vehicle. When washing with a high-pressure washer, you shouldn't aim the stream directly to your car's undercarriage. It may destroy the protective coating since the pressure is too high. Joint Protective Rubbers usually won't break. However, if they are older, the gum is probably pretty weak, and using high pressure may break it, which will lead to severe suspension damages that will affect your driving and handling. Car Electronics is the most important thing you need to be aware of when washing the undercarriage. There are plenty of electric connections in the car's underbody (brakes, ABS, ESP, etc.), and aiming high-pressure spray nozzle directly on them may cause damage. Why Should You Wash The Underbody? Mostly, the undercarriage wash isn't included in typical car washing services unless you ask for it. I think that even if there aren't any other factors, this should be a good enough reason to wash the underbody of your car. Salt, mud, dust, dirt, and other particles are sticking to the car's underbody. To simplify, all the grime from the road goes to the undercarriage. If not cleaned for a long time, grime, salt, and other particles may cause rust and corrosion. Trust me, you don't want to see the undercarriage of your car full of rust after just a few years of buying it. Tips For Washing The Undecarriage Before I give you some general tips to avoid any damage to your car, you might want to check the tutorial: How To Wash a Vehicle Undercarriage at Home. It's very simple and you don't need any special tools. However, it's good to have them, but they aren't necessary. You're going to understand it very easily. Do you see how simple is that? Now let's give you some tips for keeping your car safe when washing the underbody. 1) Don't Wash It Too Often There is no need to wash the undercarriage of your car too often. In most cases, washing it once or twice a year shall be enough. Check out the situations when you should wash it more often. During the winter, when there is a lot of salt on the roads, you may want to wash it a few times. Once a month is completely enough to keep your car clean. But remember - wash the underbody only when the temperatures are above freezing. Dirt Roads - If you often drive on a dirt road or go OFF-roading, then I recommend you wash it more than twice a year. Washing the undercarriage every 2-3 months is enough to keep your car in good condition. Do you Live In Rainy Area? If you live in a place where rains are common, you don't have to wash the car's underbody so often. When you drive on a rainy road, water from the roads will clean everything in the undercarriage space. 2) Avoid Using Too Much Pressure As I said before, using too much pressure may cause a lot of damage to your car. If you will use a professional car washer, be gentle when washing the underbody. The best way is to wash it with a garden water hose, but it may be hard to reach all the parts, that's the reason for TIP number 3. 3) Buy Yourself an Undercarriage Cleaner This is probably the best tip in this article. Check out the picture below. Check this Undercarriage Cleaner on Amazon here. It's not expensive and will serve you well for even more things than just a car wash (boats, RVs, etc.). Applicable for the pressure washer, pressure washer gun, water broom, and cleaning brush. The most important thing is that it doesn't have too much pressure (you can adjust it). As I said to you before, It's hard to reach all the parts you want to clean with a standard hose, so, buying an undercarriage cleaner will make all things much easier, and you won't need to lift your car or something. RELATED: How To Wash Your Car's Exterior: Complete Guide Conclusion Well, I hope that now you know more about undercarriage washing. It's important to keep our car as clean as possible, which will extend its life, and we'll have fewer repairs. Also, cleaning older cars (that aren't rusty), is much safer than the newer cars that are full of electric components. But in general, undercarriage car washing is completely safe just by following the few tips mentioned above. My advice to all of you is to use either a garden hose or the attachment "Undercarriage Cleaner" that I mentioned earlier. Don't use just a high-pressure nozzle on the car's underbody. If you liked this article, share it with your friends and family. We all need clean shiny cars!