The ability to wash your car at home by yourself is one good way to bond with your ride besides saving some money.
However, there are important steps that you should learn in order to wash it inside and out like a professional and avoid causing some technical problems unnecessarily.
I, therefore, want to take you through the step-by-step guide to wash, dry, and vacuum it all-around and get it squeaky-clean.
l must, however, emphasise the fact that you must use the dedicated car wash soap or shampoo, which are specially formulated for automotive paint as compared to the dish soap or laundry detergents.
The dish soap and laundry detergents are designed to cut through grease and grime which can be too harsh for the car and may strip away protective wax or sealant layers.
Positioning of the car
Park in under the shade.
The car should not be under direct sunlight and parking it under the shade is strategic.
The sun makes the car dry quickly which possibly leaves some soap scum and patchy spots on the car’s body.
Unfortunately, a car parked under the shade will have a water run way into a storm drain which is not friendly to the environment because that can lower the community’s water quality.
But as an alternative you can choose to wash it on an overcast, cloudy day for less sunlight if there is no parking shade.
Park on the grass.
Parking your car on grass helps in absorbing the dirty and soapy water.
But you should be careful if the type of soil in your area is very soft because it can easily get saturated with water and get muddy which may result in your tires getting dirty or the entire car getting stuck.
Furthermore, you should avoid using the non-eco-friendly car wash products as they can damage your lawn which is expensive to restore.
The important tools required
Every job requires the right tools and in this case you need the following;
-Two-gallon buckets
-Two car wash sponges
-Wheel brush
-Cotton cloth
-Wet-dry vacuum with a blower feature
-Old, clean toothbrush
-Microfiber cloths
-Small bowl
-Water hose
-Cotton cloth
The step by step washing process
In today’s highly organized world we should know that every execution requires a structured process flow. The below process is what you should follow;
Tidy the interior
Start with removing items that don’t belong in the car such as receipts, empty juice bottles, lunch boxes and dispose of them. The console, underneath the seats, between armrests, clove compartment and door pockets are the usual dumping areas for such items. The good thing with this exercise is that you end up finding some long-lost treasures.
-Vacuum floor mats and blow the interior
-Slap the floor mats together to remove loose dirt.
-Lay them on the driveway, then vacuum them using a wet-dry vacuum with a blower.
-Blow debris from the spaces between each seat and the center console with the vacuum hose connected to the exhaust port.
-Dust cracks and narrow openings
-Rub a clean toothbrush along the dashboard and door panels to unearth debris and dust these small areas. Then, use the vacuum hose to suck up the waste. To clean the seat belts, dip a cotton cloth into a cup of warm water mixed with a few drops of laundry detergent and wipe the belts clean.
-Vacuum the floor and upholstery
With the front car seats moved all the way forward, vacuum the area under them from the backseat.
While sitting in the back, vacuum the back floor.
Move the front seats back and vacuum the floor in front. Be sure to vacuum both the passenger and driver’s side of the car.
Finally, recline the seats and vacuum as far into all the narrow openings as possible to retrieve any lingering dirt.
Wipe down the dashboard
Using a microfiber cleaning cloth, wipe the dashboard. Move on to the middle console, gearshift, steering wheel, door handles, cup-holders, and seats. Apply the appropriate interior cleaner to the surfaces.
Replace floor mats
Replace all the floor mats. Give them a shake before placing them in the car to remove any dust or dirt that may have landed on them from sitting on the driveway.
Hose down the exterior
Make sure that all car doors and windows are closed. Hose down the entire car, paying special attention to the tires, where debris and brake dust collect.
Clean tires and wheels
Using a second sponge, clean the tires and wheels. You may need a wheel brush to reach smaller spots. You can also use an old toothbrush to clean between the wheel spokes.
Rinse and dry exterior
Using the hose, thoroughly rinse the car from top to bottom to be sure all soap is rinsed off, allowing the water to drip to the floor. Working in a circular motion immediately dry the car with a cotton cloth, from high to low. This way, as the water moves down, they won’t rewet areas you just dried. Try using a leaf blower to dry your car faster, working from top to bottom to let the water drip down.
I have also realised that washing your car at home also helps in socialising with your family by involving them in one two things in the process. Factually speaking when you wash your car from home it technically provides an advantage of avoiding pressure washing from the professional car wash businesses because that usually forces water into sensitive areas. The sensors, spark plugs, ignition system and the alternator may malfunction if exposed to moisture.
So besides saving some money by washing the car by yourself it also provides you with the chance to pay attention to details such as the condition of the tires. Many motorists do not know the real condition of their tires which exposes the entire family at the risk of a tire puncture or tire burst which may result in an accident. So once in a while it is very important to wash the car by yourself at home.
- Stanley Makombe has 25 years’ experience in the motor industry, currently handling vehicle imports from Japan, Thailand, UK and South Africa into African countries. He is writing in his own capacity and can be contacted on +254 743 900 590, on X @Stan_Carsales, email: stanley@stanleymakombe.com, www.stanleymakombe.com
