Cleaning your car is something most people do but when should you wash your Lexus NX? Is there a standard rule on this or does it depend on the condition of your Lexus NX? If you have questions like these then keep reading.
You work hard for your money, why shouldn’t your car? Just like you brush your teeth every day and maintain a regular waxing schedule, your Lexus should be cleaned on a regular basis to remove dirt and grime.
Throughout the years, I’ve cleaned my NX dozens of times. A clean Lexus NX looks great and really makes the car stand out after using a professional detailing service. But how often should you wash your Lexus NX? The answer is more simple than you might think:
We recommend washing your vehicle at least once a month. It’s also a good idea to wash the vehicle after rain or snowstorms, or after driving on dusty roads. If you live in a cold climate, wash it more often because salt and sand can accumulate on the underbody and cause corrosion.
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Main Reasons to Wash Your Lexus Regularly
Your Lexus NX is a vehicle that you need to take care of well. There are some maintenance tasks that are crucial to perform on your vehicle if you want it to last for a long time. One of these tasks is washing your vehicle regularly.
Washing your car regularly is one of the most important parts of car ownership, especially if you want to keep your Lexus NX looking new! But why is it so important? We’re here to give you a few reasons to wash your Lexus NX on a regular basis.
Protect Your Clear Coat
One of the main reasons you should wash your Lexus NX regularly is to protect the clear coat that protects the paint job underneath. The clear coat protects the paint of your vehicle from a lot of things like dirt and grime, weather elements, and more! However, while it’s doing this, it begins to noticeably wear down over time. It’s easy to spot when your clear coat looks dingy or dull because it’s usually accompanied by a thin layer of dirt, pollen, and other pollutants that have been sitting on top of it for too long. The longer dirt sits on top of your clear coat, the more damage occurs.
Protect Your Car’s Finish
Normal road use can cause damage to the finish of your Lexus NX if you don’t wash it regularly – even if you don’t notice it at first! For example, when mud dries onto your vehicle, it can leave behind swirl marks and other abrasions that will eventually cause costly repairs.
Should You Use A Pressure Washer?
Pressure washers are great for washing siding, driveways, patios, and decks. They’re also useful for washing your car if you use them correctly. But unless you have experience using one of these tools, you could end up damaging the paint and even causing injury.
When used incorrectly, pressure washers can force water underneath the paint’s surface and loosen its protective coating. The high-pressure stream of water can also rip off the decals on your car or anything else that’s attached to it.
Lexus’ official owner’s manual also reminds Lexus NX owners:
“As water may enter the cabin, do not bring the nozzle tip near the gaps around the doors or perimeter of the windows, or spray these areas continuously.”
If you do choose to use a pressure washer on your car, always follow these guidelines:
- Use a low pressure nozzle (0°) when washing the vehicle body, side mirrors, headlights and taillights, hood vents or grilles
- Use a medium pressure nozzle (25°) when cleaning wheels or wheel wells
- Never use a high-pressure nozzle (40°) on any part of the vehicle
How to Properly Clean Your Lexus NX
If you’ve ever tried to clean a car, you likely know that no matter how much time you spend cleaning your car, it just never looks quite as good as when the professionals at a car clean do it. Luckily for you, we’ve got you covered! In this section, we’ll discuss the proper way to go about doing it.
Cleaning the vehicle exterior
- Fold the mirrors, turn off the power back door, and set the wiper switch to off.
- Rinse off dirt with water before washing the vehicle to prevent scratches.
- Use car wash soap with a rich lubricant and apply to the surface. Note that Do not use acidic, alkaline or abrasive detergent.
- Park your car in a shady area (to prevent soap from drying).
- Use a soft cloth (such as a chamois) or sponge to gently scrub off dirt from the body panels and wheels. Avoid using brushes as they can scratch the paint.
- Rinse off all soap with water, making sure not to leave any soapy residue behind on the surface of the vehicle.
