How to Wash a Car in Ten Easy Steps

There are two things to consider here – the weather and how much time you have available.

When it comes to weather, you obviously don’t want to be washing in the rain, but the middle of a bright, sunny day can be a no-no too. Strong sunlight and high temperatures can dry the car too quickly so you end up with streaks and smears. Wait for cloudy weather or do it earlier/later in the day.

You also want to leave enough time to do the job properly. You’re hopefully going to get a lot of satisfaction from doing a thorough clean, but it’s going to take a bit of time. Best to allow a few hours so you don’t have to end up rushing.

Though it might be tempting to get thrifty and grab an old sponge or the washing-up liquid, your car won’t thank you for it. That sponge may contain small particles that could damage paintwork, and household detergent most certainly will. Instead, get yourself some dedicated sponges/cloths and car shampoo (yes, car shampoo). You’ll also need a bucket, preferably with a grit guard at the bottom to stop your sponge picking up sediment. Ideally, you’ll have a hosepipe you can use too – if you’re thinking of getting a pressure washer, think carefully, because they’ll make removing dirt easier but can also do damage if not used right. If you’ve no hosepipe, a watering can will do the job.

Don’t even think about using a sponge until you’ve given the car a thorough rinsing. Particles of dirt and grit can scratch the paintwork, so it’s important to remove as many of these as possible first. Start from the roof and work down, covering every part of the car – don’t forget about lower areas like wheel arches, sills and under the bumpers. If you come across some stubborn marks, you can spend a little more time on these but be very careful about lingering too long in one spot, especially with a pressure washer.

Once you’ve rinsed thoroughly, you’re ready to wash your car. You’ll want to use warm water and car shampoo in your bucket – the bottle of car shampoo will let you know the perfect ratio of shampoo to water. Then it’s simply a case of loading up your sponge with the solution and gently cleaning each section of the car, starting from the roof. Work your way down and refresh your sponge regularly to keep it clean and full of suds. If you want to, you can use an additional bucket with water in to thoroughly rinse your sponge each time. It can be tempting to rub hard on stubborn stains but, if these aren’t lifting, it might be wiser to treat them with a specialist stain remover before continuing.

Once you’ve finished washing, give the car another good rinse, from top to bottom, until every trace of shampoo has gone.

Part of the best way to wash a car is to remember to dry it. It’s a step that many people miss, but it’s a must if you want to do a proper job. Water spots can blight the look of a newly-washed car, and they particularly stand out on darker shades like black.

To avoid this, use a chamois leather to thoroughly dry each area (again from top to bottom), giving the ‘chammy’ a regular wring-out as you go. After use, wash and rinse the cloth so it’s ready for next time. A perfect alternative to a chamois leather is a microfibre cloth – dampen it very slightly before use and follow the same process as with the chammy.

A lot of people stop at this point and call it a day, but there are a few more important steps involved to thoroughly wash a car. From here, it’s all about focusing on some key areas.

Alloy wheels attract dirt and brake dust like a magnet, and shampoo and warm water are unlikely to cut it. No, for this you’ll need a dedicated alloy wheel cleaner – thankfully, there are a lot on the market, many of which do the cleaning work for you and you simply have to rinse them clean. If there’s a build-up of dust and dirt, you may have to use an alloy brush to gently remove it.

While you’re there you can spruce up your tyres with tyre-shine or tyre-black to really make the wheels pop.

Another overlooked part of washing a car is cleaning the windows, and it can really take the edge off your hard work. It’s very straightforward, as you can use the same products and approach you use for your home – non-streak window cleaner, a lint-free cloth, and remembering to do both sides. It’s best to lower the window a little to get to the edges as well.

It might be the shiny clean exterior that you’ll smile at with pride, but you’ll be spending more time sitting on the inside than staring at the outside – so don’t neglect the interior. You’ve already done the windows, so start with a good hoover of the carpets, sliding the seats backwards and forwards and using the vacuum attachments to get into all the nooks and crannies. Most modern vacuum cleaners have upholstery and duster attachments that you can use to clean seats, the dashboard and centre consoles. Interior plastics can be freshened up with a car-interior cleaner, and there are also dedicated cleaners for both fabric and leather seats. Alternatively, you can use a clean, damp cloth, though the effect won’t be quite as good.

This step isn’t essential, but it will add an extra wow-factor to your efforts and also protect your car and make future cleaning easier.

Wax creates a shine on your car’s bodywork and adds an additional layer of protection that helps prevent damage. It makes it harder for stains like bird droppings to ‘stick’ to the paint.

Okay, don’t literally get into the boot, but if you’ve really got the cleaning bug and want to go to town, consider giving it some TLC. Tidy everything into its appropriate place and use boxes or a ‘boot-tidy’ to keep things organised and secure.

Hoover the boot and tackle any marks on the carpet with a cloth and warm water (or stain remover if too tough). If you find your boot gets dirty often, you might want to look into a plastic or rubber boot-saver for added protection.

Job done – now you know the best way to wash a car. Hopefully, you’re standing back to admire the showroom sparkle of your car. You can also take satisfaction in the money you’ll save from not needing the car wash. Clean and tidy away your equipment so it’s ready for next time and put your feet up – you’ve earned it!

Thinking of selling your car now that’s is fresh and clean? Take a look at our advice guide on how to prepare your car to sell it quickly.