When you go for a ride through different places and return specially in rainy reason your car will become dirty in and out. If you want to know about how to wash a car at home, let’s discuss the different ways here.
Lot of mud will splash over the car and stick on the body which will spoil the looks of the car during rainy days.
On seeing the car at that time our mind will think of washing the car, or you will start wondering what is the best car wash near me. This is a usual thought for most of the people.
As we know, car wash services may be costly in some areas, and also they may not do the cleaning properly. It’s better if we can do the cleaning of a car by ourselves.
There are a few things that we may need to wash a car at home. Here I will list out some best tools that you may need to wash a car at home easily.
How to wash a car at home
Washing a dirty car or a car that has left unnoticed for long time is a bit difficult. The process needs to be done slowly so that we can clean the entire car effectively.
Rinsing the Car
This is the first step that you may need to do if the car is very dirty. You should pour water or use the pressure washer that we had discussed above and apply a jet of water to the parts that are most dirty.
You may need to check the under body as well and also rise the places which are dirty.
Apply the jet of water to the places with hard dirt for a longer time to remove it.
Follow the same process throughout the vehicle so that the first rise will remove any dirt that is not sticking on the car surface.
This also helps to remove all the large mud or sand particles and avoids any scratches that could happen when we scrub the car with the cloth.
This process takes the most amount of time if the car is very dirty. Once this process is complete, you can jump into the next step of adding a foam later to the car.
Foam Application
This is comparatively easier part that the rinsing. You need to take care of some things to get the exact results that we are expecting.
Take the foam canon and remove the spray attachment to the spray gun of your pressure washer.
In the cannon bottle, fill 20% of the above-mentioned foam shampoo and rest fill it with water. Once the foam lance bottle is filled with 90% of the mixture, shake the bottle well to mix the foam shampoo and water to make it a dilute solution.
Connect the foam lance bottle to the pressure washer gun using the connector that we had mentioned above. There is a nozzle adjustment on the foam lance that you need to increase the foam level accordingly.
Once done point the pressure washer gun towards the car and start the form application by pressing the trigger.
Apply foam evenly throughout the car exterior and try to cover all places. You should also apply the foam to the underbody to remove the dirt present there.
Once applied, your car will look white with foam thick foam covered. Give some time for the foam to react with the dust and dirt so that it can remove if from the car surface. 15 to 20 minutes will be appropriate for this process.
After waiting lets move onto the next step.
Rubbing the car
While waiting for the foam to clean the dirt, you can help it out by rubbing a microfiber cloth that we had discussed above over the car to remove the hard stick dust and stains.
This will make the cleaning process efficient and also faster. It will avoid any stains and leftover after the washing is done. Having the foam over the car reduces the chance of any scratch to occur while rubbing the cloth over it.
Car wash
After 15 minutes remove the foam canon attachment from the pressure washer gun and replace it with the 3 in 1 nozzle that you get with the package.
With the pressure nozzle set, start spraying water on the car and remove all the foam from it.
It would be better to start from the top and go to bottom, which will help in removing the foam easily. Apply even water to all the sections of the car.
Remove all the foam, You can repeat the same process twice if you want better cleaning. Once again apply foam and rub the vehicle with a miicrofiber cloth and apply pressure water to the car so that you can remove all the dirt and dust.
Drying the car
This is another major step to do to keep the car stain free. When the car is wet we will have droplets of water over it.
When these droplets of water stay on the car for long time, they will leave a circular stain which is hard to be removed.
It’s better to try out the car after washing so that car wont have any stains later on.
To dry the car you can either use an air pressure blower or get a dry Microfiber to remove all the water content over the car.
Its an easy process but you need to be careful as you should use only a good microfiber here. If its a new microfiber it’s better.
You need to clean the window glasses and also the windshields so that the water does not stay on it for long.
The major process is done now. Your car should be clean by now if the process is done right.
Final Step: Car Wax
If you want to maintain the wet look that you have after washing, you can apply a car wax over the body which will make the car glow and also fix some imperfection on the paint.
Take the car wax that we had discussed above and use the pad that comes with the was for application. Also you can try using the car polisher machine that I had mentioned above for best result.
Take some amount of wax on the pad and try applying it in a circular fashion covering one area at a time. Wipe out any extra wax over the car with a new microfiber cloth so that there wont be any stain later on.
Waxing a car will reduce water staying over the bar body and eventually reducing the stain marks.
Now that our car is clean let me answer some of the common questions about washing a car
Things needed to wash a Car at home
For an effective car wash, we need a few things that make the process efficient and also easy.
The traditional way of car washing was to pour water over the car and apply a soapy solution with it.
This causes the dirt to get removed from the car body and later on if water is sprayed over the car, the dirt gets removed and the car gets a cleaner look.
