Controlled hand washing begins by removing loose contamination before contact with the paint. Clean wash media, compatible shampoo and a systematic panel order reduce avoidable marks.

Wheels are treated separately with products suitable for their finish and given enough dwell time without allowing chemistry to dry. Existing corrosion or failed clear coat may limit what cleaning can achieve.

Several gentle stages can be appropriate on a heavily contaminated vehicle, but no wash process can honestly guarantee a scratch-free result on every existing finish.

This article originally referred to a former Schwyz branch. AVP now serves customers from the canton at its Glattbrugg site near Zurich. Current information is on the Schwyz service-area page.