how to wash your car at home
DIY

How to Easily Wash Your Car at Home

There is no better way to ensure your car is washed the way you desire and with high-quality results than to simply do it yourself. Washing your car at home is likely easier than you anticipate, but it is also easy to mess up if you do not have a general idea of how to do so properly. This review outlines a four-step process to help you wash your car at home, in addition to useful do’s and don’ts as well. 

A four-step process to wash your car at home

You can wash your car at home properly by gathering everything you need and pre-cleaning the car before you wash the car’s wheels, exterior, windows, and interior. This four-step process is designed to help you ensure quality results for your car wash and to reduce the risk of any mistakes made along the way. 

1. Gather and organize all car wash equipment

One of the most common mistakes people make when washing their car at home is starting to wash their car only to find out they forgot an important piece of material, leading them to abandon their car mid-wash to go and get what they need. Subsequently, an essential first step to take is to gather and organize all of your car wash equipment. This likely includes but is not necessarily limited to:

  • Buckets
  • Soap
  • Hose
  • Towels
  • Sponges

You ideally want to use two buckets. The first bucket should be for water and soap (the cleaning solution). The second bucket should be for only water. This allows you to rinse your towel and sponges so that you are not putting the dirt from the car back into your soap-filled water and inevitably back onto your car.

at-home car wash

Image source: freepik.com

2. Pre-clean and wash the wheels first

Another common issue people experience when washing their car at home is finding tiny scratches that were not there before they washed their car. This is because every time you wash dirt and debris away, you risk scratching your car. It is important to remove all debris and loosen dirt before washing your car’s exterior. The best way to do this is to pre-clean with a snow foam wash for your car. Apply the foam wash to the car’s entire exterior, allow it to settle and rinse it away with your hose (wide spray). 

It is also best to wash the wheels before washing the car’s exterior. You can simply go over the wheels vigorously with soap and water. Wheels can get quite dirty, so you may need to change out your soap-filled water after each wheel and certainly before you begin washing your car’s exterior. 

3. Clean your car’s exterior

The car should be wet and ready to wash after you apply the snow foam wash and rinse it away with the hose. Throughout the car washing process, it is important to keep the car as wet as possible. To ensure this is the case, wash one section of the car at a time. Start with the top of the car (the roof) and work your way down, washing one section at a time. 

To wash, take your sponge or car wash towel and dip it into the soap-filled water. Wash the car in side-to-side motions, rather than circular motions. Rinse the sponge or towel in the second water bucket before placing back into the soap-filled bucket.  Be sure to work efficiently so you can rinse the car before it dries. Once each section is lathered with soap, rinse it away with the hose, starting at the top and working your way down. While washing your car on a sunny Saturday afternoon creates a nice atmosphere, be mindful that your car is likely to dry faster on a sunny, hot day. 

4. Spend time cleaning the interior

Make sure to never neglect the interior of your car. Be sure to throw away all trash, vacuum thoroughly and clean the hard surfaces to remove dirt and debris. You may need a special cleaner for your seats, especially if you have leather. Consider upgrading your car mats and adding protective seat covers, etc. to jazz up the interior of your car so it matches the beautiful and clean exterior. 

What to do (and what not to do) when washing your car at home

There are common mistakes car owners often make when washing their car at home. It is helpful to understand what to do and what not to do when it comes to washing your car. Let’s take a look at six useful tips to follow when washing your car at home. 

Do: Rinse thoroughly and rinse often

The paint can damage and your car may develop spots if it dries while the soap is still on the car. This is why it is important to wash the car efficiently and rinse often. 

Do: Blot the car dry with a soft chamois towel

After you rinse off the soap from your car’s exterior, then you can blot the car dry with a soft chamois towel for best results. Ideally, you do not want to let your car air dry as it increases the risk of annoying spots being left on your car. 

Don’t: Dry your car in extreme heat

For best results, consider washing your car at night when the car dries slower, although you can still do a great job in the daytime by being mindful of how sun-drying while washing can affect the look of your car’s exterior. However, the hotter and sunnier it is outside, the faster your car will dry and the more efficient you will have to work to keep your car from developing spots. 

Don’t: Move the sponge in circles

You may have heard to wash the car in circular motions before. However, the “wax on, wax off circular motion” strategy does not work well for washing your car. Instead, you want to move your sponge sideways to prevent leaving any spot on your car after the wash.

 

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Aaron Westbury
Aaron is a content writer with a passion for cars. He enjoys learning new things and loves to share what he learns with others. Aaron also has a Bachelor's in English and years of experience as a writer, and he constantly seeks to improve and make his writing more informative and helpful for readers. Although a writer by day, Aaron enjoys his free time by getting outdoors and staying active anyway he can.

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