6 main tips for properly washing a car body

A car that shines with cleanliness pleases the heart of its owner and attracts the attention of passers-by. The shine of the paintwork, the richness of its color, the features of the car's exterior and the designers' ideas - all this looks much more attractive than when it is covered with a layer of dust and dirt. However, there is a small problem: many car enthusiasts complain that after washing, cloudy spots and streaks remain on the body and windows. In this article, we will share with you secrets that will teach you how to wash your car correctly - without streaks and stains - with your own hands. If you have a Karcher, then here is a detailed description of how to properly wash your car with it.

A clean and shiny car is always pleasing to the eye.

When to wash your car

Many motorists are interested in how often and correctly to wash their car at a self-service car wash. There are several features for cleaning machine parts in summer and winter. Both the frequency of the procedure and the technology differ.

In summer time

During the summer season, car washing is done less often or more often, depending on the weather. During rainy periods, it is advisable to rinse the body every other day, this makes it easier to keep the paintwork in its original form. It is better to go to the car wash every month and a half to degrease surfaces and remove stubborn dirt.

In summer, you shouldn't clean your car too often. Once a week is enough. Both after long trips and when the body is heavily soiled, an extraordinary wash is carried out. If you wash your car too often at home, the surface of the paintwork becomes matte, which is especially noticeable on black models.

In summer, in clear weather, when traveling around the city, you can wash body and suspension parts less often - once every two weeks.

In winter time

The rules for washing a car in winter differ from the features of summer cleaning. In the warm season, the car dries quickly even when parked. In winter, the water freezes, thawing only in the garage. Ice and snow can negatively affect the condition of the body - cause rust at welding points, on various fasteners, even on the same part at points with different mechanical surface treatments.

Basic rules for cleaning your car from dirt in winter:

1. If the car is stored in a heated garage, it should be washed no more than once every 2 weeks. It is better to wash your car once a month.
2. It is not recommended to wash it in the evening if the car remains idle. In the cold, water can freeze on many elements - cable, suction choke, door seals, etc. It is better to clean the car in the morning, before the trip.
3. You should not wash outside. At temperatures below -10 degrees, water quickly freezes without having time to drain, which leads to cracking of both glass, headlights, and the radiator. It is safer to wash your car on warm winter days.
4. There is no point in clearing your car before a snowfall. During such periods, the body gets dirty very quickly, so washing the car will be a waste of time.

To wash your car less often, it is treated with liquid wax. The product forms a protective film on the paintwork, reducing the impact of ultraviolet radiation, reagents, water and dirt on the body. This product is also used in the summer.

The main thing is to wash the car no more than once a week, make sure that the water does not freeze after washing, and clean it in a heated room.

Selecting a detergent

To wash your car, you must use only auto chemicals. Acids and alkalis contained in regular soaps or cleaning fluids can damage the surface of the body. To remove old stains, there are special products that are used before applying a soap solution. Experts advise using shampoo no more than two to three times a month.

Car shampoo can be:

• dry;
• liquid.

For liquid products, the bottle label always indicates in what proportion to dilute the shampoo. The engine is treated with white spirit.

What places need to be washed

Washing the car body is carried out taking into account several important points. It is necessary to remove surface dirt from it using a high-pressure apparatus. If this is not done, small sand particles will scratch the surface during mechanical washing. You should wash windows carefully to prevent minor damage.

The best option is to clean the car both top and bottom. The engine, suspension and underbody require flushing. Chemicals on the road can corrode paintwork and metal. Since to fully clean the suspension you will have to remove the wheels, it is better to perform the procedure at a special station. The interior is thoroughly cleaned before washing the exterior elements. Cleaning is carried out regularly and thoroughly.

How to wash? Process and Sequence

• Before washing your car, spray the cleaner on the wheels. While you are working on the body, it will work. When it comes to the wheels, they can be easily washed. There are special brushes and cleaners for them that cannot be used to wash the body. Wheel rims contain a lot of abrasive particles from the pads, so if you wash the body panels with the same water or the same sponge, they will scratch the paintwork. It is best to wash wheels when they are cool. If the car has recently been driven, the wheel rims become hot from the brake pads. If you spray the cleaning mixture on hot rims, it will evaporate without working properly.

