Professional Car Washing Tips and Tricks

You may save money and time by washing your vehicle at home instead of waiting for it to become a huge task that you repeatedly put off. Yes, washing and detailing a car from top to bottom is a household duty, but once you know how, you won't hesitate to hire a pro to do the work for you. Follow these detailed methods to have a perfectly clean, well-protected automobile, including the tires: wash, dry, and vacuum.

1) Reduce Water Use

Usually, you use one or two buckets (two are usually advised) for washing at home. I frequently witness excessive water entering the buckets. It is just unnecessary to fill a five-gallon bucket to the brim, as you will use too much car wash soap and then spill half of the water out while rinsing your wash pads. As a general guideline, aim to fill the bucket to three-quarters full. It only takes two to three gallons, and you'll immediately see an increase in suds production and a reduction in water use.

2) Use Wet Towels to Dry

I get what you're thinking, but why would you ever use wet towels to dry yourself? That's absurd. In our detailed shop, we've been using it for more than six years, and it does wonders. It's harder to dry the car using dry towels since they stick to the surface and get too saturated, but this problem is solved with a moist microfiber towel. If you use slightly moist microfiber towels, your automobile will dry more quickly, wick away water more easily, and have less surface friction. You don't think I'm real? Could you give it a go yourself? To make your drying towel a little heavier than usual but not drenched, softly moisten it and place it in the dryer for a few minutes. I promise you won't be sorry once your car is dry.

3) Use GritGuard Every Time

You can significantly decrease the chance of damaging your paint by adding a GritGuard to the bottom of any wash or wash bucket. Shake the pad rapidly against the GritGuard throughout the washing process to loosen any dirt, grime, silt, or other impurities. The insert prevents you from picking up the "grit" with your wash pads by allowing it to settle at the bottom of the bucket. This makes sure that your finish is never in contact with a filthy pad.

4) Start by Washing the Wheels

Before painting, wash your wheels to avoid overspray and sling from unclean wheels. Even though it might not matter if you're not moving your car, you don't want to undo all of your hard work by splattering brake dust-up over your quarter panels if you do need to relocate. Make sure your rinse water and wash utensils are in a different bucket from the one containing your wheel cleaning supplies. It is not worth putting brake dust on your wash pads and running the risk of damaging your paintwork since it can rip away your finish.

5) Clean Windows

An automobile with spotless windows is one without any stains, smudges, fingerprints, or happy smiles. I'll give you a tiny detailing tip to help with this: use horizontal strokes on the interior and vertical strokes on the exterior of your windows while washing them. Identify the reason, if you can. You'll know just which side you need to beat with the towel one final time if you wind up leaving streaks. One of the greatest ways to make your freshly cleaned car truly stand out is to make sure your windows are pristine, and I highly recommend doing this after every car wash.

Summary

Fill your wash buckets only 3/4 full to reduce water usage while still getting ample suds. Use slightly damp microfiber towels instead of dry ones for faster, easier drying with less friction. Add a gritguard to your buckets to allow grit to settle at the bottom, preventing it from scratching your paint. Wash the wheels first before the body panels to avoid splattering brake dust. Clean windows horizontally outside and vertically inside so you can identify and tackle any streaks remaining. With these efficient techniques, you'll have a like-new, professional-level clean every time you wash at home. And when you want maximum ceramic protection, our Tualatin ceramic coating services can't be beaten!