With the sun shining and the flowers blooming, there’s no better time to wash your car than in the summer months. This is just as well because the summer is usually the dirtiest and dustiest time of year which can really take the shine off your vehicle’s bodywork. Regularly washing your car is not only great for keeping it looking fresh, but it also helps you maintain its body which is important for protecting the engine and chassis. In this blog post, we’ll offer you some top tips on how to properly wash your car.
Picking the Perfect Time to Wash Your Vehicle
Surely it doesn’t matter when you wash your car, right? Well, you may be surprised to hear that it can make a big difference—particularly when the weather is warm. On hot days, the soapy water that you use to wash your car can evaporate before you’ve had time to rinse, leaving you with a sticky residue that will form streak lines and make the vehicle look dirty again. To avoid this, choose to wash your car on cooler days, or wake up early and start washing it before the sun has reached its peak.
Keep Your Sponges Free from Grit
Sponges pick up dirt and grit easily, meaning they can then scratch the paintwork of a car if they’re not fully clean. Every time you wash your vehicle, make sure you either use a new sponge or thoroughly wash your sponges to ensure they have no grit or dirt hidden in the holes and folds. You should always make sure to store them indoors where there is less risk of picking up grit in between washes.
Never Leave Your Car to Dry Naturally
Washing cars by hand is hard work, but if you’re only willing to do half a job, you’re going to be left with a half-clean car. Taking the lazy option of letting your car dry by itself is a guaranteed way to get streaks, which really isn’t a good look. Use a highly absorbent drying cloth to dry your car thoroughly before you move on to the waxing and polishing stage.
Make Sure You Follow a Process
Like everything, there is a certain process that should be followed when washing a car. While some people’s processes may differ, we have outlined a basic process just in case you are unsure about where to start:
- Start by rinsing the vehicle to get rid of any loose dirt on the surface.
- Always work from the top down. This way, you won’t push any dirt back up the car and make your job twice as hard. This goes for every stage of the cleaning process from shampooing to waxing.
- Rinse as you go to avoid residue streaks. It might be a good idea to split the car into sections like the hood, middle, and trunk to make this easier.
- Dry the vehicle using microfiber or chamois cloths.
- Make sure to open the doors and trunk to clean around the edges. These are areas where stubborn dirt likes to accumulate.
- Don’t forget the wheels. As the only part of the vehicle that should ever touch the ground, the wheels need the most attention!
Keeping your vehicle clean is an important part of being a car owner. In this blog post, we’ve given you a good idea of how to properly clean your car and offered some top tips for making it that little bit easier. If you’re looking for more tips from vehicle experts, look no further than JD’s Auto Repair. Our experts are on hand to help you with any automotive queries you may have!
