Wouldn’t you like your car to look clean and shiny as you have just paid for a professional car wash service? Although many people wash their car very often, not everyone are able to clean their car as well as professional detailers and car care centers (I mean the good ones). These are the exact 7 steps me and my team use to wash our cars and keep them shiny at all times.
Step 1: Prepare the Tools and Products
None of us get our tools last minute. We make sure we have all ready before we start. They include car wash shampoo, wash mitt, chamois or cotton cloth and 2 buckets. Never use a dish washing liquid and an old piece of cloth to wash your car (very damaging to car surface). Wash mitts are very good in capturing contaminants from your car.
Step 2: Rinsing
Start rinsing your car with a hose. Do not use strong water pressure to spray your car. This step is to loosen contaminants without any intention to wash off anything. It also lubricates the surface to avoid any damages while washing the car.
Step 3: Preparing the Mixture
Mix water and car wash shampoo in one bucket according to the instructions given by the manufacturer. Fill up another bucket with tap water.
Step 4: Start with the Wheels
Soak your wash mitt into the mixture and start washing your wheels. Every time you finish a wheel, rinse off the dirt into the bucket with plain water. Then soak it again in the mixture to wash the next wheel. Repeat the process until you finish all 4 wheels.
Step 5: Car Body
Use the same way to wash the car body. If you have an extra wash mitt, I recommend you to use it because wheels are much dirtier than car body. Using the same wash mitt might not be able to clean your car body effectively. Clean from the top to bottom.
Step 6: Rinse Again
Rinse the whole car with water again. Do not use strong water pressure to spray. If you want better results or you have not wash your car for a long time, repeat the process and wash your car for the second time.
Step 7: Drying
At this stage, you might be quite impressed with the results. This is the professional way of washing a car. Drying is also important because leaving your car to dry itself will form water spots that are very hard to remove.
If you are interested in taking car care to the next level, use liquid cleaner wax and clay bar to clean it. Next, remove paint imperfections with polish and wax your car to protect the good work you have just accomplished.
Alex Liu is a car detailing enthusiasts and a member of the Auto Detailing House team. Their passion and experience in car detailing have helped lots of people to clean their car and making them shiny. They recommend useful car detailing supplies and offer professional detailing techniques on their website.