How to Wash a Car by Hand

Washing your car yourself can be a relaxing and satisfying respite from the concerns of life and an activity the kids can help you with. You only need soap, a bucket, and some rags.

Steps

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   Park the car out of direct sunlight. This prevents premature drying which can leave splotches on the paint.
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   Set everything you will need near the car. This includes cleaning material such as the soap that you will use for cleaning, a large supply of water (depending on the size of the vehicle), a bucket or hose, rags to dry your car, and other items, and a little help.
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   Fill a bucket with water and add car wash soap in the quantity directed on its bottle.
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   Fill another bucket with plain water.
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   Check that all windows are closed and retract the antenna.
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   Hose off the car to loosen and soften the dirt. Don't use a strong jet, as this can rub grit over the paint and scratch it. Try to aim the jet downwards on all surfaces. Aiming upwards around windows may cause water to dribble into the car if there are flaws in the rubber seals.
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   Pull the windshield wipers away from the windshield until they click into their propped position, away from the glass.
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   Soak a large wash mitt or sponge in the soapy water, being certain to wash out any dirt in it, and begin applying it to the car. Do not use a brush on the car body -- this will leave little scratches.
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   Wash the car section by section, starting at the top. Circle around the car several times, washing lower areas with each round.
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    Rinse the dirt out of the wash mitt or sponge in the bucket with plain water frequently.
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    After one section is washed, rinse it with the hose before moving on. You don't want the soap to dry on the paint and stain it.
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    As you progress, keep the entire car wet, as this will prevent droplets from drying on the paint and leaving water-spots. You want to be able to dry the car with towels before it air-dries.
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    Scrub the lower body and the wheels last, as these are the dirtiest, grittiest parts. It's a good idea to use a separate wash mitt or sponge on the bottom.
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    Use a long, skinny wheel-brush for cleaning the openings of the wheels. If the wheels are very glossy, instead use a sponge or a mitt to clean them just as you would the car body after hosing off as much of the extra dirt.
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    Clean the tire sidewalls with a plastic brush.
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    At some point rinse the bottom of the car, from various angles, with a spray nozzle. This is particularly important when the car has been exposed to salt.
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    Dry the vehicle with fresh towels.
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    Every so often, touch up and protect the clean car.

    • Remove rust from the car and touch up the paint if there is significant damage, or easily stabilize and seal small scrapes and rust spots with rust converter. Wash off any grit or corrosive pre-treatment chemicals, allow rust converter time to dry and cure, and do not wax a fresh paint finish.
    • Adhesive accessories such as door, door-edge (i.e., other guy's door) and bumper guards and reflective patches stick best to a clean, dry, not-too-waxy car.
    • Wax (or similar polish) should be applied to a clean, dry car. Failure of water to stand up in beads or small pools repelled from the surface is the traditional sign to re-wax. Abrasive polishes are rarely, if ever, needed with modern car paints and risk unexpected damage scouring through a clear coat: Leave them for experts and/or extreme cases.
    • Apply RainX or similar water-repellent treatment to clean, dry glass to repel water from it and improve visibility. Reapply it when water no longer forms small beads - every few months on side and back windows as may be desired, every month or so on the windshield, where it is most needed and from which the wipers will tend to rub it off.

 

Tips

• If the car is very, very dirty, let the soap and water do the work. Make multiple passes. Work in the early morning or late evening so soap doesn't dry on the car (still moisten the entire car frequently). Use "bug and tar remover" where needed. Do not scrape hard or use a brush. That will mar the finish. Ultimately, a few stubborn bits of dirt will look better than scrapes.
• Wax (or one of the newer polymer products) protects the paint from the sun so it doesn't fade or deteriorate. It also protects the finish from the flying grit kicked up by the vehicles in front of yours on the highway. Polymer products last longer than wax. The ones purchased at auto supply stores are just as durable as the ones the car dealers sell you for hundreds of dollars.
• Use vinyl/rubber/plastic conditioner for dark-colored plastic parts and for tires.
• For super-clean windows, rub glass inside and outside with a ball of crumpled newspaper that's been dipped in methylated spirit.
• After washing the car, if you can feel particles embedded in the paint when you run your hand over the surface, you can use a clay bar system to remove the contaminants before waxing. Just follow the directions.
• Be prepared to get wet. Wear the appropriate work clothes,-- shoes, shorts and rubber sandals when the weather permits, long pants and rubber boots when it is a bit chilly.
• Mitts with long dangling strands do not push grit onto the car as hard. They are less likely to scratch the surface. They should still be rinsed, then dipped into the soapy water often.
• Don't keep the water running while you wash your car. The average home wash would use between 80 and 140 gallons of fresh water. Buy a hose sprayer with a lever that shuts off the water when you let go.
• Glass cleaner can get the windows a little clearer than can just car wash soap and water, but drying them with microfiber towels after washing the car can make them sparkle just as much. Clean both the insides and outsides of the windows.
• Stick things such as touch-up paint or stick-on accessories to car before waxing it.
• Mitts, unlike sponges, can also be washed in washing machines to remove all the grit.
• Bird droppings and bugs can damage the paint. Get them off as soon as possible using a damp rag or when washing the car. Soften bugs by dabbing with a sponge that is loaded with warm water.
• If you have to wash the car in direct sunlight, wash panels separately and rinse before proceeding.
• Microfiber towels work the best on all car surfaces. When you're finished using them, toss them in the washing machine. But don't use fabric softener on microfiber towels. It can become trapped in the pores, then leach out, leaving a residue on the car surface.
• A polymer wax-like product such as "Nu Finish" can be much easier to buff off than real wax, even if it is allowed to dry longer than necessary first.
• Always wash the door shuts, surrounds and the bottom underside of the doors. There's nothing worse than opening an otherwise sparkling clean car to find dirty door shuts !
• Use baby wipes to wipe the windscreen free of any dirt.
• Do not clean the car without a lubricant (water, etc), otherwise, the grit will move around causing scratches.

Warnings

• Do not use Windex or any window cleaner containing ammonia on the inside of color tinted windows, as it will discolor the tint and cause it to peel. A better option is a tint-safe window cleaner.

Things You'll Need

• Shady work-area
• Car wash soap
• Hose
• 2 Large buckets
• 2 Thick wash mitts or sponges
• Wheel brush
• Towels, cotton or (ideally) microfibe
• Glass cleaner (optional)
• Vacuum cleaner
• Pledge or wax
• Scrubber or towel