Sunday, November 13, 2011 12:39 AM
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Weekly wash the minimum
Q1: The paintwork on my eight-year-old car is getting dull. It's often parked outdoors, exposed to the sun and rain. Do you recommend getting it polished or waxed?
Whether eight years or eight months, every car requires a certain level of paintwork maintenance, dependent of course on your commitment.
Parking a car outdoors in our tropical weather will undoubtedly have a detrimental effect on the paintwork. Oxidation, environmental contamination and acid-rain etching will prematurely deteriorate your paint.
The simplest maintenance you can do is a weekly wash with a pH-balanced shampoo.
If your car was polished correctly before, you'll need to keep a regular maintenance program i.e. a monthly wax/sealant treatment as that would be about the average applied product's protective lifespan in our local weather.
If there are paintwork imperfections like watermarks, bird droppings, etchings and the like, a methodical polishing session should sort it out.
Remember, polishing (sparingly) is used to remove imperfections and to bring out the shine.
Waxing(frequently) on the other hand, serves largely as a protective function and can sometimes enhance the paint's lustre.
Q2: The ceiling of my apartment carpark seems to drip water after a downpour that causes a white stain on my car after it dries. These stains are difficult to wipe off. What do you recommend in removing them?
Depending on the severity of the contamination due to the calcified paint dripping onto your paintwork, you could try using a dilluted vinegar solution on the affected spots and/or use a light-abrasive compound to remove it.
I would also recommend taking precautionary measures to ensure the situation doesn't repeat often as calcified paint will damage your paintwork. Again, having your paintwork protected by a wax, sealant or coating of choice can greatly reduce the risk of damaged paint.
Q3: Once I loaded up on mangosteens from a farm in my pick-up truck. The kids ate some in the back seats and stained the fabric seats. The yellowish secretions from the mangosteens have been smeared on the seats. Is there a way to remove it without damaging the fabric or replacing it?
The yellow secretion is latex or sap. It can cause a likely permanent stain if it isn't removed immediately.
At home, you can try to soak the affected area with white vinegar and carefully clean away the residue with a small brush.
Repeat as necessary with the addition of detergent.
If that doesn't entirely remove the latex, you might want to consider sending it to a professional with steam-cleaning equipment.