TESTED & PROVEN Solution on How To Properly Wash Your Car
Step by Step
How To Properly Wash A Car
TESTED. PROVEN. PACKED.
"After years of testing thousands of products and techniques, I'm delighted to share my findings with you."
- Jason Otterness
Save 15% when you build a bundle with code: CARWASHBUNDLE
* 15% discount does not include pressure washers, spot free rinse or blowers.
STEP 1 The Rinse
Car Rinse Checklist: Preparing for a Scratch-Free Wash
✅ Find a Cool, Shaded Area - Park your car in a location away from direct sunlight to prevent premature drying of water or cleaning agents.
✅ Ready to Rinse - Use a Garden hose with spray nozzle or pressure washer for a fast better quality clean. Optional: Water purification or deionizing system if you have hard water.
✅ Rinse from Top to Bottom - Start at the roof and work your way down to the lower panels and wheels. Focus on areas with heavy dirt buildup, like wheel wells, behind wheels, and lower body panels.
✅ Remove Loose Dirt and Debris - Ensure all visible dirt, dust, and debris are rinsed off to avoid scratches during washing.
✅ Manage Hard Water Spots - If using hard water, work in smaller sections to avoid water drying on the surface. Use a water purification system to prevent water spots for a spotless rinse.
Enhanced Battery-Powered Pressure Washer: Ideal for Home and Mobile Detailing
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Commercial-Grade Professional Pressure Washer: Engineered for heavy-duty performance. If you're seeking a powerful machine for daily use, this is your best option
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A pressure washer perfect for weekend driveway warriors. Delivering 2300 PSI at 1.7 gallons per minute, it's excellent for achieving spotless wheels and more. Its portable design makes it versatile, so you can tackle more than just car washing.
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STEP 2 THE WHEELS
Wheel Cleaning Checklist: A Clean Start for Your Car Wash
✅ Start with the Wheels - Begin with the wheels, as they are typically the dirtiest part of the car. This prevents wheel grime from splashing onto a freshly cleaned body later.
✅ Apply Cleaning Chemicals - Spray your wheel cleaner evenly over the wheel, tire, and wheel well. Work on one wheel at a time to ensure the cleaner does not dry. Use an Iron decon if you have built up stuborn break dust.
✅ Scrub and Agitate - Use wheel brushes or detailing tools to clean all surfaces, including: Wheel face, Lug nut areas, Inner barrel of the wheel, Tires and wheel wells.
✅ Rinse Thoroughly - Rinse off all cleaning chemicals and loosened grime completely. Check for remaining spots that may need additional scrubbing.
✅ Repeat for Each Wheel - Move to the next wheel and repeat the process, ensuring the chemicals don't dry before rinsing.
Wheel Cleaning Tools
A must-have for cleaning tight spaces like lug nuts and calipers, this 3-pack of brushes from WORKSTUFF features natural boar hair bristles and plastic casings. This design ensures that you can clean effectively without causing any damage to the wheels.
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This is my favorite brush for cleaning the wheel barrels; it's called a wheel woolie extremely soft and cleans quickly. The 18" is the biggest size and is great for open wheels like 5 spoke wheels. If you have smaller openings or tighter spots get the 12" or 8" size.
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If your brake system is closely situated to the wheel barrels, this brush is ideal for fitting into tight, squeezed spaces. The EZ brush is Brush measures 18" long and its bristles reach a 5.5" diameter
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Durable stiff-bristle brush designed specifically for deep-cleaning tires, effectively removing dirt, grime, and old tire dressing buildup for a like-new finish.
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This is your new go-to tool for washing wheels of any type safely. With its highly absorbent microfiber surface, it easily distributes your favorite wash soap or non-acid wheel cleaner.
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Wheel Cleaning Chemicals
Concentrated wheel and tire cleaner is dilutable, offering cost savings in the long run while ensuring effective cleaning results. One of the most popualar wheel cleaing products in the industry.
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If you have built-up brake dust, this stronger wheel cleaner targets stubborn, burnt-on metal particles embedded in your wheels. It works by dissolving these metal particles for a deep clean.
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As a powerful, alkaline cleaner, KOCH CHEMIE Alkali Wheel Cleaner quickly dissolves and disperses brake dust and other abrasive dirt, offering exceptional cleaning power. Its concentrated formula can be diluted, making it an excellent choice for professional detailing shops.
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It's essential to thoroughly clean the rubber before applying any tire dressing. This product effortlessly strips away built-up grime and old dressing from your tire's surface, ensuring optimal adhesion and a pristine look.
