Gloves and eye protection
Wear gloves, especially with wheel cleaners and strong products. If a product is sprayed, protect your eyes and don't spray into the wind.
Safety
Safety: car care chemicals, children and nature
Car care products contain substances that irritate skin and eyes, and their fumes are harmful to breathe in an enclosed space. Waste water with shampoo and road dirt is dangerous for rivers and lakes. A few simple rules let you use car care products with peace of mind and without harm to yourself, your family or nature.
Store car care products as if a curious child lived in your home, even if you have no children.
We describe general rules for handling consumer car care products. Specific warnings and first aid measures are given on the label of each product; read them before you start.
Chemicals and safety
Six rules worth following every time you wash or clean.
Fresh air
In a garage or enclosed bay, open the door or turn on the ventilation. After cleaning the interior, air it with the doors open until the chemical smell has gone.
Storage
Keep products in their original labelled packaging, tightly closed, on a high shelf or in a locked cupboard. Never decant chemicals into drinks bottles.
Child car seat
Clean the seat cover and harness only as described in the seat's instructions. Strong products can weaken the harness webbing, and chemical residue ends up on the child's skin.
Water and nature
The Russian Water Code (art. 65, part 15) prohibits washing vehicles within water protection zones, so a car must not be washed by rivers and lakes. Many other countries also restrict washing cars by rivers and lakes or letting wash water reach drains, so check your local rules. Don't pour dirty water out into nature; use equipped sites.
Empty packaging
Don't pour leftover products onto the ground or down drains. Dispose of empty bottles as stated on the label and in line with local rules where you live.
If chemicals get on your skin or in your eyes
First of all, read the label: it says what to do if the product gets on your skin, in your eyes or is swallowed. That is exactly why the packaging is kept until the product is used up and the product is never decanted into unlabelled containers.
As a rule, the first step is to rinse the affected area generously with clean water. If irritation doesn't go away, or the product got into the eyes or was swallowed, seek medical help and take the packaging with you so the doctor can see the ingredients.
Read next
- Care
Regular and seasonal care: how often to wash the car, why to dry the body, what to do in spring and autumn, and how to look after the underbody and mats.
- Materials
What the body and interior are made of: paint, matte finishes, exterior plastic, fabric and leather, and why it matters for care.
- FAQ
Answers to common questions about this guide, washing the body, cleaning the interior and protecting the paint.
Sources
- The Russian Water Code, art. 65
- Instructions from car and car care product manufacturers
Legal information reflects the rules in force when the page was prepared and may change over time. Every manufacturer has its own formulations and directions for car care products, so the product label and your car's owner's manual remain the main points of reference.