The Details of Car Detailing - Part 1: The Wash

For some people, washing a car is a fairly simple process: wet, wash, dry, Millertime. I’m a particularly big fan of the last step, but why rush the steps beforehand? The beer tastes so much sweeter when the job is done right. And when the beer is better than a Miller Lite.   

My first suggestion? Avoid automatic car washes like the plague. When you can’t avoid automatic car washes, try to find modern editions with soft foam brushes (good) or versions that are completely touchless (best). A good number of common gas station car washes I’ve seen are in less-than-great condition, and the cloth brushes aren’t often cleaned. I’ll admit — auto washes are convenient, especially for people like me who live in apartment communities and don’t have ready access to a spigot and hose. I cringe every time I go through a brush wash, though, because I never know if a horribly muddy vehicle went through the wash previous to me, depositing its grime and grit on the brushes, ready to rip my car’s paint to shreds. 

For those who are fortunate enough to have both the time and resources to hand wash their car, the process isn’t difficult. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Shade
• Microfiber wash cloths
• Microfiber or terrycloth towels
• 2 wash buckets
• ‘Car wash’ soap
• Hose w/spray nozzle
• Small squeegee
• Scrub brush

I highly recommend starting in the morning, or at least finding some shade. It’s easy to keep the vehicle moist, and soapy surfaces soapy, when the sun isn’t beating down on surfaces, and you’ll be much more comfortable while working. 

Fill one of the buckets with a small amount of “car wash”-specific soap, and fill both buckets with water.  Avoid using regular dish soap to wash your vehicle; dish soap is just that — for dishes. Think about how effectively Palmolive or Dawn cuts through tough grease on pots and pans; it’ll do the same thing to your car’s paint, and will strip any wax or other protective coatings. This occasionally is a desired effect if you’re looking to completely start your buff/polish/wax routine from scratch, but with enough uses of dish soap, permanent paint damage is possible. “Car wash” soap is formulated to maintain any underlying layers of wax on the paint. My favorite is Meguiar’s Gold Class Car Wash; it’s reasonably priced, effective, and one container will last for several months.

Wet the entire car down thoroughly.  Never use a pressure washer to spray the car — at best, you’re driving tiny particles of dirt into the clearcoat, which over time will dull the finish, and at worst, the pressure washing will begin to bubble and peel the paint. Soft spray only. Once it’s wetted, spray it down again to loosen and remove softened grime and dirt. The goal throughout the washing process is to keep the vehicle wet until it’s completely clean and ready to be towel dried; this will help prevent water spots from forming. With your two buckets (one with soapy water and one with clean water) and microfiber wash cloths, begin washing however you would like.

Rinse the washcloth in the clean water bucket regularly; only dip the cloth in the sudsy bucket after it’s been rinsed. I prefer to work front-to-back on the vehicle, starting with the front fascia, moving to the hood, then one fender, around to one side of the vehicle, and so on. While washing, gently feel the panels of the vehicle with your fingertips to find any hard-to-clean areas — it’s easier to remove insect splatters at this stage. About halfway through the wash process, switch to a new washcloth. This helps to keep contaminants from building up too much on your cloth. 

Once a couple of panels or sections have been washed, rinse the entire car then continue washing. Again, the goal is to prevent water spots from appearing due to soapy sections drying too quickly, or clean water from beading and drying. 

After the surface cleaning is done, spray a small amount of tire cleaner onto the car’s tire sidewalls, taking care not to get the stuff on the car paint or wheels. I use Westley’s Bleche-White. it works great for cleaning the lettering of tires, but has been known to trash aluminum rims if left to sit on the surface. Scrub the tires thoroughly, then immediately rinse. Clean the wheels in the same way as the car’s paint; more washcloth swaps may be needed if there is a considerable amount of brake dust on the wheels.

After the whole car has been washed and rinsed, use the squeegee to dry all windows. Dry the body of the car with the microfiber or terrycloth towel from top to bottom – microfiber and terrycloth is soft with deep material, allowing for better water absorption and contaminant trapment. When the towel begins to lose its drying effectiveness, swap to a new one.

Congratulations!  Step one is finished!  Enjoy a your beer.