PDR Technician: A Journey Through Clearcoat Maintenance For The Detailer Part IV

Todd Sudeck is an industry veteran with over 30 years of experience in Paintless Dent Repair and Auto Reconditioning. He is the founder and President of The Ding King Training Institute and is widely recognized as the “King” of this specialized field. His expertise and leadership have set the standard for excellence in the industry, making The Ding King Training Institute the go-to destination for those seeking to learn from the best.

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PDR Technician: A Journey Through Clearcoat Maintenance For The Detailer Part IV

 

3-clear-coat-differences

So now that I have scared you into washing your vehicle every weekend, now we need to discuss what you should use on your weekend washing. The three most important things to remember are to use the right technique, right products, and the right tools.

The most basic and fundamental truths are that you never, not ever, wash your car in the sun; second is to never wash your car when it is hot. Like after sitting out in the summer sun or going for a drive that has heated up the hood and front side panels.

The first thing that you should do if your car has been just sitting in the sun, is to cool the car off with plain water from the hose. This rinsing will clear away the heaviest of atmospheric pollutants and also the rinsing pre-rinsing cools the finish.

If you don’t pre-rinse the vehicle before washing it then you are adding to the damage already done. You’re adding yet another chemical to the already myriad of chemicals already there.

Let’s talk about why; the chemical activity of many car wash solutions, which includes the detergents causes a chemical reaction that will either leave streaks or burn your finish. So you absolutely must pre-rinse and I’m not talking about a little bit of water here. You need to bring a deluge to your car full of nothing but clean water. Again, the objective is to get rid of as much of the possibly abrasive material, as you can.

Clearly, you can understand that the more that you know about your clearcoat and how to manage it, the better off you will be for having a vehicle that will sustain the sands of time and still come out looking as good as it did the day you bought it.

Next we will discuss the types of clearcoat systems there are.