Car Wash at Home: How to Wash Your Car Easily

The idea of cleaning your car is an unpleasant one, but who doesn’t like a clean and shiny vehicle. And there’s no better feeling than having a scrubbed and sparkling car at your doorstep every single day. But, for it to be happy, you need to keep it happy.

Unfortunately, keeping your car clean can be a more difficult task than just saying it. You need to wash your car regularly, for it to look its best. Washing your car can be relaxing and satisfying & is pocket-friendly. When you’re washing your car at home, you are saving the amount which would otherwise be spent on a mechanic, and it allows you to pay some extra attention towards the dirty areas of your vehicle.

Commercial car washes use abrasive products that are harmful and can either scratch or damage your car’s paint. But when you’re doing it at home, it allows you to be as gentle and caring as you want to be.

But going straight to the “How to wash a car at home?” is a bit like dancing with the celebs without any training: because the result is never going to be pretty. So, before moving any further, let’s just introduce ourselves with a few more things.

Why should we wash our cars?

A car wash is a low money and time investment with a great return. Washing your car is important for many reasons:

• Who doesn’t like to turn heads with a squeaky clean and shiny car? Moreover, it will also increase the resale value.
• Driving a clean car is better as it makes you look well maintained, hereby giving you even more reason to drive confidently
• Improves the condition of your car & significantly increases its life

Now let’s quickly move on to learning how to wash your car and that too at home because that’s the most important thing right now.

How to wash your car at home?

There’s so much more to washing a car than just preserving its paint. But before you start doing anything, just move your car out of direct sunlight which will prevent more usage of water by evaporating it.

Now, there are a few steps on how you can wash your car at home easily:

1. Evaluate your car’s condition

This seems like a piece of cake, but it’s an important step. Before cleaning your car, you need to know your car. Decide how dirty it is. Is the car covered in fine dust? Do you need to remove the dirt before using it? Look at the condition of your car yourself. An older car will need more products to clean it; on the other hand, you only need a small amount for a new car or it can be cleaned easily using a wet cloth.

2. Choose the right tools

Choosing the right tools? Are there any right tools to wash a car?

Well, don’t worry! Because we’re here to help you through this.

Yes! There are some tools which are designed to wash your car & they will lead you to the correct path. Keep the tools handy for a quick wash at home.

These include a soft sponge, some car washing liquid, several microfiber cloths and one large microfiber towel.

And to your surprise, there are different tools for the interiors and the exteriors. For the interiors, get a vacuum cleaner, rubber gloves, wheel cleaner, paper towels and a window cleaner.

In contrast to this, NEVER use a bar of hand soap, dishwashing liquid, or any other cleaning liquid other than the car wash detergent/liquid cleaner. This is because car wash liquids are designed specifically for cleaning your car, without any scratches or accidents.

| Also Read: Coronavirus Cleaning: Are you Properly Disinfecting Your Car’s Cabin? |

3. Read the label

Carefully read the labels before you apply anything to your vehicle. The wrong products can damage the paint; therefore reading the directions behind the product will save your time as well as your money. Along with this, it will help you to use the correct amount of product for your vehicle.

The main goal of a good deep clean is to remove the dirt off your vehicle.

4. Location

It might seem like an amazing idea to wash your car on a warm, sunny day but it has its disadvantages. When it comes to cleaning your car, bright sunny days could spell dark times ahead. Too much direct sunlight or heat could dry off the shampoo before you even get to finish the job; so it’s always better to clean your car early in the morning or late in the evening when the sun goes down.

5. The three-bucket system

Let’s get eco-friendly here!

This is a very interesting step as it will help you in saving a lot of water which you could have wasted otherwise. The three-bucket system involves you having a three-bucket full of water by your side before you start cleaning your vehicle.

Fill the first bucket with normal water, the second bucket with soapy water and the third with a mix of both soapy as well as normal water. Soapy water will be used for cleaning your vehicle and to remove all the dirt it has. Then, it will be washed off using the bucket of normal water and the third bucket is for cleaning your car’s wheels; which is often the dirtiest part of your vehicle.

6. Do the gross part first

The dirtiest part of any vehicle is the wheels, so let’s just quickly start by washing them first.

But Wait! Were you planning to apply the soapy water solution on the tyres too? Don’t make that mistake.
Make sure to never apply any cleaning product on your vehicle’s tyres, instead just spray them using normal water just to remove the dirt off them.

Also, remember to use only one bucket for cleaning the tyres and don’t use the water-only bucket to clean them: they are for cleaning your car.

7. The EGIs

Now that you have washed the dirtiest part of your car, it’s time to match the rest of your car & do the EGIs. EGIs stand for exteriors, glass & interiors, and let’s see how we can give them a good wash.

Start by washing sections of your car, moving systematically from the top to the bottom. Use large microfiber towels for scratch-free drying, especially for the windows. Cleaning your mirrors and windows is fairly important to be a good driver & to avoid accidents. It feels good to have a nice, clean and shiny exterior.

But wait, what about the interiors? Cleaning the interiors of your car is as much important as the exteriors. First things first, remove any rubbish from your car along with removing your personal belongings to ensure they don’t get stuck while you vacuum. Now it’s time for vacuuming- try to get into every corner, particularly underneath the seats. After this, grab a piece of cloth and try to remove all the dust and don’t forget the hard-to-reach areas.

THE LAST STEP!

Hurrah! You’ve succeeded in cleaning your car thoroughly but is it enough? The answer is a big NO. Why? Let me explain to you. Washing your car is not just a day’s task; you need to take a few measures to keep it this way.

Firstly, it is very important to know where you’re going to park your car. Never, I repeat, never park your car under a tree (especially during autumn) as bird-droppings can be extremely difficult to clean.

Avoid messy food and drinks, they can spoil your interiors and can leave a foul odour.

And you’re good to go!

FAQs

1. How easy is it to wash your car at home?

It’s super easy to wash your car at home. Just fill two large buckets with water & using a car-wash sponge, apply soapy water equally over the exterior. Rinse it off using the same bucket of plain water to avoid scratching.

2. What soap can be used to wash a car?

Any household cleaning agent like hand soap, dishwashing detergent, or glass cleaner can be used to wash the car.

3. Can you use laundry detergents to wash a car?

Laundry soap or hand soaps are not pH balanced and can damage your vehicle’s paint. Thus, it is recommended to use a car soap to wash your car as it is specially designed for a car.

4. How often should a car be washed?

It’s highly important to wash your car every two weeks. Some obsessives wash their car every week, or sometimes even more frequently.

5. Is it bad to wash your car every day?

Washing your car every day or even every week could be seen as excessive and unnecessary. Therefore, it is recommended to not wash your car every other day.

6. How to wash your car without water?

A waterless car wash might be a good alternative to soap and water. Waterless car wash products use a chemical formula instead of water to remove the dirt off the car’s surface. You can even use several waterless products like wax. Once you find a good product, it’s super easy to clean your car.

This was all about How to wash your car at home. Hope you find it informative enough. If you have any doubts, feel free to comment down below!