How to properly wash your car with Karcher and shampoo yourself

Announce the entire list, please!

Let’s immediately say that there are 2 options for washing a car with a “Kärcher” (by “Kärcher” we mean all high-pressure devices, or simply mini-washers, regardless of the brand and country of origin): rinsing (when the washer is used like a regular hose, with adjusted for higher pressure) and the actual “real” contactless car wash.

If you are too lazy to fool around with the second option (or don’t have enough time), remember the basic rules: the gun of the device must be moved horizontally, from left to right and back, and it is better to keep the nozzle itself close to the car - no further than 10 centimeters from the body, otherwise you will not benefit from high pressure you will feel it. A much better result can be achieved if you use a “full height” sink as it should be. We will tell you how it should be done below.

Let's sum it up

If you are the proud owner of a pressure washer, be sure to use the correct instructions to get good results. Regularly improperly washing your car will cause not very pleasant consequences. Over time, the body becomes dull and a matte effect appears. This is possible not only when using low-quality shampoos for washing, but also when performing the process of washing off dirt incorrectly.

Listen only to sound advice, and if a controversial situation arises, it is better to consult with specialists at an expensive car wash. This will help you save time and maintain the quality of your car's paintwork. Can you add any useful advice from your own Karcher car washing experience?

What kind of divorce?

The main problem that owners of mini washes complain about is dirty stains remaining on the car body after washing. They are most noticeable on black cars that are popular among our citizens - I know this first-hand, because I myself drive a car of this exact “color.” What's the matter?

Where do these “muddy stains” come from? That's right, we need to learn materiel! Most often, chemistry is to blame - the fact is that ordinary car shampoos are not suitable for contactless washing - there are special products for it. If we talk about the products of the same Karcher, these are means for contactless washing RM 555, RM 527 and similar. They are supplied both in standard 5-liter canisters (according to the principle of “bought and forgotten about the problem for a year”) and in liter bottles for the plug'n'clean system, when it is enough to remove one bottle and insert another.

We will continue to act!

But it’s not enough to just buy the right mini-washer and liquid - you need to understand the whole (albeit simple!) technology. As a rule, this takes a couple of car washes, then the necessary actions are performed almost automatically. However, let's continue... So, you have a sink, and a special shampoo too. But how to apply it correctly? There aren't many options:

• Nozzle for contactless washing (also known as “foamer”, “foaming agent” or “foam nozzle”);
• Spray;
• A tank/hose for car chemicals in the car wash itself (to be honest, I don’t recommend this option, because the output is, at best, soapy water).

Preparing for work

Regardless of what exactly needs to be cleaned or washed with the steam generator, to prepare it for operation you need to perform the following steps:

1. 
   Unscrew the safety plug and fill the container with water.

2. Tighten the cap and attach the necessary attachments to the steam gun. If necessary, extension tubes can be used.
3. Plug the device into the outlet, two lamps should light up - orange and green.
4. After heating the water to the required temperature, the orange lamp should go off. You can use the device when only the green lamp is on.

To reduce heating time, it is allowed to fill with warm water.

Foam Tricks

In order for the “foam party” to be a success, you need to take into account a few small rules: firstly, most car shampoos are concentrates, i.e. they must be diluted in the proportions indicated on the package), and secondly, the detergent must be applied TO A DRY, DIRTY CAR! I mean, there is NO NEED to wet the car first!

Why? The reason is simple: foam simply drains from a wet car without having time to “deal” with the dirt. Yes, yes, in this case your money just drains onto the floor! In addition, intuition tells you to apply shampoo from top to bottom, from the roof to the thresholds.

And this is also completely wrong! You need to do exactly the opposite. The fact is that with this application (from the bottom up), the dirt mixes with auto chemicals and creates a kind of “barrier” that does not allow the detergent to drain from the car.

How to use?

A steam generator with various nozzles allows you to achieve cleanliness in all areas of your apartment and office.