There is a problem with this method. As we know, there are minute dust particles that stick over the car surface when it is parked outside.
While we use the traditional method for cleaning the car, the dust particles come in between the cloth that we use and the car body, causing scratches on the clear coat that we may not notice instantly.
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At a particular angle, we can see the scratch on the clear coat very easily. This build up in time and the car will lose the shine that it had when it was new.
To avoid this we need to do a prewash first without touching the car so that the dust particles that are stick on the surface gets removes which reduces the scratches on the clear coat while rubbing your cloth on the car.
Things needed for Car wash at home
- Pressure washer
- Car Shampoo
- Microfiber cloth
- Car Wax
Let me explain the uses of all the above mentioned items needed for a car wash at home.
Best Pressure washer for Car Wash
Water pressure is really important while cleaning anything. With water sprayed in a force it can make cleaning easy as the force of the water will remove most of the dirt in firs go.
A pressure washer really comes handy for this. There are different pressure washers available in the market based on the pressure for the water we need.
If you are an off-roader and your car gets seriously dirty then you must consider a higher pressure output washer which will easily clean most of the hardened dirt on the car.
Most popular pressure washers are from Bosch as they have many models available in the market.
Each model differ based on the Price as well as the Water pressure output. For all cars, some pressure washer will be suitable.
Best car wash machine : Bosch Aquatak 130 1700-Watt High Pressure Washer
Last update on 2023-09-22 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Features:
- 130 Bar of pressure
- Foam wash Attachments
- 3 in 1 nozzle
- 6 Meter Hose pipt
Bosch as we know is one of the most popular manufactures in Tools and Utilities industry. When it comes to car wash machine, they have a huge market in the world.
Due to the excellent quality of products and the service provided they are the leaders when it comes to pressure washers.
This model the Bosch Aquatak 130 is a 1700 Watt pressure washer that will be able to clean you car very easily. It can remove most of the dirt on the car body and under it in one go. With high pressure nozzle included with the package and also with additional attachments, you can easily get best car wash at home with minimum effort.
Bosch Aquatak 130 comes with 3 in 1 nozzle with Jet, Roto and pencil jet water ejection modes which provides good ways to remove hardened dirts on and under your car.
With the included water gun and the attachments like the foam canon makes the process of applying foam on the car with very less time. The plastic quality is very durable for both the pressure washer as well as the attachments to the pressure gun.
It comes with an included handle and trolley wheels which makes it easy for you to carry it around. You can also take this pressure washer with you where ever you go and keep your car clean.
It comes with a 6-meter hose pipe which you attach to the pressure gun for cleaning the car in all sides.
You can buy additional attachments for this to increase the hose length so that you can take the pressure washer gun to distant places.
If you are looking for a best car wash machine in India then you can consider buying the Bosch Aquatak 130.
Having a best car wash machine is fine but we also need best car wash shampoo for good cleaning.
Best Car Wash Shampoo : Wavex Foam Wash Car Shampoo
Last update on 2023-09-23 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
A good car shampoo is a major factor to get a clean car wash. You need to consider one important thing before selecting a car wash shampoo.
pH levels of car wash shampoo is really important. Higher pH levels makes the car shampoo acidic when mixed with water it could damage the car paint in long term use.
You should select a shampoo with neutral pH levels so that it does not have any effect on the paint of the car.
There are may option available in the market that you can consider as good car shampoo with neutral pH levels. Many brands like 3M, Meguiar’s, Wavex have some good quality shampoo in the market.
All these brands have foam shampoo, which is considered to be the most effective way to wash a car when done as a foam wash.
How to foam wash a car?
Foam as we know is a process when bubbles are produces in thick format when soap is mixed with water and some fluffing or beating is done.
When it comes to pressure washing a car, foam is automatically created from the pressure washer if you use the foam wash attachment with the pressure gun. There are many foam wash attachments available in the market.
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Some pressure washers come with a foam wash attachments and for some we need to buy the foam lance additionally.
When it comes to Bosch pressure washers, you can get a foam lance which will produce thick form with the right foam shampoo.
Best Foam Lance for Car Wash:
STARQ Car Washer Snow Foam Lance Bottle
You can use these attachments on your pressure washer to do a foam wash on your car. We will discuss the process in the coming section.
This shampoo from Wavex is having excellent foam making capability. You can get thick foam over the car which helps to remove stains as well as dirts that resist coming off easily with normal water wash.
If you park your car on open roads, bird droppings are a common issue. Its really hard to remove the stains from a bird dropping.
A foam wash can easily clean the dirt and the stains from the bird dropping, and also it helps to remove any leftover marks.
Note: While using a foam shampoo, you need to check with the dilution needed.
