When you've got a great car, you naturally want to keep it looking its best. But the road is going to throw a lot at it — pollutants, dirt, road salt, bird poop, pollen, you name it. With some regular TLC, it's easy to keep your ride looking as great as the day you drove it off the lot. Here are 5 tips for the next time you wash your car:

• Don't use dish soap. Sure, it's probably something you've got on hand, and most formulas boast the power to cut through all manner of grease and grime. But the detergents found in dish soap are much too harsh for the paint and finish on automobiles, and you run the risk of removing more than just the surface dirt. Look for specially formulated car shampoos that won't strip your car's finish.
• Keep two buckets on hand. Fill one with a solution of car shampoo and the other with clean water for rinsing. That way, the dirt and grime you pick up from one part of your car won't get spread to other sections.
• Pre-rinse gently to remove anything that can scratch the paint. Your gut instinct might be to scrub, scrub, scrub, but tiny pieces of debris are all it takes to put micro scratches on your car's finish. Let the water and the shampoo do the heavy lifting.
• Wash from top to bottom. Use a soft sponge or microfiber cloth to work the shampoo across the surface. When you get to your tires, you might need to switch to a stiffer nylon bristle brush. Work in sections, and keep the entire car wet so the shampoo doesn't dry before you've had a chance to rinse it off. 
• Blotting dry can prevent hard water stains. Use a rubber squeegee to remove most of the water from clean parts of your car, the blot gently with a clean microfiber cloth. Letting the car air dry may lead to tiny hard water specks where the water beads up.

When you're ready to pick up a ride worthy of a showroom shine, let us help you make vehicle ownership a reality.  Even if you have had credit issues in the past and have been unable to get a car loan, we can help. Past credit mistakes won't necessarily keep you from getting the car you want. We can get you pre-approved in no time.