How to Wash a Car - A Complete Guide

When it comes to off-road driving and camping with our 4WDs, not many of us really give much thought to getting rid of the muck, grime and salt build-up that comes with driving in the dirt, mud and sand. The thing is these terrains can be hazardous to our vehicles' health and can lead to paint damage, contaminants and rust in no time.

As with most things, preventative maintenance is the key — getting rid of the surface contaminants is as easy as breaking out the bucket and the sponge. But how to wash a car effectively? There's more to it than you may realise, and simply googling "how do you wash a car?" doesn't always get you the right answers.

That's why we thought we'd throw together this quick rundown on washing your 4X4, keeping the paint in tip top shape, fighting off metal cancer and helping you get the most out of your investment.

WHAT TO USE WHEN WASHING A CAR

There are a few products we use and recommend here at Superior Engineering. Bowden's Own is one of the premiere cleaning products on the market and the range is both extensive and excellent quality.

Find our comprehensive stock of Bowden's Own Products.

HOW TO PROPERLY WASH A CAR: STEP BY STEP

PREPARATION

Just like a well-planned camping trip, you need to get all your gear ready. In terms of equipment, you're going to need a pair of buckets, a sponge or washing mitt, some good quality automotive cleaner, a separate cloth or brush for wheel cleaning, and a chamois or microfibre towel.

Optional extras include a quality wax, a good glass cleaner, dedicated wheel cleaner and a pressure washer.

Before you decide you will be washing the vehicle, park in the shade rather than the direct sun as you don't want the drying times to be too quick, and flat panels can get hot-to-touch in the Aussie sun in short order.

If you're doing your engine bay, grab a can of degreaser and give the block and firewall a good dousing, making sure to keep away from anything that looks either electrical, expensive or part of the air intake.

PRE-RINSE

If you have a pressure cleaner, it's a great idea to invest in a soap treatment to loosen and soften up the mud and dirt. If you've been driving on the beach, a good salt water treatment is also cheap insurance.

If you don't have a pressure washer, give the car a solid hose down to soften up any caked-on dirt and remove any big deposits of mud or sand.

HOW TO WASH YOUR WHEELS

Before jumping into washing the panels, it's a good idea to start with the wheels. They're often caked up with mud and grit — or even if you haven't been off-road since the last wash, brake dust can and will accumulate. It's smart money to invest in a dedicated wheel cleaning brush and wheel cleaner which is formulated specifically for the job. Once you're done, empty your bucket and refill it with warm water and car wash additive.

If you're feeling fancy, throw on some tyre shine too, or if you're of the opinion that they are only going to get dirty again, you can skip this step. We do regularly.

SOAP AND SCRUB

If you sprayed on a soap treatment in the first step, rinse it off then fill your first bucket with some hot water and pour in the correct amount of washing fluid following the directions on the bottle. Fill your second bucket with cold water, grab your washing mitt or sponge and let's get to it.

Start from the bottom of your car. This is for a couple of reasons — number one is it makes it easier to see the still dirty panels, and two, the water runs down the panels thanks to Captain Gravity so you're ensuring every panel gets a thorough going over.

When your mitt needs a refresh in the soapy water, give it a quick shake off in the cold water first. This will remove any muck and debris from the sponge's surface, ensuring you don't accidentally scratch up the duco.

HOW TO CLEAN A CAR WINDOW

Ideally, you'll use a dedicated glass cleaning spray and a soft microfibre cloth for cleaning your windows. Don't forget the sunroof and make sure you give the insides a good hit as well, especially if you have kids. Nothing like spending a couple hours on cleaning the rig and noticing some smeared little baby finger marks on the inside of the windscreen after you're finished.

HOW TO WASH YOUR ENGINE BAY

By now your degreaser will have done its job and you can rinse it off with the garden hose. Don't use the pressure washer in your engine bay as the water jet can force grease and dirt past your engine seals and cause all sorts of damage. A gentle hose off is generally all that's needed.

If your engine bay looks more like a mud pit than a place to keep your powerplant, you may need to repeat this step a few times. This is the price you pay for driving in mud, Champion. That and rooted diffs, axle seals and dozens of other potential casualties, but that's another yarn altogether.

HOW TO CLEAN YOUR CAR'S INTERIOR

Assuming you have something that needs a bit of TLC rather than a hose-out farm truck, interiors are straightforward to tidy up. A good dose of leather conditioner for seats and door trims made out of dead cow, and a vinyl protection spray for dashes and steering wheels will get you nine-tenths of the way there. A solid going over with the vacuum cleaner and maybe some carpet cleaner spray for that fresh smell if you like punching darts in traffic or your passenger consistently forgets to shower.

If you have pull-out rubber floor mats (which you should if you drive off-road) then yank 'em out and give 'em the pressure washer treatment before hanging them up to dry.

DRYING OFF

With the car thoroughly rinsed of all soap and sparkling in the sun looking like a swimsuit model fresh out of the pool, it's time to dry them off. It's important not to miss this step as water can and will leave run marks and will make it look like a half-done job, which nobody wants.

Use your chamois or specialty drying cloth to remove all water from the panels. This is a great time to inspect your work and make sure there's no little nooks or ledges you may have missed (which there will be, it's almost guaranteed).

WAXING AND POST-WASH CARE

Time to tap into your inner Mister Miyagi and get that wax-on happening. You might think that for a 4WD that sees a lot of dirt, wax is a waste of time, but it adds another layer of protection to your paint and will keep your car cleaner for longer. It's not absolutely essential, but it's highly recommended.

HOW TO WASH YOUR CAR WITHOUT CAUSING DAMAGE?

The two-bucket system is the key for 4X4 washing. It cuts down on the potential damage by removing any potential contaminants from your sponge and makes the odds of getting a scratch almost non-existent.

It's also good practice to not wash your car when it's been sitting in direct sunlight for too long. More than one hot windscreen has developed a crack when pressurised cold water hits it. If your glass is hot to touch, maybe wait until later in the day when it's a bit cooler before hosing it down.

On that note, if you do manage to point the hose somewhere you shouldn't in the engine bay, don't panic — leave the bonnet open and give it a couple hours to dry out. Almost always it'll fire right up without issue once the water has evaporated.

HOT TIPS

• Wash in the shade
• Work from the bottom of the vehicle up
• Pre-rinse or soap-soak is a must
• Don't scrimp on the washing products — good gear gives better results
• Do your wheels with a separate bucket of hot soapy water with its own brush
• Low pressure hose only in the engine bay (preferably after a good degreasing)
• Use two buckets to minimise paint damage
• Pressure washers are a worthwhile investment
• Don't miss the chamois or wax stages — they're important
• If your car has just come back from a particularly dusty or muddy trip, wash it more than once
• Anti-salt spray after beach runs is gold. Use it.
• Hose out chassis rails
• Don't forget to get under the vehicle and give the underbody a good clean too

COMMON MISTAKES

• Not cleaning the interior at the same time as the exterior, especially inside the windows
• If the water is looking filthy, replace it — it's not worth risking the damage
• Don't use cheap or household detergents. They suck, and can be harmful to your paint
• Don't underestimate the Aussie sun — wash in the cooler parts of the day and make sure the car is in the shade wherever possible
• Don't pressure wash the engine bay
• Don't forget to do under door handles, wiper rubbers, inside door jambs (including rear doors), the entire underbody — and it's also a great time to spool out the winch rope and give it a good clean before spooling it back on under tension

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