By pouring 1 liter of clean water into the tank once, you can efficiently clean an apartment of up to 60 m2.

For any type of surface, you must adhere to the rule - on the surface itself there should not be :

• dust,
• hair,
• wool,
• garbage.

Before steam treatment, it is better to vacuum and sweep the surface or product.

Next, prepare the device for operation, unlock the steam gun and release the first steam along with the resulting water into a safe place (basin). This must be done so that the water that forms in the hose does not wet the carpet or clothes. Next, you should use the desired nozzle and carry out steam treatment.

Floor cleaning

Cleaning flooring made of natural stone and tiles should be done with a special nozzle with elongated holes.

For cleaning, you need to attach a napkin folded in 2 times to the nozzle . You need to make movements back and forth, and regularly supply steam.

To clean seams, make movements diagonally to them. For regular cleaning, a single treatment with medium steam is sufficient.

For varnished parquet and laminate flooring, use two napkins to make 4 layers and reduce the steam supply to a minimum. Treat the surface only once to avoid waterlogging of the top layer.

Cleaning clothes from odors and dirt

Before processing the entire product, it is necessary to check it for color stability and deformation from exposure to steam. First, treat a small, preferably inconspicuous area of ​​clothing, let it dry completely and evaluate the result of the steam treatment.

For dirt on clothes, you can use a round brush. You can process the fabric by directly touching the product with a brush.

To remove unpleasant odors and straighten wrinkles on clothes, you can do without additional nozzles ; you need to hold the gun at a distance of 5-10 cm. The steam supply strength must be adjusted depending on the degree of wrinkles and durability of the fabric.

The attachment, which is a steam iron, can be used to steam an item without removing it from the hanger; you can also use it on an ironing board.

Carpet processing

First, if possible, it is necessary to clear the room of furniture. To work you will need:

• hand brush,
• terry cover.

The carpet must be treated by directly touching the surface with the nozzle . Sections of the coating are sequentially processed from the center to the edge (or from the window to the door).

Treatment time and steam power can be adjusted depending on the degree of contamination. Typically, for a surface that is subject to regular cleaning, a single cleaning at a medium steam level is sufficient. The steam-treated coating must be left to dry.

Kitchen

In the kitchen, the steam generator will clean the sink, work surfaces of tables, the hood, and remove traces of grease and dried food residues :

• glass ceramic hob,
• tiled walls,
• external surfaces of the refrigerator,
• kitchen furniture facades,
• seams between tiles.

To work, you will need a floor nozzle with a cloth, a round brush nozzle and a hand nozzle with a terry cloth cover:

1. The cooking surface and tile joints should be treated with a round nozzle with brass bristles, combining mechanical action with a cleansing jet of steam at high pressure.

2. 
   Seams sealed with silicone can be treated with short-term exposure to steam itself.

3. Walls and furniture facades, the refrigerator are cleaned with a manual nozzle with a cover, moving from top to bottom along the surface. Do not direct the steam jet at the glued edges of the tabletop.
4. Clean stainless steel surfaces from adhering grease using a hand-held nozzle with a cover, vigorously wiping and regularly applying steam. After complete cleaning, polish the surface with a microfiber cloth.
5. For floors and tiled walls, a floor nozzle with a napkin folded in 2 layers is suitable.

Bathroom

In the bathroom, you can use a steam generator to clean almost all surfaces, except the ceiling, if it is painted :

1. The walls and bottom of the shower stall, sink, bathtub, mirrors, floor, walls, joints and water drainage points, pipe surfaces, including corrugated ones, can only be treated once with steam from a gun in high-pressure mode at a distance of 10 cm and remove loose dirt with a napkin.
2. Heavy limescale deposits, which may be in the shower stall, on the walls and faucets, must first be sprayed with vinegar or a weak solution of citric acid. Leave for a short time and then steam.
3. After processing, wipe the mirror with a paper towel so that dried drops of water do not leave a mark.

