carcarewax.com

Notice this is about PROPERLY washing your car. Anyone can tell you how to wash a car, but only true car care experts can tell you how to really wash a car how it’s supposed to be done. With that said, it’s really best to hand wash your car because machine car washes can sometimes scratch your paint surface or your wax. Besides, if you really take good care of your car, taking it to the wash once a week can get expensive.

You’ll need a few things. First off you’ll need a bucket to pour water in, a hose with running water, a wash mitten or rag, car shampoo, and a chamoise to dry off the surface later.

• Plastic bucket - You can most likely find an empty bucket around the house. BUT, don’t just use any bucket because using a dirty bucket can lead to scratching your car if you accidentally get soil particles onto the car surface. Get a new plastic bucket just for washing your car from the dollar store, or somewhere cheap like Walmart.
• Hose (running water) - Hopefully you have one. Make sure to check your town/city runoff regulations. Some places require strict cleanup when you wash a car, for example, they do that in certain parts of California.
• Wash Mitt - Absolutely, definitely use sheepskin. This is highly recommended because it is the softest quality material that will not scratch your paint surface. Don’t get fake sheepskin. Would you rather buy something cheap, scratch your car, and have to deal with the hassle later? Pay more for the real thing. It’s well worth it in the long-run.
• Car Shampoo - Don’t use laundry detergent, dish washing detergent or regular soap. These will damage your paint surface. Car shampoo ingredients are safe for your paint surface. A good car shampoo costs less than $30 for a 6-month supply. Check some out in our Store, or get some TurboWax Car Shampoo (rated highly by detailing experts).
• Absorber - Forget about traditional leather chamois. These are hard to use, get ruined pretty quick, and can potentially damage your paint surface if you’re inexperienced. Get The Absorber. Guaranteed to be the best car care purchase in your life. You will be amazed at how well this dries your car. It’s only $11, and it will likely outlast the life of your car! (Most people keep their absorber for 5+ years)

Okay, so here is a quick step-by-step of how to wash your car:

1. Before you start make sure to park your car out of direct sunlight because that could create residue that’s hard to remove. This is especially true if you live in an area that has calcium in the water.
2. Loosen and wash off some of the dirt from the car using the hose.
3. Make sure the bucket is clean and pour 1/2oz of shampoo into it. Know how many gallons the bucket holds. For each gallon you need to use 1/2oz of car shampoo. When the shampoo is in the bucket, put your finger on the water running from the hose to pressurize it and point it into the bucket to make the shampoo form suds.
4. When the bucket is filled with suds, turn off the hose water and take your mitt (make sure it is absolutely clean) and dunk it in the bucket to get it wet. Get some suds on it, and then apply to some area of the car. The front hood is a good place to start. Use large circular hand motion and press somewhat firmly on the surface to rub off any dirt or particles that may be stuck. Do NOT rub rigorously. You don’t want to scratch your vehicle. Make sure you cover every part of the car. This should take about 15 minutes. Don’t take too long or the soap will dry and form residue that will require further washing.
5. Once you’re done washing, drop the wash mitt into the bucket. Do NOT drop it on the ground! That will get particles in it that will scratch your paint the next time you use it. Next, start the hose again and rinse all the soap off the surface. Make sure all the soap is gone, and then get your absorber.
6. Use the hose to wet the absorber towel a bit and then wring it out dry. Then place it flat and wide on a section of the car surface. For example, start with the hood. Lay it out flat as possible on the hood surface. Then hold the 2 front corners and gently tug it towards you while keeping it as flat on the surface as possible. It will feel stuck, but that’s the whole point. Tug harder if you have to, but be gentle. It will absorb all the water in seconds. Repeat this for all other surface sections. Using this you can dry your car in less than 10-15 minutes. When you’re done, make sure to wring it dry and roll it back into the container. If the absorber gets dirty, you can wash it in a laundry machine. Just follow the instructions on the container.

There you have it, your car should be nice and clean. Enjoy driving around in your shiny car and showing it off, and when it gets dirty again, you know what to do

If you have any questions about washing your car or would like to share tips with others, feel free to post below.

Bookmark It

This entry was posted on Thursday, September 18th, 2008 at 4:21 am and is filed under Exterior Car Care. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.