• Start by rinsing the entire surface. If you have running water or a high-pressure washer, it needs to remove the bulk of the dirt. Read more about how to use it correctly here. The pressure should not be too strong. High pressure water will attack the solid particles, scratching the paintwork. The next step is to wash with a special mitten.
• The rich foam serves as a lubricant and also helps transfer mud onto the mitten.
• Start at the top and work your way down. The bottom part is usually the dirtiest. Why is this sequence (top to bottom) needed? If you wash the car from below, dirt from the top will fall onto the cleaned lower part, which will have to be washed again. It will be double work.
• Immediately after you finish washing, rinse each panel to prevent the foam from drying out.
• Wash horizontal panels with straight back and forth movements.
• Direct movements during laundering have a certain meaning. Even if small scratches occur, they will be less noticeable. Circular scratches from circular movements will be visible from all angles.
• No need to scrub anything. Use clay for cleaning (see article) and cleaners (sprays) for difficult-to-remove stains.
• When you finish washing the horizontal surfaces, move on to the vertical surfaces. Wash in straight up and down motions, in small sections. The dirtier the car, the more often you need to rinse the sponge.
• Make 2 passes with the mitt. First one side, then turn it over and go over the other clean side.
• When washing, do not press hard with the washing mitt. Let the foam do its job, let it absorb the dirt well.
• It is better to wash glass with a special cleaner.
• The final rinsing from the hose (without a nozzle) should also be done from top to bottom.
• When washing the car, open the doors, trunk lid, hood and wash the openings.
• If you have a pressure washer available, wash the bottom.

How to wash a car correctly

It’s worth figuring out how to wash a car properly by hand - contactless or mechanically, with large or small sponges, auto chemicals or household detergents.

Brushes are used only for wheels, as they easily damage the paintwork of the body. Household cleaning liquids for mechanical and contactless car washing are prohibited. They contain alkalis and solvents that corrode varnish and paint.

It is not difficult to understand how to wash a car - just clean the car from top to bottom, starting from the roof. During the washing process they are directed to the wheels. The car is wiped dry with microfiber. You cannot use a waffle towel; after several washes, the paintwork may become dull.

A simple and cheap way to clean a car without water is to use special chemical compounds in the form of aerosols. After applying them, just wipe the surface with a napkin.

What not to do

Some car owners, especially newbies, those who have recently become owners of a car, wash their car incorrectly. This is completely undesirable, since just one such procedure can ruin the coating. Therefore, before you start washing your car, remember well what not to do.

When washing a car you must not:

1. Rub the body with a rag or sponge. These actions lead to the formation of micro-scratches on the varnish layer of the coating. Later, chemicals that are sprinkled on roads in winter and other contaminants can penetrate into the cracks. This not only reduces the shine of the body, but also shortens the life of the paintwork.
2. Wash your car with water from an open reservoir. It may contain particles of sand or dirt that will scratch the surface of the car.
3. Wash the car in an open space in direct sunlight. They dry the detergent before it reacts with dirt.
4. Start washing immediately after the trip. The car needs to be given time to cool down.

Water temperature

Many motorists are wondering whether it is possible to wash their car with hot water in winter, because their hands get cold in the cold, and cold water hardens faster. It is worth understanding the intricacies of paintwork processing depending on the season.

Cold water is used to clean the body in summer. You should not start the procedure immediately after a trip or after the car has been in the sun for a long time. On a heated body, the liquid dries quickly, leaving streaks.

Just like in summer, in winter, hot water is not used to wash cars. If the car warms up gradually in the sun, then with sudden exposure to heat the surface of the paintwork is subjected to increased load. To avoid the need to heat water, you should wash in a warm box. In winter they use cold water, not warm water as in summer.

Washing the ceiling in a car

I wash the ceiling of a BMW with a panoramic sunroof. Last year, the drainage holes in the hatch became clogged and stains appeared on the ceiling. The owner also failed to cope with them on his own. Dmitry immediately pointed out the mistake.

— The ceiling must be washed completely and at one time. It will not be possible to wash it a little at a time, as stains will remain. When washing the ceiling and interior, you need to apply a product to the surface that will soak up the dirt, and then use microfiber to collect the dirt. You can’t use a vacuum cleaner, as the ceiling may come off and you’ll have to completely retighten it,” the interlocutor comments.

