I have been surprised to find the number of people that do not know how to wash their car, and thought that it might be useful to write this “how to”. This process is the first step to excellent auto exterior detailing.

Selecting the right soap is very important. First and foremost: Don’t use dish washing liquid! Dish soap is very harsh and was not designed to be used on the automotive painted finishes. Understanding this alone will start you on your way of becoming a car detailing products expert and knowing your away around auto detailing products. I personally use Maguire’s automotive exterior detailing products and you will never get criticism for using them. Of course everyone has their preferences and opinions on which ones are the best, but this primer is to give you a great start. These products are easily found at your local automotive.

While you are there, make sure you pick up a wash glove or good microfiber sponge. You are going to use this tool of the trade over and over, so don’t skimp too much on this purchase. Using an old rag is a sure fire way of scratching your paint. Just because you don’t see the deeper “gouges” that you may be putting into your paint, you are definitely at least putting in micro scratches. Looking at the side of your vehicle at an angle on a sunny day may make you a believer!

Now that you have soaped it up real good, next is a good rinse. Of course, the higher the pressure the better. If you are using low pressure, just make sure you flood the all of the surfaces real well. Do the top surfaces first, since all the dirt is flowing downhill!

The next step can be skipped if you like, but this will make you look as if you know your way around car detailing products if you put in the effort! This product is called a “clay bar”. Yes clay – like you used in art class as a kid? It is mildly abrasive that lifts the on to your vehicle and then you start wiping back and forth over the contaminated area. Mash up the patty often and reform it, taking the larger chunks you see in the clay with a pair of tweezers.

Get your soap out and rewash. Now, time to dry the your sparkling car. When you are purchasing your car washing products, add to the list one of three things: a microfiber drying towel, a synthetic chamois, or what is called a water blade (a soft rubber squeegee designed to be use on painted surfaces). Do this in the shade if you can. It keeps the water from evaporating off your car and leaving water marks.

Some of the car washes you purchase already have a mild wax in it. If your does, than the rubbing action of the drying step will bring out the shine. If yours does not, then you will have to move on to the waxing step which is a whole another process, but is necessary if you want to get that truly professional detailing look, and we will have to go into that in another article!