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I am a life-long car girl. I enjoy my car on a different level than a normal person would. Keeping my car clean is somewhat of a chore (especially if you drive a lot), but it’s a chore that I enjoy. That being said, if you break it down into steps, it can be much easier to take care of and on a more regular basis. Keep on reading if you want to know how to quickly wash your car in six easy steps 🙂
1. Rinse + Repeat
The Drive-Thru Method
In the winter, I hate being cold. I drive through a touch-less car wash so I don’t get wet when I’m spraying it off … because I’m a cold weather sissy. BUT DON’T GO THROUGH JUST ANY CAR WASH. It MUST be an entirely touchless car wash! Don’t go through any car wash that touches your car in any way, other than being sprayed with water and soap solution.
Being said car person, I cringe at the thought of someone scraping a brush over their paint. You NEED to be gentle with your paint, as it is a fairly soft material, even long after the curing process is complete. Trust me, you don’t want to have your car repainted because you ruined the paint. It can be very E X P E N S I V E (ie. 3-stage and now 4-stage paint jobs from the factory, RIP)
The Hand Wash
If you’re going to hand wash your car, start off by rinsing the car down with a hose – but don’t use any kind of higher water pressure that you couldn’t hold against your own skin for a few seconds at a time. The reason behind this is again, because the paint is always fairly soft and you don’t want to damage it.
When sudsing it up during your hand wash, use a car-specific soap or shampoo; DON’T USE DISH SOAP. Why, you ask? Car shampoo is specifically designed to be less aggressive to the finish of your car, in comparison to dish soap or laundry soap. As far as a sponge goes, you can use a microfiber towel, a car wash mitt *aff link* or a car wash sponge. While washing, make sure that you don’t mix up your microfibers up in the dirty water bucket vs the clean water bucket. This is because you can scratch your paint with any dirt and dust particles that are on a dirty microfiber towel. Once she’s all soapy and clean, give ‘er another rinse to get all of the soap off.
2. Dry’er Off
You’ve cleaned your car, now give it a good once over with a CLEAN microfiber towel *aff link* to dry up all the water to prevent water spots. Again, make sure the towel is CLEAN so you don’t scratch up the paint with a dirty one. If the towel you’re using gets too saturated or dirty from left over dirt, grab a dry, clean one.
3. Shine’er Up
Once dry, use a quality spray detailer *aff link* or paint sealer to protect your paint. By applying a spray detailer or sealant, you’re not providing the same amount of protection as a thourough wax does, but it does do a great job between washes.
That being said, you SHOULD try to wax your vehicle a few times a year. I try to do it 5+ times per year, but usually around a seasonal change. Waxing your car *aff link* prevents fading, discoloring and oxidation, which can be caused by harsh sun rays… think of it like, sunscreen for your paint. It can also breathe a little bit of life into your paint and make her shine again!
Apply the spray detailer in circles with a CLEAN microfiber on the painted surfaces. If you drop it, GRAB A NEW ONE. You don’t want to scratch your paint with any little particles that the microfiber picked up when it touched the ground. Are you starting to understand how much I dislike preventable scratches and swirls in my paint yet, haha.
4. Make that Glass Sparkle
As a life-long glasses wearer, I live for Rain-X 2-in-1 *aff link* glass cleaner + water repellent. It’s awesome because when it rains, it beads the water up and it rolls off. Also, it’s great for getting dog nose-art off of the glass … which I have a TON of. I like to go over the glass once or twice to make sure I have a good layer of repellent for the next time it rains.
5. Vacuum!!
Vacuuming can be super tedious if you’re like me. I go as far as going over the carpet and interior with a Lilly brush *aff link* to pick up the pesky dog hairs that don’t come up with the vacuum. It’s literally the best tool for cleaning if you battle dog hair. Whoever invented it is a damn genius! Harve is half Heeler and mixed with some Husky/German Shepard – so basically a mixture of the hairest dogs ever. Typically, I do a metric shit-ton of vacuuming, even between washings.
PRO-TIP: If your vehicle is a dog hauler, buy a seat covering to protect your seats from hair and mud *aff link*. I have one for my Jeep and it helps TREMENDOUSLY with the amount of hair.
6. Wipe Down the Trim
To finish off the job, I wipe down all of the interior trim and dash with a quality interior detailer *aff link*. I also wipe down all of the door openings because there’s usually water spots throughout. The cherry on top is a new air freshener. I love Bath & Bodyworks Car Fragrance. My favorite scents are Mahogany Teakwood, Flannel, *aff links*Champagne Toast and Cactus Blossum.
It’s not always fun, but I really, really love a clean car, even if it is a Wrangler that is intended to get dirty. Hopefully, this post will help you with how to quickly wash your car in six easy steps. And maybe someday, washing your car won’t be a chore anymore!
What are some of your favorite car cleaning products?!
