It’s time to clean my car again. I’m always amazed at how messy it gets, inside and out. I don’t really think about the cleanliness of my car, I just need it to get me from point A to point B, so by the time I get around to cleaning it, it’s usually pretty bad.
I like going to the car wash. I will go through the drive through one in the winter but when the weather is nice I like to use the do it yourself ones.
Before I take the car to the car wash I get rid of all the trash inside and vacuum it. If it’s really bad I’ll use the vacuums at the car wash because they are stronger but usually I just use my vacuum.
If you take your car to the car wash you don’t have to worry about the type of soap you are using but if you wash it at home make sure you are using the correct detergent. If you use dish washing liquid or other detergents they can remove the wax and polymers that protect the finish. So when washing your car at home only use detergents that are made for washing cars. You can also use Castile soap which won’t harm your finish and is safe for the ground.
If you want to do just a quickie wash because the car doesn’t look that dirty, do not just spray and wipe. You should always rinse your car first so that tiny dirt particles don’t scratch the finish.
100% cotton towels are the best for cleaning your car and then drying it. They won’t scratch the finish like paper towels and even t shirts can do.
Try to always wash your car during the coolest part of the day. Heat will bake the soap and wax right on making it much harder to remove the soap and make waxing much more difficult than it has to be.
After the outside is finished, don’t forget to detail the inside. Try to use green cleaners inside. Since you are trapped in an enclosed space, any chemicals from the cleaners will be trapped in there with you. If you have allergies or asthma, this can make riding in the car torture.