How to wash a car

Washing your car is an important part of vehicle care. While an automatic or touchless wash does a decent job, it's tough to beat a thorough hand wash for a complete clean, especially for those hard-to-reach places. After washing, you can't beat a proper towel dry; doing so will eliminate water spots and protect your car’s finish and clear coat. Along with helping you keep your car truly clean, washing your car yourself will save you some money. Here is a detailed guide on how to wash a car.

Tools you’ll need AUTOMAN-Garden-Hose-Nozzle - $9.99 at Amazon Chemical Guys CWS_402_16 Mr. Pink Foaming Car Wash Soap - $9.99 at Amazon Foam King™ Foam Gun Car Wash Sprayer - $38.95 at Amazon (optional) Adam's Polishes Wash Bucket - $20.69 at Amazon Meguiar's X3002 Microfiber Wash Mitt - $8.88 at Amazon Chemical Guys Thirst Trap - Microfiber Chamois Towel - $24.99 at Chemical Guys

Steps to washing a car

Step 1: Park your car outside

Park outside where you have enough space to wash and dry your vehicle. Avoid direct sunlight if possible as the heat makes the soap dry faster.

Step 2: Rinse the car with high-water pressure

Start off by spraying the vehicle with water from a garden hose nozzle to dislodge loose dirt. Start spraying from top to bottom and make sure you don’t miss any spots.

Step 3: Apply soap to the entire car

Now get your soapy water and lather your vehicle with it. You can use a microfiber wash mitt for regular and light washes or a foam cannon for more heavy-duty washes. Work from the top of the car down. You might need to wash half the car, or a section of it, rinse that part off, then soap up the remaining areas.

Step 4: Spray off the soap

Take your hose and spray the soap off of the vehicle. Start by going from the top to the bottom of the car. Don't forget to spray the side skirts and wheels as well.

Step 5: Wipe the wheels with a clean cloth

Take a clean microfiber cloth and wipe the rims off. There will be a lot of brake dust and dirt on your towel, so make sure you don’t touch any other parts of the vehicle with it.

Step 6: Dry the exterior with a towel

Use a clean microfiber towel or a synthetic chamois to dry the entire exterior of the car, eliminating water spots. Ensure you don't leave streaks.

Step 7: Pop the hood, trunk and doors

Open the hood and trunk to clean the edges and openings. Normally water from these areas will slide down the vehicle after everything else has dried and can potentially cause water spots. Wipe down the hatch opening, and likewise, wipe down door openings.

Step 8: Finishing touches

If there is anything extra you would like to do yo your vehicle you may. Whether it's adding glass cleaner for the windows and windshields wheel cleaner, tire shine or wax, you can add it at the end.

How to wash a car FAQs

How often should I wash my car?

This depends on where you live and how the weather is. If you have a garage to park in, then you won’t have to worry as much, but if you don’t have one and drive often, it’s best to wash it at least once a week.

Hand wash vs machine car wash

Machine washes are a really fast way to clean your car, but the brushes rubbing against your paint could potentially damage it over time. Washing your car by hand will better preserve your paint and will get all of those hard-to-reach areas that traditional car washes tend to miss.

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How to wash a car

How to wash a car

How to wash a car

How to wash a car

How to wash a car