Alfa Romeo MiTo 2016 Owner's Handbook Manual page 150

wash the bodywork using a low
pressure jet of water;
wipe a sponge with a slightly soapy
solution over the bodywork, frequently
rinsing the sponge;
rinse well with water and dry with a jet
of air or a chamois leather.
Dry the less visible parts (e.g. door
frames, bonnet, headlight frames, etc.)
with special care, as water may stagnate
more easily in these areas. Do not wash
the car after it has been left in the sun or
with the bonnet hot: this may alter the
shine of the paintwork.
Exterior plastic parts must be cleaned in
the same way as the rest of the vehicle.
IMPORTANT NOTES
Avoid parking under trees; the resin
dropped by trees makes the paintwork
go opaque and increases the possibility
of corrosion.
Bird droppings must be washed off
immediately and thoroughly as the acid
they contain is particularly aggressive.
Windows
Use specific detergents and clean cloths
to prevent scratching or altering the
transparency.
IMPORTANT Wipe the rear window inside
gently with a cloth following the direction
of the filaments to avoid damaging the
heating device.
148
Front headlights
Use a soft cloth soaked in water and
detergent for washing cars.
IMPORTANT Never use aromatic
substances (e.g. petrol) or ketones (e.g.
acetone) for cleaning the plastic lenses
of the headlights.
IMPORTANT When cleaning with a
pressure washer, keep the water jet at
least 20 cm away from the headlights.
Engine compartment
At the end of every winter, wash the
engine compartment thoroughly, taking
care not to aim the jet of water directly at
the electronic control units or at the
windscreen wiper motors. Have this
operation performed at a specialised
workshop.
IMPORTANT The washing should take
place with the engine cold and the
ignition key in the STOP position. After
the washing operation, make sure that
the various protections (e.g. rubber caps
and guards) have not been removed or
damaged.
IMPORTANT
5) Detergents pollute the environment. Only
wash your vehicle in areas equipped to
collect and treat wastewater from this type
of activity.
IMPORTANT
44) In order to preserve the aesthetic
appearance of the paint abrasive products
and/or polishes should not be used for
cleaning the vehicle.
45) Avoid washing with rollers and/or
brushes in washing stations. Wash the
vehicle only by hand using neutral pH
detergents; dry it with a wet chamois leather.
Abrasive products and/or polishes should
not be used for cleaning the car. Bird
droppings must be washed off immediately
and thoroughly as the acid they contain is
particularly aggressive. Avoid (if at all
possible) parking the vehicle under trees;
remove vegetable resins immediately as,
when dried, it may only be possible to remove
them with abrasive products and/or polishes,
which is highly inadvisable as they could alter
the typical opaqueness of the paint. Do not
use pure windscreen washer fluid for
cleaning the front windscreen and rear
window; dilute it min. 50% with water. Only
use pure screen washer fluid when strictly
necessary due to outside temperature
conditions.