Washing Your Car Cleaning the Right Way - Some Tips to Keep Your Investment in Tip Top Shape   by Garrick Dee

in Autos / Maintenance and Repair    (submitted 2011-09-26)

In the past I thought that washing a car entails grabbing some dish washing liquid and then pour it in a bucket of water, utilize it to clean the car with a dirty sponge I found in the garage.

I discovered afterwards that it will do much more harm than good. Yes, dish-washing liquid can remove grime and muck on your vehicle, it also removes the protective wax coating that safeguards your car's finish. Additionally, it may dull the paint if used for a long period removing its shine.

I will reveal to you some techniques I learned through the years that you can use for your vehicle to maintain it's luster and shine.

You'll need the right equipment for the task

Car Shampoo - It doesn't only clean your car, it won't remove the protective wax on your vehicle's paint also it washes away easy compared to a dish-washing liquid. When you frequently wash your vehicle, purchase it by the gallon, you will spend less over time.

Microfiber Wash Mitt - I like to work with these over heavy sponges, because this will soak up grime instead of pushing it around and damaging the paint. Get yourself a pair, one for the top portion and the other for the bottom portion of the vehicle since the bottom portion has a tendency to really get soiled.

Wheel Brush - You will find plenty of wheel brushes available for sale, all different in dimensions and bristle hardness. Acquire one that has soft bristles so that it does not scratch your wheels. You may get a longer one for the wheel wells.

Wheel Cleaner - You wouldn't want brake dust to build up on your wheels because it is going to do some serious damage to the finish. Make use of a wheel cleaner to wash your wheels and tires and keep their showroom condition.

Bug and Tar Remover - If you reside inside a city where love bugs thrive - you'll certainly need this, because these bugs can do some serious damage on your paint if left on. Bugs as they decay produce a chemical that will break down their carcasses, it will also damage your car's paint leaving behind etch marks.

Microfiber Towels - It is best you get a waffle weaved micro-fiber towel that is plush and luxurious, it will lift grime up rather than push it around furthermore it'll hold lots of water reducing drying time. A flexible must-have tool you'll want inside your toolbox.

No Rinse Wash Solution - If you reside in areas with water limitations and drought, you will still have the ability to clean your vehicle by using this. It's essentially a solution you mix with water in which you'll use to wash your vehicle without the need to rinse.

Grit guard insert - It's an insert you put in the base of the bucket, where you could drag the wash mitt over to be able to get rid of amassed dirt and grime keeping the wash mitt clean so that it doesn't scratch the paint.

Quick Detailer - It's essentially a spray wax you should use after each car wash cycle to maintain the shine of your car's paint.

Fundamental steps in washing your vehicle

Before you begin, make sure your car's surface is cool. For the best results, make use of a two bucket method. One bucket holds the soapy water and the other holds water that is clean.

Begin with the wheels. With your wheel cleaner, spray a liberal amount around the wheels, tires and wheel wells, allow a couple of minutes to soak in and remove dirt and grime. Together with your wheel brush, scrub the grime out lightly then rinse. Work on one wheel each time.

At this point it's time to clean your vehicle. Put a cap full of car shampoo inside a pail after that mix along with clean water.

Begin from the top part, then clean the windows, hood and trunk, working your way down so that you do not get dirt and grime on the bottom part and move it to the top part scratching the paint. Don't forget to rinse off each part before any soapy water dries out on the paint.

Once you finish around the entire vehicle, dry it as quickly as possible. You wouldn't want water spots developing around the paint. With your microfiber towel, begin with windows as water marks are most visible on this area. Then dry the roof, hood, side sections and bumpers.

Finally dry the wheels - be sure that you make use of another towel on this as you don't want to mix dirt from the wheels to the paint.

Washing without rinsing?

I never thought that this is possible. But the detailing companies have created an option for this. A solution you can make use of to clean your vehicle without having to rinse. Wonderful if you reside in chilly locations, places with water limitations, or if you reside in a condominium or perhaps an apartment in which parking is small.

You will also make use of a two bucket method here - one bucket for your no-rinse wash and another bucket for clean water.

Begin with the wheels. Spray wheel cleaner around the wheels and tires, allow a few moments for the cleaner to work all through the grime and brake dust, then make use of the wheel brush to take off grime then wipe using a microfiber towel. Work one wheel at a time before moving to the next.

After washing the wheels, move to the car's body.

Soak your wash mitt in the no-rinse solution after that start from the roof which is the cleanest part then work your way down to the windows, hood and truck then to the lower panels. Carefully scrub the wash mitt on the paint as you go along.

When you finish cleaning a section, dry it right away using a microfiber towel before the no rise solution dries up. Wash the wash mitt inside a bucket of clean water after cleaning each section so that you do not build up dirt on the wash mitt.

Work one area each time till you clean up the whole car.

Final Touches

Shortly after drying the vehicle, spray some quick detailer over the paint after that wipe off using a clean microfiber towel. Do one section at a time until you finish the whole car. Perform this right after every wash routine to help maintain that just waxed shine. Works really well on cars that are regularly waxed.

I really hope this provides a fundamental idea around the proper techniques and tools you need to clean your vehicle.

Cheers.

About the Author

Garrick is a freelance web designer and an avid car enthusiast. Check out his latest website - Clean Your Car HQ that talks different topics about car cleaning like How to Wash a Car and car detailing in general.