The process of washing a car is a lot about being careful and paying attention to detail. Regularly washing your car will not only paint the paint but also keep the car looking fresh and new. Moreover, it will help you understand the lines and curves of your baby and you will be able to understand your car better.
Here is our step by step guide to wash your car like a professional and get the professional shine at home.
Things you will need –
1. Car wash shampoo
2. Sponge
3. 2 buckets of water
4. Hose pipe
5. Microfiber glove mitt
6. Microfiber towel
Prepare with getting two buckets of water and a hose pipe ready for cleaning. One bucket is for washing the car, while the other is for rinsing. We would suggest you invest in a car shampoo and not use home products as it can damage the wax and paint. As per the given quantity behind the shampoo bottle, mix water and the shampoo concentrate in a bucket. Roughly one cap of shampoo for one bucket of water should be sufficient. Don’t go beyond the quantity as it could remove the wax coating off the car. Park your car in a shaded area to clean your car. Close all the doors and windows to avoid any water to go inside the car.
Start With The Tyres
Your tyres are the dirtiest part of the car. It is best to start with the tyres and have it cleaned before moving up to the body. Make sure you work on cold tyres, as it will dry up the water and soap faster. Spray water on the wheels using a hose pipe, to remove the dirt and grime off the car. Make sure you clean the treads and remove any wanted stones, nails or glass pieces stuck in the tyre that could lead to a puncture later. Be very careful to not cut your hand.
Once the water has been sprayed, it is time to clean the tyres and the wheels. Using the brush, scrub the tyres gently and clean the treads and sidewall. Now move onto the rim of the wheel. Using the brush, gently scrub on the wheel and remove the excess dirt and grime, especially from the internal portions of the wheel. For alloy wheels, use the sponge to clean the spokes, so that you do not end up damaging the paint of the spokes by using a brush. If you have steel rims, remove the wheel cap and clean it separately with a sponge.
For smaller areas such as nuts, cleaning with a toothbrush should be effective. Rinse your tyres using the hose pipe and make sure there are no remains of soap on the wheels. Remember to also clean the mud flaps as they are sure to have lots of mud and dirt stuck on them. Using a dry cloth, wipe the excess water off the wheel rims to avoid water spots. Put the wheel covers back, after you have cleaned the entire car.
Top To Down Approach
While cleaning the exterior of your car, it is recommended that you take the top to down approach. Start from the roof, windshields, hood, trunk and lastly the sides. Make sure you use new water for the car exteriors, since the tyre cleanup would have made the water extremely dirty.
The Roof, Hood and The Trunk
Start with hosing your car with water. Be very gentle and don’t apply too much of pressure to avoid scratching the paint. If you have any tough stains like bird droppings, you could use the concentrated car shampoo on that specific location and remove the stain. Dip the sponge or microfiber glove mitt in the soap water and gently scrub it on the surface of the car. Apply very little pressure or none at all when rubbing the mitt on the car. Take one portion at a time for cleaning. The idea is to float the dirt and dust away from the paint. Keep your hand movements from front to back on the horizontal surfaces of the car.
The Sides
Now it’s time to move to the sides of the car. Here remember to keep your hand movements from top to down and gently clean the doors, fenders, wheel arches of your car. Give special attention towards the lower side of the car as most of the dirt will still be stuck in these areas. You may have to apply some pressure to remove the dirt. Look under the doors, front and rear bumpers, under the wheel arches. As you move to the back, you also need to clean the exhaust tip using the mitt or sponge.
Glass Area
It would be a good idea to clean the glass area like your window glass, windshield with the mitt while washing your car. Complete washing your car and in the end spray some glass cleaner and wipe it down with a paper towel or a newspaper. Roll down the window glass to wipe off the edge for a more efficient cleanup. Make sure you also wipe the headlights, taillights, indicators thoroughly.
Rinse The Car
Before you begin the drying process, spray water on the car using a hose pipe and let it flow freely over the surface of the car. This won’t allow any water droplets to cause spots. Once the water flows, it’s time to dry the car using a towel.
The Drying Process
Now the idea to maintain the paint of your car is not to wipe the towel on the surface. Even that could leave mild scratches on the paint. A microfiber towel will soak in most of the water. Keep the towel flat on the surface and drag it lightly downwards on the car. Repeat it until the water has dried off. For standing water, use a blotting method with the towel. It should soak in the water and dry the car.
Now that the surface of your car is dry, use a clean dry cloth to wipe the surface throughout the car. Again don’t apply any pressure while doing so. In the end clean the door sides, door jamb, behind the fuel filler lid, trunk lid and the scuff plates. You car is now ready for a coat of wax or polish.
The whole process will take you a maximum of 1.5 hours and will restore the pristine shine on your car. Use this opportunity to check the car for any rust spots. If any of the scratches are deep exposing the metal, it is better to have it filled up by a professional. The key to washing your car is enjoying the entire process while doing it. When your car shines in the end looking as good as new, give yourself a pat for a job well done.
Also check out our guide to clean the interiors of your car.
Remember –
1. Do not waste water.
2. Always park out of direct sunlight
3. Try to wash the car in the early mornings as to not dry off the soapy water on the car
4. Clean any kind of bird dropping off the car’s paint as soon as possible.
5. Apply a good quality wax on your car after you have cleaned it to ensure that the paint stays fresh and new.