Cleaning your Car Guide

The simplest way to clean your car is to visit the car wash, pay for your ticket, wash and then drive away. Of course, if this were also the best way, then this would be a very short guide indeed. Washing your car at an automated car wash should only be done as an absolute last resort, as it is a one-stop shop for damaging the delicate paint on your car.

Imagine that your cars paintwork is the skin on your face. Then imagine what your face would look like if, every time you washed it, you used the cheapest soap, applied it with a bottle cleaning brush from the kitchen, rinsed with cold water and dried it using your hair dryer. Chances are it would rarely look its best!

To keep your car looking its best, the most preferable way to clean it is by hand. Far from being boring or hard work, washing your car this way can actually be very therapeutic, the repeated motions almost acting as a meditation and when done properly, the results can be very satisfying. There are a few supplies the dedicated car washer needs before commencing though.

Washing

First you need buckets, not just one, but two. Then you need a decent car wash product such as Meguiars, AutoGlym or Poorboys. Under no circumstances should you use washing-up liquid as this contains ingredients that attack the shiny topcoat of your paint and will, over time, make it dull. Your first bucket should be filled with hot or cold water (it makes no difference except to your hands) and the recommended amount of cleaning product.

Your second bucket should be filled with plain water and will be used to rinse out the applicator, ensuring that you don’t contaminate your wash mixture with dirt. Traditionally, the humble yellow sponge would be dunked into the wash bucket, but for the best results, a wash mitt should be used. The reason for this is that a sponge has a flat surface that can collect grains of dirt or specs of grit that, when rubbed across your cars bodywork, cause minute scratches and ‘swirl marks’ that ruin the look of your paintwork.

A wash mitt avoids this by trapping anything harmful into its deep pile of fibres and then removed when you rinse it in your second bucket. Now you are armed with your two buckets and a wash mitt, it is time to put them aside and turn your attention to preparing the car for washing.

Rinse the car using a hose or buckets of water. If using a hose, the stream should be like rain on the car, rather than a strong jet of water, as this can blast dirt into the paintwork. Using a separate mitt or soft sponge, clean the wheels with an alloy wheel cleaner or some of your wash mixture and ensure that any loose dirt under the wheel arches has been removed.

With the car wet, start at the top and work down with your wash mitt, remembering to rinse in the second bucket regularly. Side-to-side strokes are perfect for the washing phase and pressure should only be used on any tough spots you may come across. When you have cleaned the whole car, empty your buckets and get the hose to rinse the car off.

Drying

After thoroughly rinsing any soapy suds off the car, it’s time to dry the paintwork. Many people ignore this step, preferring to let the car dry on its own. This is pointless as the water will dry in patches, making the car look as bad as it did before you started! Again, tradition calls for the use of a chamois leather and while they do a respectable job, there is a better item available today. The microfiber towel is far more absorbent than a chamois, making drying quick and painless. If you can find a microfiber mitt, then the drying takes mere moments, with a great finish. A different microfiber towel should be used for the wheels

Some people use a blade, similar to the ones used by window cleaners, to wipe the loose water off their car. Although they do a great job, they come with a similar danger to the sponge in that if a piece of grit is caught between the bodywork and the blade, you could find yourself with a big scratch as you drag the blade over the car. They should be fine for the windows though.

Options

Now we get to the optional part, a polish. Polishing your car doesn’t have to be done every time you clean it, in fact it should only be done around four or five times per year. You can always tell when a car needs polishing, as the water stops ‘beading’ on the paintwork when it rains or when you wash it. Depending on the age of your car, there is a step which should be inserted between drying and polishing, and that is claying.

Detailing Clay.

Once the reserve of professional detailers only, this great product can now be found at most car care shops. In the box you get a spray bottle of lubricant and a small bar of clay (actually a mix of man made products rather than actual clay). Break off a third of the bar of clay and spray the lubricant onto your bodywork in a small patch. Then, using very little pressure, move the clay bar back and forth over the wet paint. As you do this you will feel it stick and then release; this is the clay doing its job.

What it is actually doing is removing all those contaminants (tree sap, road dirt, bird droppings etc.) that regular washing won’t. Doing the whole car is relatively time consuming, but what you will be left with is a car with paint as smooth and shiny as glass. If you have the time and your car is not new, then this is a very worthwhile treatment. Once the claying is done, you must polish your car as the clay will have removed any old polish that was left.

Polishing

Apply your polish with an applicator pad that may come with the product itself, or can be purchased separately. Again, the same brands as the car wash are recommended. Working on a small section of paintwork at one time, the best method is to use smooth, circular motions followed by back and forth to ensure good coverage. Then remove the polish with a microfiber towel, polish removal mitt or car-care cotton wool. A good polish is easy to apply, dries fairly quickly and doesn’t require too much effort to remove.

Finishing Touches

With your car washed, clayed and polished, chances are it looks totally different! But for it to stand out, there are a few final things to be done. First the wheel require a good buff up and a product for blackening the tires can be used, then a good glass polish will make your windows shine too. With all this done you can stand back and admire your clean car, safe in the knowledge that rather than destroy the paintwork in a car wash, you have extended its life by caring for it by hand.

holy sh*t mate! the amount of time it took me to read this post i cud of washed my car!....he he..lol

Good report that.
My Beetles paint usually looks rubbish but a damn good wash and polish as reported here and it looks like new.

Steph is the car washin queen...she done mine at the weekend and its still shiny as fook!! megs quick wax!