The specialist explained that car owners sometimes wash the ceiling using ordinary powder. This should not be done under any circumstances - the powder eats into the fabric and can only be washed with copious rinsing. It will not be possible to rinse the ceiling fabric with water, so the powder will remain in the fabric and turn yellow over time, and the fabric will have to be removed and a new one glued on.

The same scam in the back of the ceiling:

You need to wash in one direction, wetting the dirt and collecting it with microfiber. Even on a visually clean ceiling, the difference is noticeable already at the beginning of work:

When the entire ceiling is washed at once, the stains disappear. There are no traces of leaks left:

The sun visors are also easy to clean. The photo shows the Chrysler interior:

Contamination is treated with an aerosol:

And assembled with microfiber:

Was:

Became:

By the way, the Chrysler had stains of dirt on the ceiling, but in some places the ceiling began to sag, and a loose mass was felt under the fabric. If such a ceiling gets wet, the fabric may peel off even more. They didn't take any risks.

Washing technology

Knowing the characteristics of the chosen chemistry helps you figure out how to wash your car yourself. When using “active foam,” the washer allows it to flow down the body using an AED. This type of chemistry cleans as it flows over the surface.

The car should be washed horizontally. It is not recommended to perform rotational movements - they do not allow you to properly clean the paintwork without streaks.

Before washing your car, areas such as drainage holes in doors, fenders and sills are checked and cleaned. If this is not done, moisture will accumulate in various cavities, causing corrosion.

Car washing technology:

1. The washer moves in a circle. After he goes around the car once, the foam will remain on the roof of the car. There will be much less of it on the side surfaces.
2. Then the driver walks around the car a second time to wash off any remaining foam and rinse the roof.
3. Open the car and wash the sills and lower edge of the doors with a small stream of water. If you act carefully, water will not get into the cabin, and the thresholds will be cleared of sand.
4. Manual car washing is carried out taking into account the “2 buckets” rule. Clean water is poured into one of them, and car shampoo for manual cleaning is poured into the second. Carry out washing with a large-pored sponge (not foam rubber). Foam cannot absorb small particles such as sand or small debris.

During mechanical washing, direct movements are performed without pressure, so as not to scratch the paintwork with remaining particles. The basic rule is to rinse the sponge after cleaning each element. Only after this can the solution with shampoo be applied to the surface of the body parts.

Bumpers, sills and wheels are washed with a separate sponge. For hard-to-reach places (moldings, gas tank hatch, badges and grilles), prepare a brush. After mechanical cleaning, the machine is rinsed from the HVAC. Car rims are washed with a brush and a soft sponge. To protect the elements, special wheel wax is used.

Glass and dashboards in the cabin

First you need to buy a special glass cleaner and car wet wipes.
Next, you should act in accordance with the instructions indicated on the detergent label. Spray the product onto glass and mirrors, and then wipe the surfaces with a dry cloth in a circular motion, making sure there are no streaks. You can often see that car owners wash their windows with plain water. This method has some disadvantages: firstly, stubborn dirt cannot be easily washed off with water, and secondly, there is a high probability of leaving stains.

It is recommended to use a damp cloth to clean plastic interior surfaces. In hard-to-reach places, you can use a stick by putting a napkin on its end. It is better to wipe large surfaces with rotational movements.

How to wash your car

It is strictly prohibited to use household cleaning products to wash your car. Do not use laundry soap or detergents for cleaning dishes, tiles, and glass. To wash your car, choose a special detergent - car shampoo. It effectively removes dirt and does not damage the paintwork. Dry cleaning shampoo is chosen when washing a car without using water. EcoDux is especially popular.

Hard-to-remove carbon deposits accumulate inside the wheels, which cannot be cleaned off with simple car shampoo. For this procedure, special chemical compounds from the car cosmetics department are used. These are substances that contain active elements to eliminate oil stains, rust and carbon deposits. Among them, “Cleanol Wheel” and “DISCO” are popular.

