Save Money and Time: A Simple Guide to Washing Your Car

Discover how to save both money and time with our simple guide to washing your car. Learn efficient techniques, essential tips, and the best products to keep your vehicle looking spotless without breaking the bank.

Save Money and Time: A Simple Guide to Washing Your Car

We all know washing your car at home is less expensive than taking your car to your favorite local car wash. You can spend as much as $30 for an exterior car wash (average nationwide).

Did you know that drive-through exterior car wash brushes can damage your car’s paint? It’s true! The brushes used could be too firm and possibly contain debris that could damage your car’s exterior. They see hundreds of cars daily.

It is time to do it yourself for a scratch-free cleaning experience that saves money. By purchasing all the needed items, you will pay an upfront cost but continue to use the same items wash after wash.

What you will need

• Water Hose
• Bucket
• Car Wash Sponge or Mitt
• Car Wash Liquid
• Wheel Cleaner
• Wheel Brush
• Interior Cleaner
• Vacuum (Shop-Vac or household vacuum will work!)
• Microfiber Cloths (my favorite – and they are cheap.)

While taking your car to a professional car wash is always an option, it can be quite costly. Follow these tips to do it at home.

How to Wash Your Car Like a Professional

A good, thorough car wash involves more than simply running your car through a machine. And really, every time you go, you get a semi-good wash and a thinner wallet.

That is just not good enough! A good car wash will keep your vehicle looking crisp and shiny.

Cleaning the interior first

In order, to give your car the best deep clean, you will have to remove all clutter first. Grab a trash bag and start throwing out unwanted items.

Now is also a great time to bring those items back into the house that have ended up in your car. Set aside those important items that need to be returned.

Clean the Soft Surfaces

Using the upholstery attachment, vacuum the floor mats, remove them, and set them aside. Then, vacuum the car’s ceiling, the seats, under the seats, and the rest of the floor. Be sure to move the seats forward and back as far as they’ll go so you’re cleaning as much of the floor as possible.

Clean the Hard Surfaces

It’s time to use the brush attachment and start cleaning the interior of your car. Vacuum the dashboard, console, inside of all cup holders, and all other surfaces where debris collects.

After everything has been vacuumed, pull out your handy bucket and fill it with a drop or two of dish soap and warm water. Using a microfiber cloth, wipe the dashboard, steering wheel, console, door panels, door handles, and other non-glass surfaces. 

Polished leather and all vinyl surface

Using your favorite polishing spray, wipe down our car’s vinyl or leather surfaces. Try to keep the over-spray from reaching anything chrome. Don’t worry about the inside of the windows. They will get cleaned later on.

Now you are ready for the outside.

Wash the car’s exterior

If your car has bird droppings, dead bugs, sap, or other hard-to-clean stains on the paintwork, apply car wash soap directly to these stains before giving it a full wash.

You’ll need to use car detailing soap and have at least two buckets on hand. Simply use one bucket for soapy water and the other to wring or rinse your microfiber towel.

Don’t use dish soap. It is hard on your car’s rubber components and can remove its wax coat.

Another effective option is to use a hose to spray soap all over the car and then leave it to dry. Here is the most important hack to a streak freak wash – make sure to keep your car in the shade while washing. If your car dries faster than you can dry it, you will end up with watermarks.

Pay attention to your tires

The last step in completing the ideal car wash is washing the tires. Begin by squirting grease remover on the rims and wheels. Let it sit according to the manufacturer’s instructions, and then rinse it off.

Cleaning the windows

I prefer washing the windows as my last step. Spraying window cleaner on your car’s windows is the first step to leaving them sparkling and free of smudges and streaks.

Then use old newspaper and rub it in a circular motion to loosen the dirt. After that, you have to wipe horizontally and then vertically to make sure there are no streaks and the entire liquid cleaner is absorbed. Clean both the inside and outside of windows.

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