Washing your car sounds pretty straightforward, right? How hard can it be to use a power washer or use a sponge and water bucket to clean down the exterior? After washing and rinsing, you can seal off the shine with a fresh coat of wax to finish the detail. However, even simple jobs can become messy and counterproductive when first-time car owners make these rookie car wash mistakes. Here are five glaring errors to avoid.

Leaving swirl marks
One of the most common mistakes first-time car owners commit is washing and wiping down the car surface in circles. You may not realize it immediately, but the circular motion will leave more scratches and dirt marks. Applying pressure while scrubbing is unnecessary as you use soap and a scrub mitt to remove the upper layer of dirt lightly. You must only follow a single downward motion while wiping the wet surface.

Washing the car outdoors
Washing the car under direct sunlight is always counterproductive. If you plan to use soap and some products for the surface, ensure you do that inside the garage or under a tree in some shade. Mainly because soap will dry under direct sunlight and leave spot marks that become difficult to remove. Also, using other products under direct sunlight will reduce potency and trigger a chemical reaction after exposure to UV rays.

Using household cleaners
One of the biggest mistakes that new car owners make is thinking household cleaning products are sufficient for car washing and detailing. But any dish soap or laundry detergent was never produced to wash and detail car surfaces in the first place. The soap is not potent enough and can even trigger a chemical reaction coming in contact with the paint job. Dish soap and laundry detergents contain compounds designed to scrub off dirt and debris from utensils and dirty clothes. These compounds can strip the protective coating over the paint and expose it to weather and pollution. Always buy quality car wash and products suitable for a particular brand and type of vehicle.

Using unclean towels and the same bucket
There’s no point in washing your car with dirty towels or scrubs. You’ll only end up transferring dirt from one surface to the other. Also, use a separate bucket for washing and then rinse off the soap. You wipe off the soap and dirt to empty it into the wash bucket. So have another bucket filled with clean water and use a separate sponge to rinse the surface to avoid leaving soap spots and dirt marks.

Overusing products
Your job only begins after a thorough hose down of the car, applying the final touches for vehicle detailing. Car care products are all a mix of chemicals that can strip the vehicle of its look and feel with overuse. For example, using car wax without understanding the type and potency of the product can ruin the paint job. Some types of long-drying wax products should be left to cure and dry overnight, whereas quick-shine wax products should be wiped off immediately. Leaving the product on surfaces beyond the recommended period will only make it more difficult to remove the product later.