The more you drive, the more often your car will need to be washed. This is especially true in the winter months because of dirt and salt. You should know what kind of car you have and how to wash it. An easy way to do this is by learning the best way on how to wash your car without scratching the paint.
Table of Contents
How Often Should You Wash Your Car
You should wash your car at least once a week. It doesn’t matter if it is raining outside, because you can still wash your car with the windows closed.
The general rule of thumb is that if you can see the dirt on your car, then it’s time to wash.
Truth: How often to wash your car in winter time!
People who enjoy washing their car do it more often. They don’t care what the other person does.
When you are washing your car, make sure that you select the right tools for the job. This includes a bucket, sponge, and washcloth.
Tools You Will Need to Wash Your Car
- A source of water supply
- A decent nozzle of a water hose
- Automotive shampoo
- Two containers
- Microfiber cloths are often used for washing. You can find them at any store that sells cleaning supplies.
- A dry towel
If you live in the northern hemisphere, it is a good idea to use a sponge to wash your car. Sponges are washable but are best to be rinsed in-between between each car wash.
How to Wash a Car Without Scratching the Paint
Preparation
Before you begin washing your vehicle, make sure that the area is safe. Choose an area of the car you are going to wash that does not have much paint damage or other body parts.
The first step is to wash your car by spraying it with a hose. The excess water and dirt will fall off of the car. Make sure that you are spraying from a long distance away to prevent water from getting on the paint or denting the hood. If you want to make sure you do not get water on your paint, get a spray bottle and fill it with soap just for this purpose. You can also use a pressure washer if you have one available.
Wheels First
Use a sponge to wash the wheels first. Use a soapy water solution and then rinse them off with water. Make sure to get behind each wheel because that is where the dirt collects.
The next thing you should do is wash your tires. A lot of people like using soap for this because it’s easy to get the tire clean and shiny. One trick is to spray some soapy water on your tires and then use a cloth or sponge to scrub them down and make sure they are clean.
Top Down
You should wash the top of your car first. Use a bucket of water that is soapy and clean the windows, headlights, and side mirrors. You can use a microfiber cloth to get it really clean.
After washing your windows, you can wash your hood and trunk lid in the same manner as you did with the windows.
After you wash your top, you can wash the rest of your car. Use a bucket of soapy water and a sponge to clean your car. Make sure to get the dirt out from under the bumpers and make sure that you get into the crevices as well.
Coat the car with a sponge or cloth if necessary. You should not use it to scrub your car too hard because it will scratch and damage the paint.
The next step is on the actual paint, which is more difficult to get perfect and won’t look its best without a sealer first anyway. If you have a pressure washer, then you can use that to wash your car beforehand as well, but this is not always necessary.
Drying
You can use a hose to spray water at your car and then use a towel to wipe the water off. For easier drying, you can even blow dry your car with a hairdryer.
If you want to remove water from the inside of your car, use a towel or cloth and wipe it off. If some water is left on the seats or floor mats, you can leave it alone for now and let it air dry so it doesn’t stain anything.
Wondering: Can you wash seat belts with pressure washers?!?
You should never use steel wool to wash your car. It will not clean the paint, and it will create a lot of scratches in the process.
Sealing
The best way to protect your paint is by using a sealer. This will keep the paint from fading and can easily be done at home. Sealers are available at any car parts shop, and the process is very simple. All you need to do is put a coat of sealer on your car and then wash it off after waiting 24 hours.
Many people think that they have to use a sealer on their car every time they wash it. In most cases, this is unnecessary. A sealer can be used from time to time to help protect your paint, but you do not have to put one on every few weeks.
Pros & Cons of Different Ways to Wash Your Car
Using A Foam Cannon (Quicker Washes)
This is the quickest way to wash your car and probably only takes about 20 minutes. The biggest problem with this method is that it only cleans one panel at a time on the car. It’s best to use this when you have a new car because it gets your car really clean in no time.
The foam cannon kit comes with a faucet, nozzle, and safety goggles.
1. First of all, make sure that the nozzle is connected to the hose.
2. Connect the foam cannon to the faucet and then turn on the water source and wait for it to fill with water.
3. Leave it like this for at least three minutes so it can start building up pressure inside of the foam cannon.
4. When the foam cannon is full, pull out the trigger that’s on the nozzle.
5. Spray water onto your paint and wipe it off with a towel afterward.
Pros: Quickest method of cleaning your car out there and comes with a variety of different nozzles to get just all sides of your car really clean in one simple blast of water. It can clean fingerprints, grime, road salt, and other stains off very easily.
Cons: Very expensive when compared to other methods and might not be the best option for someone with smaller hands/ a short reach.
Washing A Car By Hand (Step by Step)
This is the way that most people wash their car at home. It’s a lot of work, but it’s still the most popular way to get your car cleaned without taking it to a professional.
If you want to save money, this is definitely the way that you should go.
1. The first thing that you should do is get your car wet using a hose with a spray nozzle on it. Make sure that you don’t leave any standing water, as this will eventually damage your paint.
2. Next, grab a bucket and fill it up with about 2 gallons of water.
3. You can use soap or shampoo to help work out the dirt that’s on your car. This might remove the wax coating on your car, but you can reapply it once you are done washing it.
4. If your car is very dirty, start off by using a brush and soap to scrub off the dirt. Make sure that you are using an extremely diluted soap, as this is much more gentle on the paint.
