The sun’s out and it seems like a great day to clean the car. But, direct sunshine and high temperatures will heat up your car. That combined with washing liquids could end up damaging your paintwork.
A hot summer’s day is still OK for a hose down or interior clean. But opt for a cooler day with less sun for a full clean. If you’ve got a garage, this is the perfect place to leave your car to dry if you have applied any finishes.
Before you start cleaning:
- Clear inside your car - Bin rubbish and collect loose change to avoid vacuum blockages
- Remove car mats - Vacuum and clean with soapy water, leaving to dry whilst you clean the rest of the car
- Pre-wash your car - Use a hose or pressure washer to remove dirt before doing a contact wash by hand (using snow foam here can also help get excess dirt off)
- Get 2 buckets ready - One for cleaning cloths or mitts, one for your car wash solution. This avoids rubbing grit into your car (which can lead to marks and scratches).
It’s good to start with the dirtiest part of your car. This tends to be the wheels and alloys. If you leave them until the end, you could splash and spread dirt around parts you have already cleaned.
Use a strong brush and wheel cleaner to remove brake dust and dirt. Then, hose or pressure washer this off. When you’re done, move the car forward to get the other parts of the wheels!
Get a bucket of your car wash solution ready. Avoid household detergent as this strips the protective wax layer off paintwork.
A good clean means doing things in the right order. Start from the roof and move downwards, using a sponge or wash mitt as you go. This gives more time for water to reach and soak the bottom (and dirtiest) part of your car.
Make sure you use a separate bucket to wash off your sponge or wash mitt with water. The other bucket should be for your car wash solution only.
Leaving your car to air-dry naturally will result in streaks and watermarks. It can also lead to excess debris sticking to the paintwork. So, dry with a towel, microfiber cloth or blow dryer.
Moving to the inside of the car, use a brush to dislodge dust, crumbs and grime from seats and between crevices. Detailing brushes are good for around the console, gearstick and between joints.
Make sure to clean the dash and vinyl interiors with dash cleaner and a microfibre cloth. Look out for dirty areas like your cup holders, glove compartment and coin holders.
Once you’ve cleared all the dust and dirt, you’re ready to vacuum the front and back seats, floor and boot. When the mats are dry from earlier, put them back in too.
There can be confusion between waxing and polishing. They are two very different things. Polish helps remove grease, scrapes and scratches (that cannot be done with a cloth alone). Waxing helps protect the car’s finish, and only needs doing 2 to 4 times a year.
Though you can do it by hand, a machine polisher is much quicker and easier. Polishing is the perfect finishing touch which will get your car looking shiny and new!
Always finish by cleaning the glass as it’s the hardest part to get clean. It can get splashed and marked with water, soap suds and other excess liquids during cleaning.
Once you've done steps 1 to 7, use an automotive glass cleaner and a microfibre cloth for one last wipe, inside and out. Doing your lights and indicator covers can also help brighten your lights.
Don’t forget to wind down your windows to clean the tops to make sure missed dirt doesn’t get spread around.
A good clean is about having the right tools, doing tasks in the right order and paying attention to the details. So next time your car needs some TLC, remember these simple 8 steps.
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