How to Wash a Car: The Right Way

Well, summer is finally here, and it brings the heat. And heat means that every car owner in America will be out washing their car. Washing a car comes easy enough, and it's not very tricky. However, there are certain things that will make a washed car really stand out above and beyond a quick wash with soapy water.

First, you need to choose a good washing solution. True, dish detergent does work. However, a lot of the products made specifically for washing cars work the best. I drive a classic car with a great paint job, so of course I try to choose the best of everything. As far as washes go, I like Zip Wax. Naturally, a variety of other products will do pretty well, but Zip Wax leaves your car with a finish that looks waxes after you get done washing.

Another very important thing to do is make sure you choose the right cloths to do your washing. Don't use scratchy, brittle cloths. The softer the cloth, the better for your car's finish. Also, make sure you know that you only have to scrub at sections where things seem to be stuck.

You may even notice that you have lots of bugs stuck on your grille, or a lot of tar stuck onto other places. You can pick up a great bug and tar remover at a local car store or even Wal-Mart. Most of these products are simply spray on and wipe off. They are usually great to remove those nasty stuck-on dead flies and tar. After you remove these, it is the best time to wash your car.

How do we do it? Simply hose down the car, fill a bucket with your wash of choice, and get to washing. After you finish a section, go ahead and rinse that section off. If it is not washed enough, don't settle. Get it as clean as it should be, or the wax will trap impurities under it. Keep going until you finish the entire car (including windows and mirrors).