Tires and wheels are cleaned with a separate rag, since these parts are contaminated with sand, dust, and metal particles from the brake pads. Dirt is removed with a soft, non-abrasive cloth. A vacuum cleaner helps to remove uncleaned residues from disks.

How to wash bitumen off a car

We managed to find bitumen on the cars of two participants in the experiment: Volkswagen and Chrysler.

— Bitumen is not washed off with regular car shampoo or active foam and remains on the body in the form of dots or lines. You need to use a special detergent composition,” says Dmitry.

— The detergent should be applied to areas with bitumen and wait a couple of minutes, soon the bitumen will begin to drain. A common mistake car owners make at this point is rubbing the bitumen with a sponge. In this case, the contamination is only smeared, the specialist notes.

After the bitumen begins to drain, it must be washed off with water. If it doesn’t wash off at once, reapply the product, wait a couple of minutes and rinse again.

As a token of gratitude for the cars provided, car owners were given branded air fresheners with Belarusian symbols. Produced in Grodno.

note

It’s worth figuring out how to properly wash different elements of a car, paying attention to important details. For high-quality washing, the body is mentally divided into several sections. First, wash the wings, then the car doors, repeating the procedure on the other side. While the next section is being soaped, the previous one is drying. Thoroughly clean all hard-to-reach places with your own hands.

When using a car wash to wash a car, care should be taken to create a large volume of foam. When washing off foam, motorists usually do not use special nozzles, this way they can reduce the water pressure and preserve the protective film.

If the car has been polished, it is washed using a non-contact method and wiped with a 3M post-polishing cloth. Foam is not used because dirt is easily washed off. A new car is washed according to the standard algorithm - dousing with water, applying shampoo, dousing, treating with liquid wax, wiping dry.

The car should be treated with wax to prevent the accumulation of moisture and make it easier to clean the surfaces from dirt in the future. You can apply a ceramic coating to your car, which will enhance the shine of the factory paint.

As you can see, self-service car washes with simple equipment provide the opportunity to thoroughly wash your car without major expenses. Following the technology, you will clean your car of any dirt.

Car interior cleaning (cloth):

The Mitsubishi that arrived had heavy dirt on the fabric door cards. The owner believed that such dirt could not be removed on his own and that he needed to go to dry cleaning.

— Dry cleaners use the same chemicals available at any gas station to ordinary motorists. You can do all this work yourself, saving up to 100 rubles and spending an hour of time,” assures Dmitry.

In case of severe contamination, another step appears - the product must be rubbed in with a sponge or brush.

The dirt is then collected by microfiber. And be sure to wash the microfiber every time in a bucket of clean water in order to transfer the washed dirt from the fabric to a bucket of water.

A clear difference, cleaning took about 10 minutes:

What should you not use to wash your car using popular products?

In the process of washing off dirt from the car body, the alkaline and acidic composition of the applied liquids is important. If the composition is too active, it destroys the varnish and protective coatings of the body. After 100 washes with not the best quality chemicals, your car will require at least polishing. Therefore, it is important to monitor which products are used at your favorite car wash. Limit the use of these popular remedies:

1. V100. These products are mistakenly perceived as a good and inexpensive composition for washing dirt from car bodies. In fact, this is a product for engines, which is intended for washing oils and fats.
2. DLS. Another composition with good properties, but for very dirty surfaces, not for the entire body and constant use. Too much alkaline activity will destroy the varnish.
3. Active Foam. It’s generally unclear where the alternative to normal means came from. Its only advantage is that during application it turns into a beautiful pink or other bright color. The body doesn't wash at all.
4. Chinese compositions. No matter how much washers praise Chinese products, it is dangerous to use, and this danger is not only for the car. Toxic compounds can easily deprive the health of a specialist at the station.
5. Most Russian proposals. Even though there are not many official brands in Russia that offer such auto chemicals, it is better not to use even those offered. The composition is terrible, the effect is minimal, and the price is at the level of German offers.

One of the important problems of modern car washers is that they do not know English. Therefore, buying a car care composition turns out to be a certain lottery. The owner of the company purchases a batch of goods according to the sales manager, and cannot read the instructions on the label. It is possible that your vehicle is being washed with a special truck cleaner such as Nerta Truck Cleaner. This is a very active alkaline composition and guaranteed death of paintwork.