Cushioned furniture

Furniture upholstery is cleaned with a special hand brush with a cover , sequentially treating each section and area of ​​furniture.

Heavy stains should first be cleaned with a non-aggressive agent, depending on the nature of the stain. Apply directly to the upholstery or spray it from a distance of 10 cm and leave for 15 minutes.

Treat the stained area with a nozzle in high steam mode to completely remove the stain; other areas can be cleaned with medium steam.

If the stain is not completely removed, you should repeat the procedure 2-3 times. After completing the process, it is important to let the furniture upholstery dry thoroughly.

Removing dust from plants

To remove dust from plants, it is necessary to treat them once with a steam gun without additional nozzles at a distance of 40-50 cm, the steam supply level is low. Then wipe with a clean cloth.

Everything is in order

Where to start? It's a good idea to start from the doors and rear fenders, working your way around the car. Then comes the turn of the roof and only at the very end - the hood. If you have a question why this and not otherwise, let us explain: the fact is that the hood (and the entire engine area), as a rule, is hotter than the rest of the car, and your goal is to prevent the shampoo from drying quickly without corroding the coating of the car dirt.

And there will be fewer divorces. One more thing - it’s better not to wash the car in the bright sun - this way the chemical dries faster. If you really want to wash your “iron horse” during the day, it’s better to do it in the shade, where it’s cooler.

Let's wash away!

It would seem that it’s so difficult to wash all this stuff off the car? But no, here, too, “not everything is so simple”: you also need to wash off chemicals from the car from the bottom up, so that the detergent stays in contact with the surface longer. And in this case, it becomes much more difficult to miss some place on the body. After this, the car needs to be “rinsed” with clean water and wiped thoroughly with a cloth (dry so that there are no streaks left) or a piece of artificial suede - it doesn’t matter, the main thing is to dry it.

Precautions for use

When operating the Karcher steam cleaner, you must adhere to the following safety conditions:

• Before use, you need to inspect the serviceability of the steam cleaner and its parts. The housing, steam hose and cable must be in good condition;
• Keep the water tank closed until cooled down;
• You cannot turn on the device if there is no water in the container;
• Do not hold the steam jet near people, because Due to the supply of hot steam, you can get a severe burn;
• When performing processing, hold the device only by the handle or the gun at the end of the hose, do not touch the hose with your hands;
• It is not recommended to remove the nozzles or disconnect the tubes while the steam program is on;
• It is not recommended to pour detergents, solvents, or alcohol into the water tank; take only water;
• When operating the device, do not block the steam supply.

These precautions will ensure long and reliable operation of the device.

The end is the crown of the matter!

If you follow all these simple rules, the final result should be no worse than professional car washes “for money” - the main thing is to do everything carefully and in the right sequence and not save too much on auto chemicals - if you use cheap chemicals, no one can vouch for the safety of the paint and rubber seals.

PS Didn't you understand something? Do you still have questions about how to properly wash a Karcher car? Want to share tricks or tips? Write in the comments!

Prevention of contamination of carpets and rugs

It is recommended to remove snow from carpets once a year.
If you take timely care of the condition of the carpet, vacuum its surface daily, immediately remove stains and do not allow them to penetrate deep into the base, you can delay cleaning with mini-equipment indefinitely. Proper care will help prevent wear and tear on the carpet and tracks:

• do not clean products against lint;
• do not lay them on a wet floor;
• do not clean with hot water;
• Do not place heavy furniture with legs on the surface.

In winter, it is useful to beat out carpets using snow (the cold destroys germs), place rubber pads under the legs of heavy furniture, and periodically change the position of the carpet - this will avoid the appearance of abrasions in high-traffic areas. Experts advise carrying out deep intermediate cleaning once a year. The BRS 43/500 C model is most suitable for these purposes.

The price of Karcher for high-pressure carpet washing starts from 35,000 rubles. You can use the sink not only when cleaning carpets. It is suitable for washing cars, garden paths, building facades.