Toyota 2012 Avalon Owner's Manual page 365

4-1. Maintenance and care
Cleaning and protecting the vehicle exterior
Perform the following to protect the vehicle and maintain it in prime
condition.
● Working from top to bottom, liberally apply water to the vehicle
body, wheel wells and underside of the vehicle to remove any
dirt and dust.
Wash the vehicle body using a sponge or soft cloth, such as a cham-
ois.
● For hard-to-remove marks, use car wash soap and rinse thor-
oughly with water.
● Wipe away any water.
● Wax the vehicle when the waterproof coating deteriorates.
If water does not bead on a clean surface, apply wax when the vehicle
body is cool.
■
Automatic car washes
●
Fold the mirrors back before washing the vehicle.
●
Brushes used in automatic car washes may scratch the vehicle surface
and harm your vehicle's paint.
■
High pressure car washes
Do not allow the nozzles of the car wash to come within close proximity of
the windows. Before car wash, check that the fuel filler door is closed.
■
Aluminum wheels
●
Remove any dirt immediately by using a neutral detergent. Do not use
hard brushes or abrasive cleaners. Do not use strong or harsh chemical
cleaners. Use the same mild detergent and wax as used on the paint.
●
Do not use detergent on the wheels when they are hot, for example after
driving for long distance in the hot weather.
●
Wash detergent from the wheels immediately after use.
■
Bumpers and side moldings
Do not scrub with abrasive cleaners.
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