A Mess Free Life may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page.
Taking care of your car whether it be washing it several times per month or even once a week, can keep your car’s body in tip-top shape.
I remember my first car like it was yesterday. It was a 1976 Mercury Monarch with a leather top, leather bucket seats and a cassette player stereo system. I loved that car so much I hand washed it inside and out every single week.
If you want to keep your car in perfect condition, then you’ll want to gather all the necessary supplies and car care cleaning products before you start washing your car. You’ll need, a bucket, soap, sponges or soft cloths, a scrub brush, glass cleaner, paper towels (or newspapers) and any other cleaning materials you may wish to use.
Read: Creating Your Cleaning Bucket
Clean Your Car Using The Best Professional Car Cleaning Tips
Fill up a bucket with soap and water, making it super sudsy. Be sure to use soap that is made to wash cars; shampoo and dish soap won’t do the job.
Choose a shady area to park your car, so as to avoid direct sunlight. Direct sun tends to dry the car prematurely, in turn leaving splotches on it. At the same time, make sure to keep the car away from trees that drip sap or drop leaves. If you do find some sap drippings, you can use WD-40 to remove tree sap from cars.
Close all the doors and windows of your car and set all the cleaning equipment at your side.
Fill a bucket with water and add car wash soap, as per directions given on the bottle. Keep another bucket full of water.
To remove excess dirt, hose off the car starting from the roof to the tires. Be careful not to use a strong jet, as that can rub grit over the paint and leave scratches.
Lather a wash mitt or sponge in the soapy water and wipe your car with it, starting from the roof. Spray off the excess soap, after the entire roof, has been cleaned.
Wash the car section by section, washing one full side at a time, including the windows and fenders, and rinsing it with the hose before going to the next section.
Rinse the sponge in the clear bucket of water frequently to remove excess dirt.
As you progress with the various steps, keep the entire car wet. It will ensure that the droplets don’t dry on the paint, leaving water spots.
The dirtiest and grimiest part of a car is its lower body and wheels. Make it a point to scrub and clean them last. Use a different sponge for those parts.
For cleaning the openings of the wheels, use a long, skinny wheel brush. To clean the tires, make use of steel-wool soap pads, one for each tire.
To dry the car, use chamois leather or a towel and set it flat on the surface. Drag it along the surface, starting from the roof and moving down to the tires. Make sure to pick up every water spot.
Use a rag, soaked in plain water, for cleaning the windows. After cleaning, dry them with a dry rag. Alternately, you can also use window cleaner and pieces of balled-up newspaper for both the inside and outside of the windows.
Read: How To Clean Your Windows Like A Professional
Getting your car clean like the professionals take a little time and elbow grease, but it’s worth it in the end.
Your car will be sparkling like new, and your friends will think you hired a professional to keep it clean.
I’m a professional cleaner with over 13 years of hands-on experience cleaning homes, a published writer, certified money specialist, and the founder of A Mess Free Life. After paying off over $50,000 in debt, I dedicated myself to helping others master their homes and their money — proving that a clean, organized, stress-free life is possible no matter where you’re starting from. When I’m not writing, you’ll find me cooking, playing bocce, sipping an extra dirty martini, or enjoying the ocean with my cats nearby. I’m also a proud mom and grandma who cares deeply for my mother at home.