When putting a foam shampoo, you need to fill the foam canon accordingly to get the maximum foam for good cleaning. Best results are achieved when we use 20 % of foam shampoo mixed with 80 % of water inside the foam lance bottle.
Best Cloth for Car Wash: Sobby Dual Sided Microfiber Towel Cloth
Cloth has equal importance when it comes to cleaning a car.
If you are looking for best cloth for car wash then you should consider a microfiber cloth which give maximum softness and also absorbs water and dusts easily.
This makes the possibility of scratches less when you rub the cloth over the car while doing a foam wash.
When buying a microfiber cloth you need to consider the GSM value of the cloth, More the GSM it will be better. GSM is the concentration of cloth fiber in a particular area of a microfiber cloth.
Not only that if the GSM is high the absorption rate of water will be high. You can clean your car easily with a higher GSM cloth. It will consume less time as it will absorb more water.
Quality of the cloth used here is important as a low quality microfiber cloth will live the strands of the cloth over the car when it gets wet as the strands will come loose. Get the best microfiber cloth for best result.
This makes the list most important things that we need for the best car wash at home. There is an additional thing that you can do to make your car shine.
After doing a clean wash you can apply a car wax which protects the paint for long time and also give an excellent shine for your car.
It keeps the wet look alive for more amount of time until you was your car next time or the car get wet in rain.
Best Car wax : Formula 1 615026 Carnauba Paste Wax
Getting a good car is important. There are many brands of car wax available in the market. The Formula 1 brand is known for their quality car wax that you can buy to get a longer shine.
It also helps in filling the defects on a paint surface and the clear coat making your car look brand new for a longer time.
The Carnauba past was a product taken from Carnauba tree which give an excellent overall look for your car.
You can use a car polisher to apply this wax and get a good result. Also, we get a hand applicator pad that you can use to apply this wax using your hand. For best results, you may need to use a car polisher machine like the below option.
How to Wash a car: Questions and Answers
Why is Car washing Important?
Your personality is represented by the cloths that you wear to the office or a public gathering. Similarly, people judge your status by seeing your car.
If your car is old and not well maintained, people get an impression that you do not take care of things and also not good in person. You should maintain your car as good as you maintain yourself and also your home.
Another major reason for Car washing is for its life. As we know, a Car will remain and look new only if you maintain it cleanly.
With different climatic conditions around the world and also while rainy season, car remains wet for a longer time. This also leads to accumulation of dirt under the body as well as in the places that you may not notice soon.
In the long term rust will start accumulating on the areas that went unnoticed which eventually extends to the visible areas as well.
This causes paint to get spoiled and damage the looks of the car. When you come to know about the damage, it will be costly to repair it.
Another reason to clean the car is to maintain its shine and also good looks.
As we know, paint on the car comes in 3 coats. There will be a first coating of paint, over which a second coating is done to remove the defects.
At last, there is a clear coat over the paint for its protection. If left unnoticed for long duration, the dirt and the dust will ruin the clear coat, eventually spoiling the shine and looks of the car.
Do car washes damage your car?
If you do not use good materials like shampoo or wax while washing a car, then the chemicals can damage the car paint in a long run.
You can get a lot of good quality shampoo and other items to wash your car which will keep the paint better for longer time and also keep your car looking new.
What is a good car wash?
Good car wash in the sense of cleaning the car appropriately without damaging the paint and also making the car look clean inside out. Using the right tools and materials to wash a car will make a good car wash.
Is it cheaper to wash your car at home?
Yes it is. When you go for a near car wash, you will need to pay a lot and also the cleaning may be not that efficient.
They may use some random shampoo and liquids to make the car look shiny, but in the long run it will damage the car paint and also looks.
If you want an effective wash for your car, get the Bosch Pressure washer. They have the variety of options available in the market.
When you wash your car at home, you can select what kind of shampoo or wax that is needed to be used. This will keep the car looking new for a longer time.
Even though it is a longer process and need your effort, its always better to wash your car at home that looking for a car wash near you.
Can automatic car washes damage your car?
Yes, they damage the car if you do it regularly. The brushes in an automatic car wash are harder and they are spun to wash the car when the car passes through the wash tunnel.
This some times can create scratches over the paint that you may not notice instantly.
Also, there are many cars washed every day in an automatic car wash, there will be dust accumulation on the brushes which will transfer to the next car causing damages on the car paint.
If you do not consider the car wash machine price and also if you are staying away from the city, then a car wash in your home is the best way to clean a car
Conclusion
Here I have tried to cover all the basic concepts and ways of how to wash a car in home easily. Following the process mentioned above will surely give a good result that you may be expecting for.
Also, washing a car by self is good for a longer car paint life and also makes your car look new for a longer time.
In case you don’t have time for a car wash in home, then you can go for car wash near your home and instruct them to use the best car wash products to keep your car looking good for long.
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