What Causes a Clean Car to Get Dirty?
Introduction Inside the car, any number of things can cause a mess after you’ve tidied up. But on the outside surface of a freshly washed, shiny clean car, dirt appears mysteriously. Over a period of days, the paint takes on a dull appearance, windows streak with spots of dirt and any water splashed onto the car makes an even bigger mess. When a clean car feels so slick to the touch, what makes the dirt stick? What the Dirt is Sticking to When your car’s paint was new, chances are the manufacturer applied a top coat, scratch coat, or gloss coat that protected the paint and the metal under the paint. Over time, dirt adhesion, friction from washing and brushing against things such as bushes (for those few SUVs that actually go off-road) will damage this top coat. The scratches left can be microscopic but every one will increase the surface area available for dust, pollution, pollen, bugs and other bits of dirt to cling to. Where the Dirt Comes From If you’ve ever watched dust float in a
