What causes Swirl Marks on my car?

What are swirl marks?

Swirl marks are commonly referred to as Spider Webs or Halos, and are usually very light scratches on the clear coat of your vehicle. Swirl marks appear when dirt particles are dragged across the surface of the car without sufficient lubrication or with the incorrect mediums, and will typically result light scratches that appear in a swirling pattern across your vehicle’s paint.

How else can swirl marks be caused?

Another cause of swirl marks is when dishwashing liquids are applied to a car and the chemicals within the liquid do not contain the right chemistry with the surface. This will leave light scratches and a rougher finish. While washing your car, make sure to avoid using an old t-shirt or cheap mitts. The reason being, the dirt and low quality of these fabrics will much more likely do much damage to your car that will go unnoticed  in the short term.

How to prevent swirl marks?

Aside from simply avoiding the causes, you can also take several measures in your car wash routines in order to actively lower the risk of swirl marks.

• Using a dirty shirt or low quality towel, or even a dry towel, to wipe down a dirty car can be a big cause of swirl marks and scratches. As such, using clean cotton towels or micro-fibre towels is highly recommended when drying your vehicle
• Lack of lubrication between two surfaces can cause a lot of friction, which can damage your car. To avoid this, always make sure to wash the car thoroughly before using a towel.
• Do not place a cover back onto a car immediately after a drive. Driving will leave dust particles on the paint, and in turn, the cover will rub all the dust further in. Wash your car before putting a clean cover on it.