Driven by the desire for perfectionism and the creation of a complete detailing culture, we will delight our followers every month with a new article related to current topics of detailing, which will be aimed at both professionals and amateurs.
Everyone, regardless of age, has washed their car at least once. In general, since the time when there were no car washes, the weekend cleaning of the car on the driveway with a bucket of water and a rag has been respected. Today we are surrounded everywhere by car washes, self-service water jet sites, piles of detergents, shampoos, sprays…. What do you really need, what is good for your car, and what will bring the ultimate pleasure from the end result? With this article, we will try to answer all these questions, because the details are really important!
We will start with the fact that good quality washing is always evident. Even if your car is washed, a few small details make the overall picture look completely different. At first, it was difficult for us to explain exactly what the differences were, we just felt them, but now it’s different.
Let’s imagine you have a day off, it’s nice weather outside, the weather forecast is promisingly good, and you don’t even know where you left your cell phone. It’s time to wash your favorite toy!
First of all, try to wash your car out of direct sunlight. Direct sunlight dries fast both the water and the applied detergent.
This is an adverse effect. When the water dries before it is wiped, there is almost a 100% chance that limescale deposits will appear in the form of drops. They form on the surface of the varnish and bond to its top layer. Removing them is extremely difficult and with an unclear result. One option is polishing, the other with a specialized detergent, but we’ll talk about that later. Another adverse effect of drying is the creation of conditions to rub dry. The more resistance there is, the more damage you will do. Therefore the more shade, the better!
What you will need:
- water jet
- foam converter
- preparation detergent
- detergent for washing rims
- preparation to remove dried flies
- preparation for removing asphalt and resin
- two buckets with grid guard
- shampoo for basic washing
- glove or sponge
- brush for hard to reach places
- towel towels
- wax
We know that most of you are amazed at how many things you need in order to achieve a great result, but remember that if you want a professional result you need to invest first.
The first step is the pre-wash.
Pre-washing is done with the appropriate product and it is important that it is pH neutral. It serves to loosen and remove dirt before starting the main wash, and it is important that this is done without damaging anything. Thanks to this product and the foam it creates, your sponge or glove will have much less dirt to remove.
This results in cleaner water in the rinsing bucket and less mechanical friction. Apply the detergent with a foaming agent, and the car becomes all fluffy foam, wait a few minutes and rinse. After this rinse, the car is not ready for drying, but it is ready for the next step – the main wash! The coarse sand and sticky road dirt are gone and in most cases, the car is even slightly greasy and slippery for minimal resistance when moving the glove or sponge. Try to go with the water jet everywhere, spend more time on the fenders and the inner edges of the fenders.
These are the places where the most mud, sand, salt, and dirt accumulates. There it manages to stay, which leads to the gradual destruction of materials. Do not spare time, energy, and water, spray under the fenders until clear water begins to flow from everywhere. Even when applying the detergent, do not forget to spray exactly these areas. Squat and pay attention to the end pots, around them is also always full of mud and sand.
We said that now follows the basic wash with shampoo and sponge or gloves, but before that, there are a few touches that will make your car great.
Step 2 – wash the rims!
There are many products in the market for washing the rims and again we come to the topic of acid and destructive components. Take care of your wheels, they are beautiful, expensive, and difficult to repair in case of damage. We suggest you use rim cleaners that are pH neutral and wash resin and metal particles. You will recognize a similar product by the fact that if you have resin on the rims and use it, after a few minutes the whole rims turn blood red or purple.
Spray the detergent abundantly. It is excellent for cleaning the shield behind the brake disc and brake calipers. Wait a few minutes and rub with a wet rim brush or hard-to-reach brush on the rim bolts, beam corners, and appliances. Then spray with plenty of water.
Step 3 is related to the season and more precisely to the sticky flies. You know how annoying and difficult to remove and on the other hand they damage the varnish surface a lot. The reason is that their biological composition and rather the acid in them eat away a lot.
Check out all the services we provide here: Pulse Car Cleaning Services