Good products for cleaning the car body at a car wash

The concept of good products should be combined with well-known brands and rather expensive materials. This means that such materials will be counterfeited, since almost all expensive products in Russia have a certain percentage of counterfeits. This is why many car washes suffer from poor quality of work performed. You can be sure that in this case they are using unprofessional means or fakes to save on costs. Here are some decent chemistry options:

1. Karcher RM-806. One of the most popular types of foam in professional car washes, the composition is very gentle, but copes well with basic contaminants, this indicates high quality.
2. Nerta Carnet J. Before Karcher came along, this liquid was a staple among good companies. It is quite active, requires quick rinsing, but copes with the tasks.
3. GRASS. This is a Russian product that the regions are just beginning to embrace. It is practically not used in Moscow, but overall it shows a good combination of low cost and high quality work.
4. Israeli chemistry. Only a few companies supply a range of Israeli car care products. Most come in Hebrew packaging and the quality is excellent.
5. German products. There are many German brands of chemicals unknown to us that work great. If the packaging says Made in Germany, the product is usually good, except for fakes.

As you can see, there are not many options for washing your car with good products. These offers are often counterfeited, since a 5-liter canister of such a chemical composition costs a car body care center a considerable amount of money. Counterfeits mostly contain much cheaper products, poured into packaging from expensive liquids. This means that your car will be washed with unknown means, and this will definitely affect its appearance after just a few visits to such a service.

Body treatment after washing

In winter conditions, after washing it is not enough to simply leave the car so that the body can dry out on its own. If a car owner uses the services of a professional car wash, then at the end of the washing process you need to ask the workers to dry the body at the final stage of work. Please note that for some car washes this service is included in the price directly for the wash, but for some it is considered an additional service. However, in this case there is no need to save, and it is advisable to order blowing of the body and rubber seals with compressed air (compressor). And you need to go outside from the car wash only after the body and rubber seals are dry.

After the car leaves for fresh air, it is necessary to open all the doors, trunk, hood and tank flap so that the remaining small droplets of water immediately freeze in the cold, preventing them from freezing to the body of the car.

It is also advisable to move the wiper arms away from the windshield so that the wet rubber bands of their blades do not freeze to the glass and become damaged. Likewise the rear wiper, if equipped. The time spent on the freezing procedure is several minutes (5...10), depending on the temperature value. The lower it is, the less time is needed.

If you wash your car yourself in temperatures below or near zero, it is advisable to wipe off the water on the body, at least partially. Similarly, you need to wipe the edges of the trunk lid, as well as the gas tank flap and the internal cavity near the neck. After this, they should also be opened, like the doors.

Silicone Grease

After the rubber seals are guaranteed dry and clean, they must be treated with silicone grease. It will help the rubber become softer, extend its service life, and also prevent the doors from freezing to the car body in the future. This applies to the seals of all doors, trunk, hood, and gas tank flap. It is also advisable to spray a small amount of the specified lubricant into the lock hole on the driver and front passenger doors of the car. This will also help prevent the lock from freezing during severe frosts. You can also use silicone grease on the side window seals to prevent the glass from freezing in them. It can also be used to treat headlight washers, if available. After work, excess silicone from the treated surface should be carefully removed with some soft rag.

Brake system

Please note that during the washing process, water gets not only onto the car body, but also into its other systems, in particular the brake system. Therefore, to prevent the brake discs and brake pads from freezing to each other in the cold after leaving the car wash, it is advisable to quickly accelerate and brake sharply several times so that the discs warm up and the water evaporates from their surface. In addition, when parking the car overnight, you do not need to fully tighten the parking brake for the same reason. For minimal fixation of the car, it is enough to raise the handbrake one or two clicks. For cars with a manual transmission, you can avoid using the handbrake and instead simply set the car to "speed".

Conclusion

It is advisable to wash your car in winter during the thaw and before the onset of frost. If the temperature drops below –15°C, then it is better to avoid washing altogether, and the optimal temperature range for the corresponding procedure is from –5°C to +5°C. It is best to use the services of a professional car wash and body drying. If you want to wash the car yourself, you need to use non-hot water. After washing, be sure to treat the rubber seals with silicone grease and ventilate the interior.