In this article, we'll explore how to wash your car like a pro and efficiently clean your car's interior. Additionally, it highlights the types of products to use and avoid when washing your car to protect the paint and make your vehicle shine like new.
Some people just like to wash their own cars, rather than going to a car care center but want their car to shine like it came out of it. You may have heard that dishwashing liquid, soap, shampoo, or detergent can be used in place of car shampoo as it’s cheaper and you can find it anywhere at home, plus it can also make the car shine as well. But do those cleaning products really? Cars24 has some great advice on how to wash your car properly.
Prep Yourself before the Car Wash
We all want convenience, however, washing your car may be something you may not have time for, and Car Cares seems to be the answer. But for anyone else who prefers to wash their own cars, we have a simple solution to make your car washing experience more enjoyable for you and your car.
Washing a car alone is not uncommon, but it would be nice if you had another friend to help wash the car, save time, and make it easier as well.
When you are washing the car, remember not to carry anything hard, solid-like, or metal decorations from clothing like jeans, wallet chains, pocket knives, etc. as these objects may scratch and easily damage your car paint.
Avoid using dirty microfiber cloths or cloths contaminated with oil stains
Do not use dirty sponges, scotch bristles, or wheel brushes to clean your car
Dishwashing liquid, detergent, soap, shampoo... Do they really work?
Believe it or not, the answer is ‘YES’…but it’s not that effective though. You may think that it is a cleaning product as well, however, don’t forget that it was developed for use on skin, hair, clothing, and especially dishwashing liquids which its properties are to remove stubborn grease stains from food that we eat. When used to wash the car, it can adversely affect the surface and color of the car, when used constantly on your car, it will make the car paint fade and not as shiny as before.
Especially if your cars paint has been glass coated, you should also avoid dishwashing liquid, which is an emulsifier that can wash away car paint, causing the car coating or car wax to deteriorate and shortens its life quality, and at that point, you may regret the amount of money wasted in the coating and waxing of your car (right?) it will just frustrate you.
Additionally, washing your car with dishwashing liquid, detergent, or soap can cause other problems because the chemicals in those products will stick to the paint more than car shampoo and are harder to remove, and when the chemicals in soap and dishwashing liquid are left on the dried car paint, it can also damage your car. This could become a nightmare for you and it’s definitely not good. The best solution is to just use car shampoos as they were developed to clean cars as well as protecting your cars’ paint.
Washing Your Car Correctly is Beneficial than You Think
In addition to washing your car yourself, it also allows you to explore scratches and the dirt on your car, washing your own car can also be fun, especially with families or friends. We have 8 recommendations from our experts on how to wash cars while protecting and preserving your cars’ paint at the same time, plus, this will make your car shiny like new and make your friends wanting to know where you washed your car!
1. Park your car in the right place:
Parking your car in a location that is out of direct sunlight, because it will cause the car to dry quickly from shampoo or water stains (before you have the chance to clean it with clean water or wipe the car dry) and if possible the area where you wash your car has a slight slope surface so that the water flows out of the car and flows into the drain faster, the car will dry faster with little stain. Also, don’t wash your car under a tree to avoid falling leaves, bird droppings, or insects.
2. Have your gears ready:
shampoo, water bucket (2 pcs), sponge or microfiber cloth, wheel brush, chamois, varnish, wheel coating spray and gloves because it would be frustrating if you forgot something.
3. Wash clean the car thoroughly before shampooing:
adjust the water pressure on the washer or hose, accordingly, wash the car thoroughly, starting from the top, bottom, and then the wheel arches. This step is not only done to keep the car wet but to wash away dirt, and oil stains that can cause scratches when washing with a sponge or microfiber cloth.
4. Starting from the wheels:
just imagine if you spray wash the car first and then wash the wheels, you’ll have to deal with dirt, and rubbles on the surface that could bounce back the cars’ body paint (and you would have to wash it again). Experts recommend washing the wheels thoroughly first, leaving the wheel cleaner for a few minutes to make it easier for the dirt to come off, then using a brush to clean the wheels one by one until complete.
5. Wash the car thoroughly:
after washing the wheels of the car until clean, spray water from the roof down to the bottom then put on gloves and mix car wash shampoo into a bucket of water (You can also use a sponge or microfiber cloth designed to wash the car). Start washing from the roof as usual, in this step, you should prepare two buckets of water, the first one mixed with car wash shampoo, the other is filled with clean water for dipping the sponge and dirty gloves to wash thoroughly before dipping the car wash shampoo again.
6. Wipe the door and frame clean:
use a clean chamois cloth slightly moistened with water, wipe clean the inside of the door and frame.
7. Dry the car with 2 chamois cloths:
Chamois cloth is friendly to the color and surface of the car (Do not use a towel to wipe the car, this may cause scratches to the car surface). After washing the car thoroughly, use the first chamois to gently wipe the water stains all over the car, then use the second cloth to wipe again to make sure all stains are removed. Let the car dry out completely, especially around the side mirrors that tend to have water dripping down, causing the car to stain.
8. Polish shine your car:
after the car is wiped clean and has dried (no stains left), It's time for you to coat your car and make it shine like you have just been to a Car Care.
Your Car Seats and Remove those Stuffy, Musty Odors
After cleaning the exterior of the car, don’t forget to vacuum and wipe the inside of every small fold because there may be drink stains or scraps of food, snacks stuck inside those small little tiny spaces that can cause an unpleasant smell in the car. A clean car will impress your travel companion and clean seats will be even more impressive, and we have some cleaning techniques to share
Genuine Leather upholstery:
this type of upholstery is made from genuine leather that has undergone tanning and dyeing processes and gives a soft and comfortable feeling and beautiful colors. The proper cleaning method is to wipe it thoroughly with a microfiber cloth dampened with water, use a soft-bristled brush moistened with genuine leather cleaner then clean the dirty areas. Wipe clean again and apply the leather upholstery solution to protect the leather seat, prolong its quality and also make it soft and beautiful.
Artificial leather upholstery:
made of highly flexible plastic such as PVC or PU, giving the impression of a genuine leather seat, durable, easy to clean, does not absorb dust, does not absorb water. In this case, use a microfiber cloth or chamois cloth, soak up a small amount of liquid soap and wipe the upholstery. It should not be too wet because it will cause moisture and musty odor, but if the car seat is very dirty, use a leather upholstery cleaner to remove the stains. When finished, coat and maintain with leather seat coating again.
Fabric upholstery:
even if these types of seat upholstery transfers heat well, and does not slide, however, it absorbs dust and gets dirty easily, it retains moisture well, thus causing a musty, stuffy odor. Fabric upholstery is harder to clean than other types of upholstery, therefore, dust and dirt in the seat folds and hard to reach spaces should be cleaned first. If the upholstery has stains, spray a small amount of fabric upholstery cleaner (don’t make it too wet, this can cause the fabric to become moldy or musty) and then use a blow dryer to prevent odors. But if the upholstery is very dirty, it is recommended to go to a Car Care to remove the seat for washing.
With these simple car washing techniques that we recommended to help guide you to better wash your car and say goodbye to dishwashing liquids, detergents, shampoos and liquid soaps and switch to better quality car shampoos, keeping your car paint shiny and clean just like a new car.
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