How to wash your car at home: 7 handy tips to use

There is nothing better than getting into a clean car. However, during this time people are having to wash their cars themselves so we have put together a blog to help you protect your vehicle. 

Below are some do’s and don’ts when washing your car at home 

To keep your car looking its best, it’s important to have the right cleaning tools. These include a hose with variable nozzles, a soft sponge and/or car wash mitt, some car washing liquid, a wheel brush, several microfibre cloths, and at least one large microfiber towel for drying. Also, a vacuum cleaner for the interior, rubber gloves, wheel cleaner, paper towels, and window cleaner. All these tools will equip you are the perfect home car cleaning station. 

Do not use hand soap, dishwashing liquid, or anything other than proper car wash detergent to clean your car’s exterior. It is important to use products that are specifically designed to provide lubrication to prevent dislodged grit from scratching your car’s paint, and they’re gentle enough so they don’t remove existing wax.

This is extremely important. You will need TWO buckets. One of the biggest car washing mistakes people make is rinsing out a dirty sponge in the clean bucket. When you do this, you’re not removing the dirt – you’re just putting the same dirt and filth right back on the car and spreading it around. So use one bucket for your clean water, and a second one for thoroughly rinsing out that dirty sponge. Once the sponge is thoroughly rinsed, dip it back in the soapy water and continue washing your beloved car.

Most people think it is clever to wash their cars on a warm sunny day, however this is wrong as it dries too quickly, which means your car is left with spots on the paintwork and windows. The optimum temperature would be to wash your car on an overcast day. 

You now have the correct cleaning equipment, you have the perfect weather and great location to wash your car. It is recommended to wash your tyres, this is because wheels collect the most dirt that you don’t want on any other parts of your car. 

For the best tyre clean, invest in a good tyre cleaning product which is water based, and non-corrosive. 

Make sure to hose off any dirt that may scratch the cars surface, such as bird droppings, dead insects and tree sap. These can be very harmful to a vehicle’s paintwork. 

Divide your car into sections while rinsing with a hose. Always remember to use a separate bucket for your dirty cloth. 

Drying your car is very important once you have cleaned it.  This means you have left fewer spots on the vehicle. Using a macrofibre towel will absorb more and help dry the car more quickly. 

Having clean windows and glass are very nice to look at, but most importantly they are important for safety.

Firstly, standard glass and tinted glass need to be cleaned in different ways. 

• Cleaning non-tinted glass is fairly straightforward – a trusty glass cleaner and paper towel combination should get the job done. 
• Tinted glass, on the other hand, requires soapy water and a soft microfibre cloth to avoid damaging the film.

Beware how you clean your side mirrors so you do not knock or damage electrical connectors.

Having clean exterior is all good and well but having a dirty interior does not make your driving experience at all pleasurable. To clean your interior of your car clear any rubbish from your car, as well as any lose bits so they don’t get sucked up by the vacuum cleaner. Vacuum very carefully so you get into every section of your car. 

Grab a dusting cloth for cleaning air vents and other hard to reach places in your vehicle. Finally use a small brush and soapy water to clean your vehicles pedals, remember to place a towel down first to protect your carpet. 

It is always important to try keep your car clean for as long as possible. However, your car will inevitably get dirty. It is important to consider where you park your vehicle, it is suggested to park away from trees as bird droppings can damage your cars paintwork and be very time-consuming to remove. 

Avoid eating or drinking messy foods in your car, as well as removing any loose debris off your shoes before getting into your car. 

If you are washing your car yourself it is recommended to wash it once a week especially if it gets dirty quickly. The dirtier a car gets the harder it is to clean each time. 

We hope these tips help while washing your car, and help you save some extra bucks during this very uncertain time.