5. Rinse your car off with water before using a wash mitt to get rid of any remaining dirt or grime. You can use a sponge for areas that are hard to reach.
6. After you’ve rinsed it off, dry your car with a shaggy towel. Make sure that you don’t drag it across the surface of your car.
7. Finally, you should wax your car to protect it from UV rays and airborne pollutants.
Depending on how dirty your car is, this process could take up to 3 hours. It’s normal for people to spend about 30 minutes washing and washing their cars, followed by another hour or two getting everything dried off.
Wash, rinse, and wax your car regularly to keep it in good shape. You can wash the surface at any time, but keep in mind that you will need to give your car a good waxing once a month or so. If you have a water leak on your roof or door jams, you may also need to polish them as well.
Washing Cars In The Rain? (Good or Bad)
While washing your car on a rainy day might seem like a good idea, it is actually not always the best option.
Depending on the type of car you have and how much water exposure your car has been subjected to over the years you may need to wash your car prior to the start of each season.
If you have a sedan that has been exposed to rain daily for months or years then it is very likely you will need to wax and polish your entire vehicle before driving it at all.
Using A Pressure Washer
You can speed up the process of washing your car by using a pressure washer. This lets you clean your car in record time and requires very little effort. This is by far the fastest way to wash your car and works well on both new and used cars.
- You should start by cleaning off the wheels of your car with a sponge first because that’s where the dirt collects. Then, make sure that the wheels are completely dry.
After this, you should use a pressure washer to clean the roof, hood, and trunk lid. When you let the pressure washer blast off your car it will leave a thick haze on your windows and shine them immediately. - Use a microfiber towel to rinse all of the soap off of your car before drying it off with another microfiber towel or cloth.
- To protect your paint job, you should use a sealer on your car. Make sure that you follow the instructions on the sealer before applying it to your car.
Pros: The biggest advantage to using a pressure washer is that it lets you wash your car in less than half an hour. It’s also very easy to use and lets you clean every area of the car quickly.
Cons: The main disadvantage is that it can cause damage if not used right. If the water is too strong, it can damage your paint job and can easily be dangerous depending on the situation. Make sure that you read up on how to use a pressure washer before using one on your car.
Two Bucket Method
This is similar to the foam cannon method in that it’s a lot easier and simpler to clean your car in just one go. The two bucket method is simple but takes a long time. If you have a new car, then it’s best to use this method.
Even if you have a used car, this is still the most economical way of cleaning your car and works well for most people.
- First, you should fill up a bucket with a lot of water so that it’s about 1/4th full. It doesn’t have to be exact, as the final water level doesn’t really matter.
- Next, you should use a sponge or mitt to wash your car and remove all of the dirt and grime from it. Try to make sure that this is very thorough and that you scrub the whole car for 2-3 minutes.
- After you’ve washed it, make sure that you rinse off any soap with a bucket of water. Then, dry your car off with a shaggy towel.
- Finally, you should wax your car to protect it from UV rays and airborne pollutants.
Pros: This is a lot easier than washing your car by hand and takes about half the time. You can keep using this method over and over again if you don’t think that your car is dirty enough for another wash.
Cons: This might not be the best method to use when your vehicle has a lot of body damage. It can also be a little tricky to get all of the dirt, particularly on the wheels, as this is where dirt usually accumulates.
Car Washing Tips
Tip 1: Use a sponge or plush wash mitt to brush your car off with detergent before rinsing it off. This will help remove any dirt or grime that builds up on your car easily as well as helping you to scrub the paint.
Tip 2: When you are washing your car by hand, use a shammy cloth to dry it off afterward. A shaggy towel is even better if you can find one, which is why they are popular for drying off cars.
Tip 3: Try to wash your car in the shade. It will prevent your paint job from fading, and you won’t need to worry about water spots as long as you dry it off well.
Tip 4: Use de-ionized or distilled water when washing your car for the first time. This helps prevent any mineral buildup as well as fading of your paint job.
Tip 5: If you live in an area that uses a lot of salt on the road, try to drive your car in the morning or evening when it is least exposed to harmful pollutants. This can help you keep your paint job looking new for a long time.
Tip 6: If you want to keep your wheels looking clean, make sure that you gently brush them off with a brush now and then. This will help prevent dirt from building up as well as preventing expensive wheel damage with potholes.
Tip 7: You can apply a sealer to your car once a month to help protect your paint job from UV rays and airborne pollutants. Most people choose to do this after they wash their car every month, but it’s up to you how often you want to do it.
Tip 8: After washing your car, try not to drive it right away. Let it sit in the sun for a few hours first so that the paint can dry properly. This will help prevent any water spots or damage later on.
Conclusion
There are many styles of car washing that you can choose from, and they all work well. It’s really up to the individual to decide which their preferred method is.
There are many different car washing products on the market, and each one is designed with a certain purpose in mind. Some will protect your paint job, while others will clean it. When you know what you need and what’s best for your car, you can pick the right cleaning product for the right purpose.
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Hi everyone, My name is Ollie Barker.
As a seasoned auto expert I have 25 years of experience working in repair and detailing shops. I love to share my tips & tricks to all car lovers, so that’s why I’m here at Automotive Gearz publishing my content, sharing my passion. Also, I’ve been giving my recommendations on which products are the best to have on the market. I always thought it was hard to pick the right part, so hopefully I can make that a bit easier for you.
Hope you enjoy your time on my little blog!
