Updated: 06/12/2020

How to Wash a Car

Most car owners tend to their cars over the weekend. Washing the car, servicing it, tinkering with spare parts, polishing the paint, pressure washing the tires, restoring headlights, and so on are some of the things that you will find people doing. Cleaning the car is a satisfying task for most owners, and it brings them great peace and a sense of accomplishment. 

While this is an admirable task, not everyone does the job in the best manner. Wanting to wash the car, and doing it right are two very different aspects. Dirt, dust, mud, and grime can accumulate pretty quickly if you’re not careful. If left uncleaned, this accumulation can severely hamper the performance of the engine and tires. You must clean the windscreen wiper, use a dashboard cleaner, a pressure washer, car polish, and a headlight restoration kit to ensure your car is always up to the mark. 

Washing the car is not just rubbing a soapy sponge over the paint. Cleaning the vehicle requires proper care and maintenance to ensure it runs smoothly in the long term. Protecting the bodywork, engine, glass panels, and interiors is also a significant part of cleaning the car.

Let us help you wash the car in simple, easy to follow steps.

Choose the Best Weather and Time: Ideally, cloudy and sunless days are fabulous for washing cars. It might sound outlandish, but it is not. The heat of the sun will dry off the vehicle before you can start cleaning it. This is counterproductive since you would have to restart. Allowing water to dry out without wiping, also leaves water stains on the bodywork of the car, making it look untidy and unkempt. 

If a sunny day is unavoidable, park your car in a shaded, well-ventilated spot before you start cleaning it. Avoid washing your car in the evenings or night (unless extremely well lit) since it can be easy to miss out on small spots or spaces due to low visibility. The best weather and time is a cloudy day in the morning or afternoon.

Pre-Clean: Once you’ve selected the best time and weather, you should clean off the dirt, dust, and grime already present on the car. Use a good quality pressure washer in a low to medium setting, so you do not damage the paintwork of the vehicle. Use special care and attention when tending to the wheels, alloys, and grilles. Clean the fender and bumper to ensure all the hardened dirt comes off quickly. 

Make sweeping motions with the pressure washer (usually in a single direction) to preserve the body of the car and to distribute the pressure and force of the hose. When you get all the dirt off, you can give the car a good soak with some car foam or shampoo and leave it on for a bit before you start scrubbing.

Shampoo and Scrub: The entire external body of the car should be covered with soap or car shampoo. Avoid using household cleaning agents and detergents, and instead, opt for ones that are manufactured only for vehicles. Using harsh chemical cleaners and washing liquids can deteriorate the paint and strip it off any protective properties it may have. The colour would then start peeling or chipping off.

Use a bucket of the shampoo water and a soft sponge (without any stiff bristles). Start making gentle circular motions with a soapy sponge starting from the hood and fender, moving towards the windshield, the sides, the top of the car, the back, and finally the bumper. Working panel by panel ensures even application of the shampoo. Once done, rinse the car off with plain water and allow all the soap to run off naturally.

Drying: Use a soft microfibre cloth to dry the car. Many car owners also prefer using chamois leather to preserve the paintwork. Some people also prefer using a blow dryer to ensure complete evaporation of the water. Either way, you should check that all hidden areas such as the lights and door handles are wholly dry. 

Once dry, you could use car polish to shine the external body and paintwork. This leaves the car gleaming.

Detailing: Just cleaning the external body of the car is not considered good maintenance. Use a good quality windscreen wiper to clean the windscreen. You should try cleaning and shining the dashboard with a dashboard cleaner. While doing this, do not forget to use a headlight restoration kit to keep the lights functional and useful in all weather conditions.