When the rain starts falling, we’re still scrubbing!

The Portland area tends to get a little rainy right around this time of year. Of course, the Pacific Northwest can be damp all year long, but the early part of spring can be especially soggy. For those who don’t enjoy washing their vehicles, the weather might seem like a gift from nature. After all, you don’t actually have to wash your car or truck when the rain does it for you — right?

You may want to rethink that. While a good deluge can take care of some of the dust that might otherwise collect on your vehicle, rain itself is — by nature — slightly acidic and can build up corrosive deposits on your finish. A little rain isn’t going to melt the paint off your ride, but the cumulative effects of it warrant a good scrub every now and then during the more weather-prone times of year.

Beyond the idea of any pH imbalance, rainwater can also just leave unsightly streaks and blotches on your windshield and finish. As an underlining factor to all of the above, the misty nature of rain in our area also might just not be much of an effective cleaning agent, especially for oily substances that need more than just water alone for removal.

Any time, any season, it gives you a great feeling to have a clean, spot-free vehicle — even if it doesn’t last beyond that next rain on the way.