Cleaning your car is the most important thing you can do to keep it looking like new. A proper car wash is also the most important step in preparing your car's appearance for any type of detail work, from paint correction to waxing. Depending on your driving hours and environmental conditions, experts recommend washing your car or truck approximately every two weeks. With that kind of frequency, you want your work to be fast, efficient, and effortless.
One of the best ways to achieve these three goals is to upgrade your garden hose to a car High Pressure Washing Car. The high-powered cleaning action of a home High Pressure Washing Car will improve your car wash in a few different ways. For starters, a good High Pressure Washing Car is better for pre-rinsing your car. The strong flow of water from a high-pressure hose better breaks down hard soil like road grime, bird droppings, bugs, tree sap, and caked-on dirt. By removing more of these substances with a pre-rinse, you'll make washing your car easier and safer for your clearcoat.
A High Pressure Washing Car also makes the final rinse faster and more effective, so you have less chance of leaving soap residue on your car, affecting its aesthetics. Finally, if you choose to pair your High Pressure Washing Car with a foam gun, the pressure will cause your car wash soap to create more foaming action. This will help you clean more thoroughly and lift abrasive dirt away from the clear coat, reducing the risk of scratching the finish.
Two quick tips on techniques
Every High Pressure Washing Car comes with a set of nozzles that help shape the spray pattern, and additional nozzles can be purchased separately. Two of these tips are best for cleaning your car or truck. For wheels and wheel wells, nozzles with a 25-degree spray pattern work great. For the rest of the outside, switch to a 40-degree tip. Modern High Pressure Washing Cars have a quick disconnect feature so switching back and forth only takes a second.
under pressure
Just like every time you wash your car, you should start by breaking up any clumps of soil and rinsing away any loose debris. This no-touch cleaning reduces the risk of scratches, so it's important to remove as much dirt as possible during this step. Using a High Pressure Washing Car, spray the tires, wheels and wheel wells starting at the 25-degree tip. Then, switch to the 40-degree tip and rinse the entire outside. Work from top to bottom, starting with the roof, windows and windshield, then the trunk and hood, then working your way up the sides to the lower panels.
let it bubble
If you use a foam gun, fill it with car wash soap specially formulated for this purpose and connect it to your High Pressure Washing Car using a quick-disconnect connector. Again, start at the top and work your way down the car. Cover the entire vehicle with a thick layer of foam. This foam not only helps break down the soil, but also helps lift and surround the dirt. Along with the lubricants in car wash soap, the foam prevents dirt from scratching your clear coat as you scrub and rinse your car.
Scrub time
Whether you've used a foam gun or not, now's the time to scrub. Fill a bucket with car wash soap and water solution, then grab a clean microfiber car wash mitt. No dish soap here! Using a sand guard will help any loose dirt fall safely to the bottom of the bucket and away from the cleaning mitt when rinsing. Dip the cleaning glove into the solution, starting at the top and working your way down. Focus on one section at a time to make sure all dirt is removed, and rinse the gloves as you complete each 2' x 2' area.
wash, rinse, rinse
Once you've scrubbed the entire exterior, rinse away all the suds, soap, and grime. Be sure to rinse the car thoroughly using the 40-degree tip of a High Pressure Washing Car. You don’t want to leave any soap residue or dirt on your car’s surface. Pay special attention around door and window seals. Soap and suds tend to collect in these tight spots and may require more flushing than other areas of your car. Cleaning is complete when you see only clear, clean water coming out of the car.
last step
Use a high-quality, thick microfiber towel to dry your car. Gently wipe the entire surface with the towel, again starting from the top and working your way down. The towel should do the job on its own. No need to apply any pressure.