5 Car Washing Tips That Will Save Your Weekend
There’s no two ways about it: Nothing looks better than a clean car. Some of us do it every week, while others just can’t seem to find the time. Here are five car washing tips that will cut down your washing time while still giving your car that fresh-from-the-detailer look.
Prewash Prep
Grab a bucket of warm water, an old clean hand towel and a couple of shop towels. Have your garden hose on and ready to go. You should also make sure to pick up a bottle of car wash. If your wash is from concentrate, make sure to properly dilute it before application.
Made in the Shade
If possible, you should wash your car in the shade rather than in direct sunlight. Washing in the shade is great. It keeps you cool while also preventing the soapy water from drying before you can rinse it off. If you can’t find a shady spot, or your soap dries prematurely, you’ll need to reapply the soap and the rinse before it leaves residue behind.
And… Wash!
Start by adding your car-wash solution to the bucket of warm water and dunking your hand towel in. The type of soap you choose will determine the outcome of your wash: Some soaps will simply wash off your vehicle; others add a wax or water repellent in lieu of a full-on wax job.
Once your towel is soaked, don’t wring it out — the wetter it is, the better. If your vehicle is large, cover it in sections; the object here is to rinse off your vehicle completely before the soapy water completely dries. You can experiment with one large towel or two. Washing with one towel in each hand lets you cover more ground.
Rinse
If you can manage to wash down your entire vehicle in one shot, rinsing should be quick and easy. If you have to wash your vehicle in sections, then it will take a little more time. If this is the case, give the vehicle one final rinse over the whole surface to rewet it for drying. Avoid using a power washer; it can easily take the paint off your vehicle or damage its body parts.
Dry and Drive
Use a full-sized towel. Hold the corners, and drape it flat over the vehicle. Drag the towel over broad surfaces to dry as much as possible, and use a smaller hand towel to mop up any smaller portions you may have missed. Now for the fun part: Once you’ve removed as much water as you can, take your car for a quick spin up and down the road to let the wind dry if off completely.
There you have it: the quickest car washing tips in the west. Using a handful of household goods and a good quality car wash solution, your vehicle can look like it just came off the dealer lot without taking up your whole Saturday.
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Erich Reichert View All
Erich Reichert has been an editor and on-air personality in the radio control car hobby for 12 years. A certified car nut since birth, he has written for internationally published titles such as RC Car Action, RC Driver and Xtreme RC Cars, as well as Stuff Magazine, Road and Track and Super Street. He's covered everything from product reviews and tech articles to high-profile lifestyle pieces and celebrity interviews. Erich found his passion for writing after a successful career as an art director, working with brands such as Pepsico, NASCAR, MTV, Nintendo, WWE, Cannondale Bicycles and HBO. He's also a father, an avid hockey fan and an FIA race license holder who enjoys hiking, playing drums and movies.
that is pretty much what I do. I have to wash the truck in sections and rinse as I go, top to bottom and then a good overall rinse.
my best bud swears by using shampoo as it cleans but gentle. of course his wifey is a hairdresser so he gits all the poo he needs. The only problem is it takes him TWICE as long – cause the directions say to “rinse and REPEAT”!!!