How to wash a car with your own hands?

2024 Author: Erin Ralphs | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-19 11:41

For most car owners, the appearance of the "iron horse" remains far from last. And we are talking not only about "jambs" in the form of mushrooms, chips and other damage. Even a new car will look bad if it is dirty. A clean body is not only a beautiful appearance. Regular washing allows you to extend the life of the paintwork. But how to do it right? We will tell you how to properly wash your car in our today's article.

Ways

Currently there are two popular ways:

• Self-service car wash. The method is suitable mainly for large cities.
• With the help of Karcher or any other contactless car wash. The unit can be used anywhere. The main thing is to find a source of water and electricity.

But not so long ago, the owners resorted to the so-calledcontact washer. It involves a completely manual washing of the body. This method is very long and laborious. And from frequent hand washing, the paintwork of the body on the car is scratched. Therefore, now this method is practically not used.

How to self-service car wash?

Such stations are in all major cities. Well, consider how to properly wash your car at a self-service car wash. This process consists of several stages:

• Prewash. Some refuse this stage, but in vain. Why is it mandatory? This stage is necessary in order to soak the dirt on the body, while not damaging the paintwork. If you skip it, the body will be dirty in places. How to properly wash a car at a car wash? To do this, you need to keep the gun at a distance of at least 30 centimeters from the machine. No need to try to knock down dirt. At this stage, it is only important for us to soften it.
• Main wash. It involves the application of active foam. It is she who will split the particles of adhering dirt and dust from the car. It is important to cover all hidden body cavities with foam. At the same time, the gun must be held at a right angle and the chemistry must be applied in a horizontal direction, from the bottom up. How long do you have to wait until the foam is completely absorbed? Experience shows that this takes about three to four minutes.
• Rinsing. We need to wash off the active foam with clean water. How to wash a car at a self-service car wash? Hold the gun firmly as the water pressure is high. For the same reason, do not bring the gun too close tobody. Be especially careful with mirrors and moldings. There are frequent cases when, due to inaccurate actions, a jet of water damaged body elements.
• Applying a protective layer. As a rule, it is liquid wax. Many refuse this procedure. However, thanks to this wax, you can slightly increase the interval between washes. This chemistry will prevent the accumulation of dust on the surface of the paintwork.
• Drying. If you ignore this stage, the body will remain divorced. Here the body is rinsed with a special solution, thanks to which the car dries faster. It doesn't need to be wiped down. Drying takes no more than two to three minutes.

Thus, in total, we spend ten to fifteen minutes of time on washing. Some steps can be ignored (for example, waxing). But a pre-wash is a must. By adhering to these rules, you will get a really high-quality result.

How to wash your car with Karcher?

This is a fairly popular type of mini sinks. In general, the process of using Karcher does not differ much from the use of other mini-sinks. This method will be relevant if there are no such services nearby that we described above. In total, the procedure will take about 30 minutes. So, how to properly wash a car with Karcher? First we need to find a source of electricity (socket) and water. You can use a regular garden hose by connecting to a faucet. And the unit can be turned on using adapters. They usuallyis included. After connecting the device, you can start working.

When starting to wash the car, properly prepare it for this: close windows and doors tightly. It is important that minimal gaps are excluded. Otherwise, pressurized water will enter the cabin. So, how to wash the car with your own hands? First you need to apply detergent. Universal car shampoos will not work - only specialized ones that are suitable for mini-washes. Spray from the appropriate nozzle. Can be used directly without pre-rinsing. Indeed, on a wet body, such foam will quickly go down. And this is a waste of money. On dry paint, it will last longer.

Foam should be applied from the bottom up, as in a self-service car wash. It is recommended to move from the thresholds and bumpers to the roof. Remember that the Karcher produces a lot of pressure, so you can’t keep the gun close either. The duration of the foam is about five minutes.

The next step is to rinse. You need to remove the dirt correctly: from the bottom up. It is necessary not to miss hidden areas (thresholds and wheel arches). After the dirt is washed off, rinse the body with clean water.

Drying

But that's not all. At the final stage, you need to wipe the body with a dry rag to remove any remaining water. If this is not done, the body will be covered with white spots. Drying can be done with a special foam towel. There are many such accessories designed specifically forcars.

Pay attention to the nuances

Do not wash in direct sunlight. Otherwise, the foam will quickly evaporate, and the result itself will disappoint. The car must be hidden in the shade. After washing, it is recommended to treat the body with a wax polish.

Features of the procedure in wintertime

In cold weather, it is not always possible to perform this procedure. How to properly wash your car in winter? This can only be done at temperatures below zero degrees. Otherwise, water forms an ice crust on the body, which is very difficult to get rid of.

The only exception is a sink in a heated box. When doing this work with your own hands, it is important to use cold water. The temperature difference can adversely affect the paintwork of the body and the glass of the car. Also, before applying the shampoo, you need to clean the surface of snow and ice crust, if any. Next, washing is carried out according to the classical algorithm. The foam is washed off in the same way.

Recommendations

When washing a car in winter, there are certain nuances:

• Often water accumulates in rubber seals. As a result, an ice crust forms, and it is not possible to open the doors. How to avoid it? Treating seals with dry rags is not an option. After all, particles of moisture will still remain on the surface. Therefore, before washing, it is advisable to walk with silicone - thick or in the form of a spray. It will prevent the formation of ice on the seals. It is desirable to process not only the doors, but also the trunk lid.
• They freeze in winterlocks. It is better to spray WD-40 or the same silicone here. These compounds repel water and prevent the keyhole parts from freezing completely.

Conclusion

So, we figured out how to properly wash your car with your own hands. As you can see, this procedure has many nuances. But after two or three repetitions, everything becomes clear and easy to remember. Remember that when using a gun, do not bring it close to the body. And in winter, you can wash your car only if the air temperature is positive or near zero degrees.