- Do you let your kids clean the car on Father's Day?
- It's a popular 'gift' for many dads
- But keep a close eye on dropped sponges that pick up dirt
- Could result in paint damage unless you're careful
This well-meaning ‘treat’ could leave motorists with a £5,000 repair bill - and drivers have been warned as Father’s Day approaches.
Many mums and dads will let their children clean the family car.
For a lot of youngsters in the UK, it’s a rite of passage - and also a great ‘gift’ from a child on Father’s Day or another special occasion.
But letting kids loose with buckets and sponges could be a recipe for disaster when it comes to your vehicle’s paintwork, according to experts at Select Car Leasing.
Sponges dropped in dirt and gravel and then scraped across the vehicle’s exterior can lead to unsightly swirls and deeper scratches that are impossible to buff out.
That could then lead to a nightmarish paint respray bill running to around £5,000 unless parents remain ‘vigilant’ while their little ones are helping out.
Graham Conway, Managing Director at Select Car Leasing, explains: “While it might sound slightly mean and miserable to supervise your child while they’re cleaning the car, you’ll be glad you did if it saves you from a repair bill totalling several thousand pounds.
“Big problems arise when children drop their sponge on the ground, allowing it to pick-up all sorts of dirt and debris, before those contaminants are then dragged across your lovely exterior paintwork.
“Washing a car using household detergent like washing up liquid is also an extremely bad idea, as it can strip away the protective layers of your car’s paint and cause long term damage.
“In some cases a car’s ‘clear coat’ - the transparent, protective layer of topcoat that sits on top of your actual paint - can be badly damaged by dirty sponges to the point that swirls and scratches are impossible to buff out.
“We’ve seen examples where a child’s car washing has led to every panel on the car being damaged. In those cases, a full spray could set you back around £5,000 - a huge expense.
“Even if the damage isn’t so extensive, professional paint correction using a special compound that removes imperfections can cost up to £400 per panel.
“Our advice when it comes to kids and car cleaning? Encourage young children to get involved but show them the ropes first and try to supervise them. You might also want to let them wash the wheels first before they graduate to the paint itself.”
One Reddit user recently revealed how their little one had ‘innocently scratched almost every panel’ after being allowed to wash the car.
Select Car Leasing recommends that parents teach kids the famous ‘two bucket’ method for washing cars.
One bucket contains car wash shampoo, the other simply contains clean water.
Both buckets should have a ‘grit guard’ - a grille-like device that sits at the bottom of the bucket and which traps dirt that sinks to the bottom while preventing it from getting on your sponge.
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You should take your clean sponge, dip it into the bucket containing car shampoo, and then use that to wash your car. Work your way from the top of your car to the bottom.
After you’ve washed each car panel, rinse the sponge in the bucket of clean water, before dunking it in the shampoo bucket once more.
Once the car is clean, rinse thoroughly and dry using a soft microfibre cloth.
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