How to wash your car without destroying the paint?

Getting Started

It is a good idea to park your car, truck, and motorcycle in the shade. If the sun isn't directly shining down, you can wash your car in the shade.

This keeps the sun from drying the soapy water on the car. It can be a pain to get rid of soap spots. They can make your car awful.

Your grit guards should be placed in your buckets. Attach the nozzle to the hose and the hose or faucet to the spigot. Your buckets should be filled with water.

To one of the buckets, add the recommended shampoo amount that is on the bottle.

Why didn't we add water first?

To avoid suds overflowing your bucket while filling it, add shampoo to the tub after you have added the water.

To distribute shampoo, use your wash mitt to stir the water.

You can use the hose to fill the bucket with warm water instead. Suds don't stick as well to cold water.

Contrary to popular belief, suds are not required for the soapy water to clean.

Wheels First

Why are wheels the first?

Two schools of thought exist here. The first is to prevent water spots on the rest of your car from drying while you wash the wheels. You don't want the dirt and brake dust that you have accumulated on your tires and wheels to be sprayed all over the car.

Warning! Before washing your wheels or brakes, make sure they are completely cooled. It is not a good idea for hot metal to be sprayed with cool water. It is also not a good idea to let your wash water dry before you can rinse it.

Use the hose to spray your tires, wheels, and wheel wells. This is the area under the car that wraps around the tire. Sometimes, a plastic panel is added. Your tires and wheels will be the most harmed parts of your car.

Top Down

Next, spray the rest of your car with your hose, starting at the top and working your way down.



Spraying the roof, windows, trunk, hood, front bumper, doors, and back bumper is the order we prefer. Because dirt can build up in the lower panels at the rear, this is where the most damage occurs.

Drying

Start by taking the nozzle out of your hose and then watering your car's panels.

Do this again from the top.

The water will start to pool and pull away from the panels. Grab your towel. We prefer a microfiber towel in a waffle weave. Use back-and-forth strokes to dry your car. Do not dry your car in circles. If you happen to scratch your car accidentally, lines will be easier to remove than circulars.

It is easiest to dry vertical panels first. Next, wipe off any water that remains on horizontal panels like the roof and hood.