When it's time to clean your car, you may think it's a long and tedious process. However, you can clean your vehicle effectively by starting outside and working inside. Following are some of the steps to take.
Preparing to Wash Your Car
Place your vehicle in a shady spot. If your car's body is hot from sitting in the sun or driving, wait until it cools down before cleaning it. This could take anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes. To avoid soap and water stains, wait for your automobile to cool down because heat speeds up the drying period of soap and
water.
Assemble your materials. Next to your car, set out two buckets, a car cleaner, a soft natural sponge or lambswool wash mitt, a cloth/rag, tire cleaner, soft terry towels, and car wax. These items are required to clean the exterior of your vehicle. Assemble your cleaning products for the interior as well. You'll need a vacuum, trash bag, glass cleaner, upholstery foam cleanser, carpet cleaner, Q-tips, paper towels, and rags.
Fill two buckets with water and set them aside. One bucket will be used to soak your cloth, while the other will rinse it. According to the directions, fill one of the buckets with the specially developed auto cleanser. Do not clean your car with dishwashing detergent or hand soap. The wax on your vehicle may be stripped away by these strong home
chemicals.
Washing the Body
Using a hose, rinse the automobile. Before using soap, thoroughly rinse the whole surface of the car. To avoid scratching your vehicle, remove any loose dirt or debris. With your hands, remove leaves, twigs, and other debris. To remove stubborn dirt, debris, and filth, turn the hose to a high-pressure setting. Ensure the pressure isn't too intense, or your car's wax or paint will be removed.
From the top to the bottom of your car, clean it. Working on one piece at a time is also a good idea. After you've finished cleaning each piece with soap, make sure to rinse it with water thoroughly. This keeps the soap from drying on your vehicle.
Swirl marks can be caused by scrubbing in a circular motion. Use a sponge or a lambswool mitt to lather the soap. Then wash your automobile up and down in a straight line. Cleaning the car in a circular motion is not recommended.
Rinse your sponge regularly. After each usage, rinse it in the second bucket with water. If your sponge falls to the ground, immediately clean it with water. Otherwise, the debris on the sponge could harm your vehicle.
Allowing your automobile to air dry is not a good idea. Watermarks and streaking may result as a result of this. Instead, dry it with a soft terry towel or chamois (synthetic or natural). Instead of wiping the water off your automobile, try blotting it.
Cleaning the Wheels
Fill two buckets with water and set them aside. In one of the buckets, combine a cleaner. Make sure you're using a safe wheel cleaner for all surfaces. Dishwashing detergents and caustic cleansers with acid should be avoided. These cleaners have the potential to damage the finish of your wheels.
One bucket will be used to clean your sponge, while the other will rinse it.
In the cleaning solution, soak a soft sponge. Begin cleaning one wheel at a time from the top down once the sponge has soaked for a few minutes. Use a soft-bristled toothbrush to clean small crevices.
If your wheels are extremely unclean, you may need to use a degreaser first.
Clean the wheel by rinsing it and drying it. Once your reel is clean, thoroughly rinse it with water to eliminate all dirt and debris. Then, using a soft cloth, dry the wheel.
For each wheel, repeat steps one through three.
Waxing Your Car
Make three or four equal portions out of a clay bar. Flatten one of the pieces so that it may be held in place with three fingers. Apply a generous amount of clay lube to a small area of the automobile (24" by 24"). Then, in a back-and-forth motion, softly glide the clay over the greased part (not a circular motion).
Move on to the next section until the clay glides effortlessly over the area, and you don't hear or feel any roughness in the finish.
Use the clean clay pieces on the new sections as you work.
Clay bars remove microscopic dirt from your car's body before waxing to minimize scratching.
Using your pad, squeeze a quarter-sized amount of polish. Apply the wax with mild pressure to get a smooth, even coat. Apply the wax to the body of your car in a straight up and down motion. Please do not use a circular motion when applying it, and do not wax your windows or trim.
Apply thin layers of wax rather than thick layers of wax. Applying many light applications rather than one thick one is a good rule.
Buff the wax with a microfiber buffing towel. To avoid scratching, use a high-quality towel. Instead of moving the towel circularly, move it straight up and down.
You may need to let the wax dry before buffing it. It depends on the formula you're working with. Follow the product's directions for safety.
Cleaning the Interior
Remove the mats from the floor. Dust, grime, and debris can be removed by shaking them out. Place them on the ground so you may vacuum them afterward. If you want to, you can clean them straight away. It is all up to you.
Remove any heavy rubbish items. Using your hands, pick up huge debris items such as paper, coins, pens, and other objects on your floorboard. Put these things in a garbage bag. To avoid getting your hands soiled, wear latex gloves.
Remove dirt and garbage from narrow spaces, such as between seats, with a BBQ skewer.
Make sure the rubbish is removed from the cup holders as well.
In the cup holders, spray a glass cleaner. Allow 5 to 10 minutes for the glass cleaner to dry. Then wipe away the dirt and filth with a paper towel. Pick grime and dirt out of any little crevices with the BBQ skewer.
Replace the bottom of a mug or travel cup with an old sock. After that, swirl the face in the cup holder to eliminate the dirt and filth.
Vacuum from top to bottom. Before moving to the floor, start at the top of the seats, dashboard, and console. Vacuum the seats, upholstered sections, and headliner with the upholstery nozzle. Vacuum the dashboard and console components that contain rugged vinyl, plastic, and metal with the brush attachment. Use the crevice attachment to clean small gaps and tight spaces.
Move the chairs back and forth to clean hard-to-reach locations under the seats.
Clean carpet stains with a carpet cleaner. Spray the cleaner on the color and work it into the carpet with a sharp bristle brush. If you spray too much cleaner on the rug, it will mildew if it is not dried correctly.
Blot the stains and dry the area with a clean, dry cloth
Fabric stains should be treated with a foam cleanser. With a gentle brush, work the cleaner into the paint. Allow time for the cleanser to dry. Then, as directed, use a vacuum to remove it. If the stain persists, use the extra cleanser on the affected area and clean until the stain disappears.
If your seats are leather, clean them, as well as any other leather-covered parts of the car, with a leather cleaner or saddle soap.
Clean the dashboard and console with vehicle wipes. Make sure you use auto wipes that have been carefully prepared. These are available at your local auto shop—clean small locations like radio buttons, air vents, and panel seams with Q-tips or cotton swabs.
If you don't have any vehicle wipes, an ammonia-free all-purpose household cleaner will suffice.
Use a glass cleaner to clean the windows. Any regular glass cleaner would suffice. Spray the cleaner onto a clean, microfibre towel instead of directly onto the window. Then, using a straight up and down motion, wipe the inside and outside of your windows.
Roll down your windows to clean the upper area of the window thoroughly.
Vacuum the vehicle again. Any filth and grime knocked out during the cleaning procedure will be removed. If you haven't already done so, shake and vacuum the floor mats well. Please place them in the trunk of your automobile.
Remove any leftover odors from your automobile with an odor-removal spray like Febreeze.