One of the greatest pleasures I get after detailing a car is seeing the customers reaction when their car has been transformed. This is especially so when the car has been fully decontaminated, polished and waxed. What often follows is a conversation that leads to the following question;
How do I look after it now?
The following images and blog will hopefully help you to ensure you wash your car safely and maximise the protection applied to it.
Wax offers great protection to your paint from the weather and contaminants but it can be damaged and it can be removed. All waxes and the protection they offer will diminish over time. Different waxes last for varying periods depending on their quality, purpose and ingredients. If you haven’t read my Facebook post about cheap hand car wash sites then have a read of it here. As you will read.. a cheap car wash with the wrong chemicals and you could wave goodbye to the protection you have paid for.
So top tips to start off with;
- Don’t use supermarket or cheap roadside car washes. They are a false economy.
- Don’t use sponges or brushes for cleaning paintwork
- Don’t use chamois leather or plastic blades for drying
Do it yourself…. or ask me to come and provide a safe maintenance wash for you. To do it yourself you will need; ( I will link to recommended products as the blog continues )
- A hose pipe or jet wash
- A sponge or an older wash mitt
- Car shampoo
- Two buckets
- A good clean wash mitt
- A quick detailer
- A soft microfibre drying towel
- First of all, whether using a hose pipe or a jet wash, rinse the car off thoroughly to remove any loose dirt.
The wheels are usually the dirtiest part of the car so the next step is to start there. All you need here is basic good quality car shampoo. Autoglym’s standard car shampoo is perfect. Get a bucket, fill it with approx 2.5 litres of water and mix in some of your car shampoo to the the manufacturers dilution instructions. Put fresh water in the other bucket.
This is generally the dirtiest part of the car so the last thing you need to do is wash the wheels, clean them of all the muck and then use the same mitt to wash the car. So use your sponge (the only place a sponge is ok) or an old wash mitt and give the wheels a good thorough clean and rinse off. Do each wheel in turn with a wash and immediate rinse. Between the washing of each wheel dip your sponge/mitt into the fresh water to rinse it and then wring it out. When ready to wash the next wheel load it up with shampoo from the other bucket. Do each wheel until complete.
Now the wheels are clean and rinsed off the car is ready for a wash. Before we get going tip out the water from the two buckets and refill with fresh water and shampoo.
You’ll need enough water to wash the car so judge how much water you will need and then add your shampoo. Using a jet wash is a good way to mix the shampoo and water once both are in the bucket. Give it a quick blast in the bucket and you’ll have lots of suds!
Now you can start washing the car. If the car has dried out whilst you have been doing the wheels then give it another quick rinse. The shampoo works better on a wet/damp surface rather than going straight onto dry paintwork. Start at the top and using your clean wash mitt wash one panel at a time. I use a chenille Microfibre mitt by Chemical Guys.
When you’ve washed a panel put the mitt into the clean water bucket and rinse out. Then transfer to the shampoo, load it up and wash the next panel. Simply repeat this process around the car.
The lower cills and the bumper behind the rear wheels can collect a lot of mud. I’d recommend you leave these lower areas until last to keep your mitt as clean as possible. One other consideration.. if it’s a sunny day then the shampoo may start to dry out if you’re taking a long time to wash the car. The shampoo and suds hold the dirt.. if they dry on the car the dirt dries with them… so no clean car. Keep an eye on this and if it looks like it’s drying out rinse that whole area and then continue shampooing the rest of the car and rinse.
Once the car is fully clean and all the shampoo has been rinsed off it’s time to dry the car. This helps the car look it’s best and stops water droplets and runs drying out and leaving marks on the finish.
To dry the car you’ll need a soft microfibre towel. They come in a confusing array of sizes and quality. You can have a really deep plush drying towel with a quality feel or a thinner/lighter towel that is easier to use and handle.
Microfibre towels are available from many sources but my go to towel that is easy to use and has great drying capabilities (blue one) is the 450gsm 60×90 towel by Paragon Microfibre. That said you can find many suitable towels on Amazon or in local car shops. I’d still go for Paragon though ;o)
If you go straight to drying the car with the towel it will soak up a lot of the water and become quite sodden very quickly. Here the use of a quick detailer in a spray is very useful.
At the moment I use Berry Blast QD from Autobrite Direct. This is a very versatile product that can be used for a variety of purposes at different dilution ratios. It needs a spray bottle. If you don’t want to mess with mixing then Autoglym Rapid Detailer is just as good. Use one spray/squirt per panel or two on bigger panels like the bonnet. Then dry with the towel. The detailer allows the towel to glide over the paintwork and aids the drying process.
Once this is done you can sit back and look at your good work. Your car is looking great again and you’ve completed a safe wash process that will help to maximise the protection your car has.