- Dry your Lexus NX using microfiber towels (or chamois) and allow it to air dry for an hour or two before putting it away.
- Wax the vehicle when the waterproof coating deteriorates. Do not use wax that contains abrasives. This may damage the body’s Self-restoring coat, which is resistant to small surface scratches caused in a car wash etc.
Cleaning the vehicle lights
To help you clean your headlights, taillights, brake lights, and turn signals, we’ve put together a simple guide for cleaning these components.
- First, wash the car to remove dirt and debris from the lights. Then, be sure to dry the lights thoroughly with a clean cloth.
- Next, use a microfiber cloth and an approved glass cleaner to wipe down the lenses. It’s best not to use paper towels or your shirt because they can scratch the lenses. If you don’t have glass cleaner, you can also use isopropyl alcohol and water in equal parts or white vinegar with water in equal parts.
- After making sure that the lights are dry and clean again, apply a UV protectant spray according to the package directions. This will help protect your headlights from further damage and keep them looking newer for longer.
- OPTIONAL. Wax the headlights. Use an automotive wax designed for plastic headlight lenses. Apply a small amount of wax in a circular motion and buff off with a clean microfiber towel.
- It’s important to remember that if your headlight bulbs are blown or old, it won’t matter how well you clean your lenses. Have your headlights replaced by a professional if needed.
Cleaning the vehicle interior
While the exterior is important, you can’t forget about the interior. Sure, it’s not exposed to the elements, but there is a lot of foot traffic and other issues that can degrade the interior. You should at least be giving your Lexus NX monthly maintenance for its leather seats and dashboard. The best way to clean these surfaces is to use milder products that are specifically designed for use in a car.
- Carpets. The carpets in your car are probably more vulnerable than you can imagine. They have to deal with a lot of wear and tear as well as food spills and other things that can cause some damage over time. This is why we recommend you give them some attention every week or so by vacuuming them. If you need to remove stains that you can’t get out with a vacuum, then try using a carpet cleaner made specifically for cars.
- Seats. The upholstery on your seats need to be vacuumed and cleaned periodically to prolong their life and appearance. Depending on how frequently your Lexus NX is driven, this might mean every week or two, or only once a month. You can use a gentle upholstery cleaner to remove any lingering stains from the seats.
- The dashboard, doors and center console. For hard surfaces like the dashboard in your Lexus NX, use an ammonia-free window cleaner to get rid of dust and grime without damaging delicate components like the climate control display. Use microfiber cleaning cloths to prevent scratching these surfaces as you wipe them down.
- Upholstery. While leather upholstery is generally easier to clean, it still needs to be cleaned on a regular basis. You should wipe down the seats with a leather cleaner at least once every couple of weeks. Fabric upholstery can be cleaned with a mixture of soap and water.
When Should You Wash Your Lexus NX Immediately?
As mentioned in the owner’s manual, your should wash your Lexus NX immediately in the following cases:
- After driving near the sea coast
- After driving on salted roads
- If coal tar or tree sap is present on the paint surface
- If dead insects, insect droppings or bird droppings are present on the paint surface
- After driving in an area contaminated with soot, oily smoke, mine dust, iron powder or chemical substances
- If the vehicle becomes heavily soiled with dust or mud
- If liquids such as benzene and gasoline are spilled on the paint surface
Wrapping it up
Since your Lexus NX is a luxury vehicle that’s driven in a variety of road conditions, it should be cleaned more frequently than your garden-variety passenger car. If you’re the type of person who only washes their car when it’s dirty, you shouldn’t own a Lexus NX!
Lexus owners must exercise routine maintenance to keep their vehicles in excellent condition, and regular car washes are an important part of that equation. Much like the engine and other components, the paint on a Lexus NX should be protected from acidic elements to prevent damage that can dull its finish and make it rough in spots. Dirt and other grime can also interfere with the proper operation of the AC and heating systems, so it’s wise to wash the vehicle regularly.
