How To Give Your Car A Pro Wash

Washing your car… seems like something you could do in your sleep, right? You used to do this with your dad all the time when you were a kid. He’d get out the hose, fill up a bucket with some soap and a rag, and then let you go to work while he sat back and cracked a beer, offering advice from the sidelines every so often.

Well, times have changed, and your dad’s car probably had a ton of swirl marks from your youthful washing strategy. So, we’re here to just make sure that you know exactly how to properly wash your vehicle so that you can teach your kids how to not ruin your paint while enjoying a fun springtime family activity!

Your first step should be to rinse your vehicle thoroughly with the hose before doing any washing. Make sure you’re using fairly high pressure water to really get the dirt off of your vehicle. Then, get your clean microfiber cloth or washing mitt and automobile shampoo (NEVER use dish soap!!!) and get to work.

When washing, make sure you do a panel at a time and that you wash in long, straight strokes. Rinse your washing cloth frequently so you’re not grinding debris into your paint job unintentionally!

After you’ve soaped up your vehicle, wait a minute before rinsing it off and get your wheels with a wheel brush. Wash between each of the spokes with soap and make sure your tires and wheels are in good shape after the winter.

Finally, rinse off your vehicle with another blast from the hose, and then dry it off with a clean, dry microfiber cloth. Never let the water evaporate on its own! This leaves rings and deposits that are hard to remove later and can damage the paint of your vehicle. For this reason, it’s great to wash your vehicle in the shade.

The last step? If you want to, apply a protectant spray or wax to your vehicle to make sure your paint stays glossy and beautiful and doesn’t get damaged easily. There you go!