Did you know that at any given time 1 in 5 car owners haven’t cleaned their car in months? Over 30% of cars are overrun with trash or random items—and even more shocking, nearly 40% of drivers aren’t sure how often they should have their car washed.
Whether you fall in this bucket or not, a spot-free rinse is worth looking into. A spot-free rinse is an easy, convenient, and lasting solution for car owners who have a hard time cleaning their car or making the time for proper car care.
So, if you’re tired of having a dirty car, or simply can’t find the time to get around to doing the job yourself, this guide is for you. Here, you’ll learn about the top 5 benefits of a spot-free rinse, as well as where you can get one (if you live in the Pittsburg or Cranberry area of Pennsylvania).
What is a Spot-Free Rinse?
It’s helpful to start out by first defining what a spot-free rinse is. Like its name suggests, a spot-free rinse is when you use water that’s free of impurities to remove suds and excess water from your car. This type of water is also known as softened water, or water that’s been softened through a process known as dionization.
Dionization
During dioinization, you will find that the process helps remove calcium from the water as well as other minerals that typically cause water spots. It uses resin beads to remove impurities from the water. These beads can actually be used indefinitely—they just need to recharge somewhat regularly.
At a car wash in particular, the water used for a spot-free rinse is usually softened water that’s stored separately from the rest of the water.
A spot-free rinse involves spraying this type of water at the end of the car wash process so that regular water can be rinsed off before it starts to dry. Regular water used for rinsing contains a variety of minerals like calcium, lime, and magnesium, to name a few.
After a spot-free rinse is complete, you don’t have to worry about lingering water beads on your car. Any water beads that are left on your car after the spot-free rinse shouldn’t leave water spots as they dry.
Reverse Osmosis
Water can also be softened through a process known as reverse osmosis. During reverse osmosis, a water filter is used to filter (duh) the water, helping it get rid of impurities.
The filter does need to be cleaned out time from time to ensure cleanliness and effectiveness.
Five Benefits of a Spot-Free Rinse
Now that you know what a spot-free rinse is and the process’s responsible for it, let’s dive into why you should get one. Below are the five benefits of a spot-free rinse.
1). Clearer, Calmer Mind
Just like with a cluttered household or messy kitchen, a dirty car makes it hard to think straight. But when our environment is cleaner and less cluttered, cortisol levels—also known as the stress hormone—actually decrease.
And this result is tenfold when you get a spot-free rinse because it helps prevent those pesky water spots that tend to drive us crazy even after our car’s been cleaned.
2). Wards Off Corrosion
Water spots are more than just water spots. These spots can actually cause damage to your car’s exterior by corroding the car’s paint and finish. How?
Water spots are actually small areas of corrosion. These areas of corrosion can slowly eat away at your car’s clear coat and paint if they’re left alone or untreated.
By regularly getting a spot-free rinse, you can help ward off corrosion on your car and maintain a spotless exterior (or as close to spotless as you can get).
3). Get Rid of Tough Stains
We all know the struggle of those tough stains that seem impossible to buff out. But with a spot-free rinse, you’re guaranteed to have no water marks. Plus, the kind of method employed by a spot-free rinse helps get rid of tough stains by serving as a second layer of cleansing.
4). Eliminate Odor
This goes for just about any type of car wash or car-cleaning process, but a massive benefit is the elimination of odor. There’s nothing worse than a car that smells whether that’s from a recent storm, mud, or junk food.
By getting a spot-free rinse, you can help eliminate any exterior mess that may have caused an odor.
5). Convenient
Finally, the last big benefit to a spot-free rinse is the convenience. A spot-free rinse is quick because you don’t have to worry about hand drying your car. Hand-drying your car is time consuming and doesn’t guarantee spotless results like with a spot-free rinse.
It always seems like there’s one more spot you need to dry, whereas with a spot-free rinse, you don’t have to worry about lingering water beads. Spot-free rinses help prevent water spots from forming.
Not only is a spot-free rinse a convenient, quick way to get a spotless vehicle, it’s also better for the environment. Spot-free rinses actually don’t use that much water. Rather, the water that is used is purified through either deionization or reverse osmosis, which helps it work more effectively.
Typically, car washes in general aren’t the most eco-friendly, so a spot-free rinse is a great solution for those who want to reduce their water use by still maintain a spotless, clean vehicle.
