Things You'll Need:
- Chamois Cloth
- Car Wash Mitt
- Car Wash Brush
- Car Wash Soap
- Garden Hoses
- Rags
- Large Sponge
- Large Bucket
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Step 1
Choose a shady spot, preferably away from trees that are dripping sap or dropping leaves.
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Step 2
Make sure all doors and windows are closed.
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Step 3
Put one capful of car soap into a bucket and fill it 3/4 of the way with warm water. Set the bucket aside.
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Step 4
Hose any excess dirt off the car, beginning at the roof and working down to the tires.
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Step 5
Lather a sponge or terry cloth rag in the bucket of soapy water and sponge the roof of the car. Spray off excess soap when the entire roof has been cleaned.
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Step 6
Repeat for all four sides of the car, washing one full side including windows, fenders and tires and rinsing completely before going to the next side.
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Step 7
Give the car one final rinse with the hose to get rid of any water spots when all four sides have been washed and rinsed.
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Step 8
Take a chamois leather ("shammy" leather) or towel and dry the car thoroughly by setting the towel flat against the surface of the car and dragging it along the surface to pick up any water spots. Start at the roof and work your way down to the tires.
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Step 9
Wash the windows with a rag soaked in plain water and dry them with a dry rag, or use window cleaner and pieces of balled-up newspaper on both the inside and the outside of the windows.
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Step 10
Give any metal or chrome an extra rubdown to get rid of water spots.
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Step 11
Clean the interior if you have time (see "How to Clean a Car's Interior," under Related eHows).
Comments
jporcenaluk said
on 10/16/2009 Great article! A great way to get your car looking good--and it costs a lot less than the drive-through wash! If you don't have a chamois, just grab an old towel that you don't care too much about to dry it; works like a charm.
stjames2009 said
on 8/5/2009 I just tried this method and wanted to add a few remarks/tips:
1) Shade is preferable but a cooler time of day will suffice if shade is not available relative to your hose length.
2) A lot of the supplies can be purchased at a 99 cent store. I do not recommend using their towels for drying, they leave little fluffy things everywhere. But they did have 100% cotton t-shirts which worked well for drying as well as for cleaning the windows.
3) It takes a lot of elbow grease so if you can, bring a friend, blast some music, and keep an iced bucket of beer handy.
4) You will probably need a brush or other heavier duty device for the crevices of the hubcaps (mine are plastic so I'm unconcerned about scratches - if yours are more upscale then obviously use something gentler than a brush etc.). The mitt and the sponge I had did not cut it. And as mentioned elsewhere, it's good to have ...
blackviper said
on 7/17/2009 I use a device call the dirt dropper,this helps remove debris from brushes,mitts,sponges.ect. Reducing the posibility of scratching the finish.
bandsman said
on 7/5/2009 I like the tip on washing and then rinsing sections at a time, after years of washing cars I had never thought of that, the rest of the tips make obvious and good sense.
bandsman
giarc said
on 6/29/2009 Nevermind about dish soap stripping oil and wax - these can be replaced. What you need to avoid is having your card washed with soap poweder, like clothing detergents. I've just discovered that my car finish is looking dull (and scratched) because our maid has been washing it with Tide every Saturday for the past 18 months!
I thought my college room mate was stupid for not figuring out why his Monte Carlo was rusting while he continued to wash it in clothing detergent... Please put the word out . . . I can't bear to see this happen again.