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STEP 3 THE WASH
Safe Car Washing Checklist: The Two-Bucket Method
✅ Set Up Your Buckets - Use two buckets: One filled with clean water (rinse bucket). One filled with a soap and water solution (wash bucket). Add grit guards to both buckets to minimize dirt transfer.
✅ Pre-Foam and Rinse (If Needed) - If your car is heavily soiled, use a foam cannon or sprayer to coat the vehicle with foam. Let the foam sit for a few minutes to loosen dirt, then rinse thoroughly with a garden hose or pressure washer.
✅ Start Washing from the Top Down - Begin at the roof and work your way down to avoid dragging dirt onto clean surfaces. Use a soft wash mitt or sponge to clean one panel at a time.
✅ Rinse the Mitt After Each Panel - Dip the mitt into the rinse bucket and agitate it against the grit guard to remove trapped dirt. Wring out the mitt completely before continuing.
✅ Reload the Mitt with Soap - Submerge the clean mitt into the wash bucket to reload it with fresh suds. Repeat the process of washing, rinsing, and re-soaping for each section of the car.
✅ Final Rinse - Once all panels are clean, rinse the entire car from top to bottom to remove all soap residue.
Wash Tools
Choose your buckets! We offer several different kits to suit your needs. Whether you're starting with the basics and need just 3 buckets, or you're looking for the full kit complete with grit guards, wheels, and labels, we have the perfect solution for you.
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Foam cannon for your pressure washer: quickly applies soap and creates an impressive foaming show for effective and entertaining cleaning.
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Detail Guardz patented design utilizes the motion of your hand to pump and trap debris underneath the screen. The Dirt Lock has a complex Venturi filtering system that manipulates the flow of water in a downward direction.
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Scratch-free wash pad designed for ultra-soft, gentle care on your car’s paint, ensuring a safe and effective wash every time.
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The advanced version of a cleaning brush, this mitt-on-a-stick is essential for reaching difficult areas like roofs and vans.
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This wash kit includes all the essentials, so well-curated that it was irresistible to add to this list: 250ml GWash, 500ml Citrus All-Purpose Cleaner, one WM2 Microfiber Wash Mitt, and one MF4 Diamond Sandwich Drying Towel.
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Washing Chemicals
An alkaline pre-wash foam designed for use in a foam cannon, excellent for breaking down dirt and grime prior to your contact wash.
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A high-quality, pH-balanced car wash soap that simply works—need I say more?
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A high-performance soap with added strength, perfect for coated cars and offering all-in-one cleaning and protection.
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STEP 4 THE DRYING
Car Drying Checklist: Protect Your Paint During the Final Stage
✅ Understand the Risk - Most paint damage occurs during the drying process due to improper techniques or towels. Avoid harsh materials like old rags or bath towels that can scratch sensitive paint.
✅ Add a Waterless Wash or Quick Detailer - Lightly spray a waterless wash or quick detailer directly onto the drying towel. This helps reduce friction, minimize scratches, and pick up any missed spots from the wash.
✅ Dry Panel by Panel - Start at the top of the car and work your way down.Use gentle, overlapping motions to absorb water without pressing too hard.
✅ Focus on Crevices and Hard-to-Reach Areas - Pay extra attention to door jambs, mirrors, and other areas where water tends to collect. Use a blower or air compressor to force water out.
✅ Inspect for Missed Spots - As you dry, check for any leftover dirt or water spots. Address these areas with your waterless wash or quick detailer for a spotless finish.
Is it overkill? Perhaps, but it does an excellent job of quickly removing water from the paint, trim, and side mirrors.
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The Liquid8r (25"X 36")is a twist loop drying towel that has the “flop” and satisfying weight that many people love in drying towels.
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If you have minimal or no protection and the water is clinging to the paint, use this product to quickly add hydrophobic properties and dry the car faster.
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Provides lubrication to the towel and aids in cleaning up any missed spots during the washing process.
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STEP 5 THE AFTER WASH
That concludes the basic wash process—if you're satisfied, you can stop here. However, if you're aiming for extra credit and want to impress the neighbors, consider adding some of these additional products to your cart
A ceramic coating for the windshield significantly enhances safety and visibility during rainy conditions.
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A water-based tire dressing that is long-lasting, sling-free, and easy to apply.
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Tire dressing applicators.
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Up to 6 months of ceramic protection and high-gloss finish, incredibly easy to apply following a wash.
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