Increase Fuel Efficiency
On the same note of convenience, a spot-free rinse (or a generally clean car) can actually increase your fuel efficiency. That’s because a cleaner car allows for smoother airflow, meaning your car doesn’t have as much drag when it moves.
This helps it burn less fuel to get from point A to point B. On the other side of that, a dirty, cluttered car doesn’t have as smooth of airflow which causes it to have more drag and use more fuel. You can save up to 10% on your gas bill simply by maintaining a clear car.
Other Ways to Care for Your Car
Besides getting a spot-free rinse for your car regularly, there are many other ways to care for you car. Just like you want a tidy, neat, and clean space for your home, your car is the same way. After all, there’s no better place you need to think clearer and maintain a clear, uncluttered mind than on the road.
Below are additional ways you can maintain a clean car.
Avoid Eating Inside the Car
Look, we’ve all done it. Eating inside the car is sometimes the only option you have, especially if you’re traveling or generally on-the-go. But, eating inside the car leads to crumbs, fallen food in the seat cracks, and an odor that you just can’t seem to get rid of.
One of the easiest and best ways to care for your car is to simply avoid eating inside your car. If you know you’ll be traveling or running around the town on busy days, try packing a sealed container with snacks that don’t cause a mess like bars, fruit, or nuts.
Wipe Your Feet Before Entering
This one seems obvious but is often something overlooked and forgotten about. You should always wipe your feet before entering your car even if you don’t think there’s anything on your shoes. We carry a lot more dirt and grime into our homes and cars then we realize by not wiping our feet properly before entering.
This helps protect your floorboards and other grime from entering the bottom half of your car. It also helps cut down on the amount of times you’ll have to vacuum your car. The quicker you dirty up the floorboards, the sooner you’ll have to vacuum.
You can also invest in certain floorboard covers that serve as an additional layer of protection between your floorboards. When these covers start to present a lot of dirt or grime, simply remove them from the vehicle, clap them outside away from your car or rinse them off, then place them back in your car whenever they are cleaned off and dried.
Also remember to let other passengers of your car know to wipe your feet before entering. Oftentimes, we can be the most diligent about keeping our car clean while passengers that ride with us may not care or pay as much attention to keeping the car clean. A simple reminder to other passengers helps them remember to wipe their feet properly before entering.
This rule is simple, but it can truly make a world of a difference in keeping your car’s interior clean.
Park Under a Covered Area
When it comes to maintaining the cleanliness of your car’s exterior, we recommend parking either in a garage or other covered area. If this isn’t an option for you, invest in a car cover that you can slip over your car when it’s not in use.
Ultimately, this is the best way to extend the spotless look of your car after a spot-free rinse. By parking outside or in an uncovered area, you risk weather or other substances from corroding the surface and ruining the car wash (or at the least, decreasing its effectiveness).
Parking in a covered area is the best way to protect your car’s exterior from dirt, grime, weather, and more. It’s also a safer bet for protecting your car from theft.
Keep a Small Bag for Trash
This is another tip that applies to your car’s interior, but it may be helpful to keep a small trash bag for your car’s interior if you either have a lot of people coming and going in your car or if you travel in your car often. A small trash bag helps keep any trash or unwanted items contained rather than floating freely in your car’s interior.
A build-up of trash can contribute to an odor or mess in your car. Small items can also sneak their way behind the seats or under the seats, making them impossible or hard to get to when you do finally get around to cleaning out the interior. Keep a small bag for trash and you’ll find it much easier to maintain a spotless interior.
Wash Your Car Regularly
Finally, the best way to maintain a spotless exterior is the wash your car regularly. While a spot-free rinse is great for longevity, it won’t last forever. Some people may need to wash their car more often depending on how much they travel, where they’re going, and the weather.
But, generally for those who want to maintain a clean-looking exterior, aim to get your car washed every two to three weeks. If you’re getting a spot-free rinse every time, you may only need to wash it every three to four weeks.
Be sure to consider your own personal use and preferences when it comes to how often you need a car wash.
Get a Spot-Free Rinse Today!
Hopefully, you now know what a spot-free rinse is and the main benefits, as well as other simple ways to care for your car. Remember that a spot-free rinse is beneficial particularly because it prevents water spots for forming, preventing the corrosion of your car’s exterior.
Interested in getting a spot-free rinse today? If you live in the Pittsburgh or Cranberry area, check out Drake’s Carwash. There, you can receive an exceptional spot-free rinse, general car wash, or sign up for an unlimited plan that allows you to get as many car washes as you want!