I use that as well, I have a room full of polish but just buying it is not enough, I still have to get off my arse and use it.

Nice one Adam..must of took a bit of time to type that up.

not that I need it ...lol.

Oh year you can get this water purifier..which you rince your car of with and it leaves no watermarks..I want one.

copy and paste

saw it on a website and thought it would be usefull. Some good tips in there

Cant wait till nice summer and spend all day cleaning the golf!

Sneeky..lol. had us all fooled! thinking you were some detailing king.

chamies scratch paint end of!

wash car, rinse car, spray with megs quick dry detailer, dry with micro fibre done

This takes no longer than 15mins, i use to love cleaning my cars but started to get pissed with stone chips,

Remember= These are cars not orniments!

But good guide adam, these i my views sorry but this is me

TBH The Chamois is a much derided animal! I went out and invested in a microfibre waffle weave drying towel as recommended on numeroud detailing forums.. and it now live in a cupboard and the 4ft Chamois is back... takes 1/2 time drying with a chamois and finish is much better.

Microfibres drying towels are for people too lazy to look after a chamois. If it's used correctly, washed when new to remove tanning oil, always rinsed and dried slowly, and never just sling in a bag after use.. it will serve you faithfully for many years... If it gets dirty, simply wash it in some hand soap, rinse and it's good as new.

This was tought to me by a guy who detailed Rollers for Autoshows, pure old school but amazing results..

Have a read through some detailing forums and you'll see a whole other world to washing and caring for a car.

My best tip is Meguires 3-stage every few months.. but also a top up of polish/wax every couple weeks in the winter. Salt is a killer of protection, even when its dry as it has been salt dusts up from the road.

Use the best products you can afford, I spent £60 on car stuff 2 years ago and it's still being used today... with good quality polishes etc and regular cleaning a little goes a long way... Foam aplicator pads are cheap and make applying product much easier. Also spray them with a little "Quick Detailer" first and the product doesn't sink in to the pad as much meaning more on the car!

I use Halfauds car wash over Autoglym as you get a better level of suds in the bucket, these are also what helps with removing paint marring dust/grit etc.

I really want to get hold of a foam lance as theose thing look the business.. simply cover the car in Foam and leave to soak for 5 mins and it removes so much dirt! Then was as above..

Found this on e38..
step by step without saying what products:

Couple of Updates... Thought I'd bump this for Dubsy as he's another detailing freak!

Am currently loving The Megs Gold-class car shampoo, so much foam! And PH neutral so cares for your hands...

The Megs Foam Applicator pads can be washed by hand quite a few times to removed the build up of product so are even better value for money than I thought!

If you see the Zymol Wax in Halfords (light blue stuff) walk past, it's rubbish, Wasted £12 on it, might just use it to wax my new shed!

Oh and my neighbours think I'm a freak washing/polishing the car so often (was out at 9 last night!)... but being 1/4 mile from City Airport means there's kerosene in the air which just sticks to paint

Don't think I have seen it on here yet. Once washed, clayed and polished, you can then Shell Coat it. This protects the polish and gives it a deep shine. I then use the detail spray to keep the car clean between major washes and when I arrive at shows.

There is a commen misconception that you need bubbles to wash your car...products like
Auto Glym car shampoo do not produce bubbles..so you dont need to add half the container..trying to find the elusive little buggers.

Matter of fact..this is how I keep my car looking better than all of yours..hehehe(only kidding btw)

For a first wash....

Rinse with water to loosen dried on dirt.
Wash with car wash of choice..using a Noodle ( sponges scratch)
Wash Wheels last.
Rinse with water.
Leave to air dry (have a cuppa or go for a spin) and dont use chamois, they scratch.
Apply Auto Glym super resin with cotton cloth..a panal at a time.
Remove SR with clean microfibre.
Apply any bumper care now..as wax will remove any bits that have gone onto paintwork.
Apply Meguires Quik wax with cotton cloth..panal at a time.
Remove QW with clean microfibre.
Apply Wheel care...with sponge applicator.

for a second and subsiquential wash..

As above but leave out the Auto Glym super resin stage...you hard work is already protected under the wax.

Steff... BIN the A-Glymm Shampoo, speaking to professionals they will only use this either on a lightly dusted car or after giving the car a Foam-bath.

The suds are there to help lift any dirt that is till on the car after rinsing.

Oh and do Wheels First using a seperate bucket and cleaning goods (Brake dust kills paint) Meand that any Over-splash gets rinsed when you wash the bodywork.

Don't air-dry, and the Chamois thing is a just a marketing ploy by all those who are selling drying towels. I stopped using my Meg Water Magnet as all it ended up doing was moving damp about once it got wet, you can't wring them like you can a chamois. This reduces water marking and also "activates" any wax on the car by generating a bit of heat (so I'm told).

Try using Foam applicators with a mist of QD they use so much less product and reduce the white dust normally associated with SRP.

I dont use Auto glym car shampoo..just cheap stuff from A1.
And I have seen the scratches produced from using chamois..lot easier to air dry.
Also dont use the SRP much just every few months as it removes the wax that is protecting all the hard work of polishing underneath.
I have a foam applicator..but I find applying the SRP straight to the cloth instead of straight onto the car better. might try the QD idea though.

seeing as you are all such cleaning experts and seem to love it so much, who fancies having a go at Poppy?? i think matthew may have given up with her and by the time i have cleaned the house i cant be bothered to do the car.... so if anyone has a spare afternoon.... hahah

Kayleigh, if you guys want to pop into London for a day will be happy to have a go!