Cars have become such an integral part of our day-to-day lives that we can’t imagine our lives without them. We spend hours in our cars, driving, in queues, or just hanging out in them, blasting some good music to relax. Despite all this, many people don’t know how to keep their cars clean. That is why we end up with cars on our highways that look like they just took a dust bath. Well, that will happen no more, because today, we’ve brought you a simple yet detailed guide on how to wash your car and keep it clean. Trust me when I say this, these few pointers will take you to a whole new level in terms of your lifestyle and even how people view you. So with that said, let’s dive in.
Location Is Everything, Always Park Your Car In The Shade
The first and most important thing is the place at which you decide to wash your car in the first place. Many people assume this detail doesn’t matter but believe us, it does. You should never wash your car in direct sunlight. This is because the heat from the sun speeds up the drying process, which creates a risk of water spots. That is how you end up with patches on your car after a wash. Keeping the car out of the sun will also help keep the cleaning solution from drying on the car’s surface before you have time to rinse it off. So make it a point to never ignore this very important rule.
Light Rinse To Loosen the Dirt
This next step is one that many people often miss as well, but adhering to it will save you time and money in the long run. Before you start to scrub the car surface, always make sure to give the car a pre-rinse first. Starting from the top down, you’ll need to hose or pressure wash your entire car off to thoroughly wet the surface, removing any loose dirt, grime, and bird droppings. Make sure you include the wheel arches as well. This simple yet necessary step significantly reduces the risk that you will scratch the car's surface when you’re washing it.
Have Multiple Buckets Plus Clean The Well Tires First
This tip comes in two parts. The first one is that you must have two buckets if you’re washing your car. The purpose of using two buckets is so that you can rinse out and remove dirt from your washing mitt or sponge before filling it with soap again. This prevents you from scrubbing the car with little bits of stone and dirt that would otherwise damage the surface of the car. While we’re on this point, make sure to not use dish detergents or hand soap, as these are too harsh for the car's surface. There are plenty of affordable soaps that are made for cars that you can find in shops all over.
The second tip for this part is that you must begin by cleaning the wheel wells and tires. Spray well then use your wheel brush and soapy water to scrub the tires. Be sure to rinse the brush frequently to remove grit and small stones.
Washing: Start At The Top, And Work Your Way Down
Another factor that many people don’t consider when washing a car is the realization that the dirtiest parts of the car are typically those found towards the bottom as those are closer to the ground. When washing, if you start at the bottom, going up, you would essentially be moving that dirt and grime from the bottom to your car’s surface. That would be a big no-no. So, starting from the top and working your way down, dunk your sponge into your car wash solution and softly glide across the roof of your vehicle to collect the loose dirt and grime.
When you’re doing this, remember to wash in lines and not in circles like most people do. That’s a key point. Also, remember to avoid scrubbing too hard. This is not the place to show us how strong you are. Just a gentle motion will do the job. Keep the second step we mentioned in mind too, that as you wash each section, rinse your sponge off in the second bucket to ensure your soapy water stays free of any dirt.
Rinse The Car
Many people like to do this panel by panel but in general, be sure to keep your car wet as you wash it, and once you’ve cleaned the whole vehicle, give it a final rinse with a steady stream of water. This allows the water to sheet off the panels, making the drying process easier and quicker. The hotter the weather you are working in, the more frequently you will have to rinse the car so that water stains do not develop.
Dry The Car
After the car is thoroughly rinsed, use soft surface towels like microfibre cloths to dry the surface of the vehicle. These will ensure that the paint of the car is protected. Wipe down all the panels from top to bottom to prevent water spots from forming as it all dries. Here’s another small tip that people skip as well. Be sure to wipe down the door jambs, as well as trunk and hood jambs. Once one towel is saturated, grab another dry one to use so that everything is kept dry and clean.
Finishing Touches
After everything is done, it’s time for the miscellaneous touches. Firstly, feel the surface and consider using a clay bar if needed. A clay bar removes small contaminants from a car’s surface that washing cannot. So when feeling the surface, if it feels rough to the touch, consider using a clay bar to extract the embedded material. On top of this, make it a point to wax your car. This has the added benefit of bringing that extra shine to the vehicle and also adding a protective layer for the paint.
If you like shiny tires as well, this is the time to use tire polish to bring that extra shine to your wheels. The polish is meant for the tire sides, so make sure to not use it on the tire treads as that’s pretty much pointless. Once you go through this entire process, then boom, you’ve completed the process. You now have a clean, shiny, beautiful car.