Detailed Cleaning Tips for Your Car
Cleaning Conditions: How to Wash and Clean a Car
Most people in Australia and all over the world have or have had a car at some point in their lives, but do they know how to correctly clean them? Buying a vehicle is one of the most expensive purchases you will make in your life, and apart from your home, it is likely a space where you spend a lot of your day. Correct car cleaning practices can extend the longevity and lifespan of a vehicle as it helps to remove corrosive substances that can damage the inside and outside of your car. Both exterior and interior car cleaning tactics and solutions can remove dust, grime and contaminants that can harm the surface of a vehicle, leaving it looking as good as new.
As with any cleaning process, not all cleaning solutions and tactics are good for specific surfaces. It is important that you are aware of what kinds of chemicals certain detergents contain and what type of tools can lead to the degradation of a surface. We here at TouchBio are able to provide you with some tips and tricks to follow to ensure both interior and exterior car cleaning is done effectively and without damaging your vehicle or exposing it to harmful cleaning practices.
What are the Materials Required for Car Cleaning?
You do not need to pay tons of money to get your car detailed by professionals if you have the correct car cleaning materials to do the job yourself! Here are just a few car cleaning materials to make sure you have on hand if you are looking to spend the day rejuvenating and revitalising your car!
- Car shampoo: Having the best detergent to use when cleaning your car can make all the difference when it comes to car cleaning! When choosing a shampoo to use on the exterior of your vehicle, it is important to consider the ingredients and be sure that you are avoiding a detergent that contains harsh chemicals that could damage the surface of your car.
- Microfiber cloths: The type of cloth you use to both prepare and dry your vehicle's interior and exterior are important to consider when cleaning a vehicle. Microfiber cloths are soft on surfaces while still effectively cleaning and removing dirt and grime from a vehicle's exterior or interior. Other types of clothes can be rough on the surface, and even though they may feel soft to you, they damage the paint and wax of a vehicle, which can lead to expensive repairs needing to be done.
- A lambswool mitt: A lambswool mitt is a great car cleaning tool to use when wiping shampoo over your vehicle. A lambswool mitt is able to evenly spread a cleaning solution and make sure that you are able to get to all those smaller and hard-to-reach areas. The material that the lambswool mitt is made of is important as materials that are too hard and gritty may damage the surface of the vehicle, but lambswool is soft on surfaces making it a great tool compared to sponges.
- Wet surface wipes for interiors: Wiping down the interior of a vehicle with wet surface wipes can ensure that these spaces remain clean and free of dirt, grime and germs. Here at TouchBio, we have surface disinfectant and cleaning wipes that can help to ensure that the interior surfaces of your vehicle remain clean.
There are many other tools and materials that are needed to properly prepare and clean the interior and exterior surface of a vehicle, and ensure that the type of item used is soft on surfaces and developed using the best materials and ingredients, ones that are not harsh on a surface, is the best way to protect your vehicle!
What are Some Tips for Car Cleaning?
Avoid Unnecessary Chemicals
Many people assume that using harsh chemical cleaners on the surface of a vehicle can help remove stains and dirt quickly and easily. While these cleaners may be effective in the short term, they are extremely bad for a vehicle's surface in the long run and should be avoided at all costs. Just like with surfaces within our homes, cars are susceptible to degradation over time, and harsh chemicals can actually lead to this happening faster. Many car cleaners contain a chemical known as hydrofluoric acid which can eat away at your vehicle's paint and wax sealant, causing extensive damage to the exterior surface.
A vehicle is an expensive purchase and it is important that it be properly cared for, with the correct cleaning tools and solutions. There are many cleaning solutions that have been developed to be highly effective while not containing any harmful and harsh chemicals within their composition. Being aware of the ingredients used within certain car cleaning detergents will ensure that you are not exposing your vehicle to unnecessary chemicals and solutions.
Handle High-Pressure Water Carefully
Pressure washers are great to use when it comes to car cleaning as they can easily remove dirt and grime from the exterior surface. Pressure washers are however also quite harsh and they need to be used carefully when they wash a vehicle's surface. One of the most important things to consider is the pressure applied. While hardier surfaces like stone and brick can sustain a higher pressure level, car surfaces are not designed to withstand these conditions. It is recommended that the pressure be set at around 2,000 PSI and that a wide pressure nozzle be used when cleaning a car, as this can ensure that the paint and exterior surfaces are not put at risk while being cleaned.
Do Not Wash the Engine
An engine is made up of a number of complex components, many of which should not be exposed to water or cleaning solutions. If water were to get into the alternator, for example, it could lead to extensive and expensive damage to your vehicle, so it is best to avoid this part of your vehicle unless you are an expert!
Do Not Use a Brush
A car cleaning bristle brush may seem like a good tool to use to get things like bird droppings or mud off of your vehicle, but the harsh material of the bristles often does the opposite. Instead of using a brush on the paintwork of your vehicle, a lambswool mitt is often a much better option as this can remove any dirt and grime without harshly scrubbing bristles on the exterior. While a brush should not be used on the paintwork of your vehicle, it can be used to clean the wheels, though be sure to avoid the rims as brushes can cause scratches.
How to Clean Car Exteriors?
Our vehicle's exterior surfaces are often exposed to the most amount of dirt and therefore car cleaning is required more often. To ensure that you are cleaning your exterior correctly, the following steps outline the best methods and practices to include when cleaning your car.
- Park your car in a shaded area: Sunlight can heat up the surface of a vehicle leading the car's surface to get quite hot. This heat can be reinforced as you scrub the surface, which is damaging to the paint. To ensure that your car does not overheat, it is recommended that you park the vehicle in a shaded area before cleaning.
- Rinse the vehicle thoroughly: To get rid of things like leaves and dirt that are easy to remove, you will need to rinse your car; this can be done with a standard hose pipe.
- Clean with car cleaning shampoo: The next step is to soap up your vehicle and start cleaning! Be sure to mix the solution with the required amount of water in a bucket and clean with a lambswool mitt. It is recommended that you clean each side of the car and then rinse, ensuring that the shampoo does not dry on the vehicle. When looking at how to clean car headlights, make sure you clean this part of your vehicle thoroughly and rinse immediately.
- Rinse car entirely: Though you would have been rising as you go, be sure to give the car one final and thorough rinse. A pressure hose is often used during this stage to ensure that all car cleaning shampoo has been properly removed.
- Dry with a microfiber cloth: Drying your car with a microfiber cloth after it has been rinsed will remove any leftover dirt that may remain on the surface. A microfiber cloth does not cause friction on the surface of a vehicle which protects the paintwork while drying and cleaning the car.
How to Clean Car Interiors?
Car interiors can get extremely dirty, as rubbish and dust accumulate over time. The following steps look at the most effective car cleaning processes for the interior surfaces of your vehicle.
- Wipe down surfaces with a microfiber cloth: To remove all the dirt, dust and grime that would have accumulated since your last cash clean, it is a good idea to start by wiping down your surfaces with a microfiber cloth. When looking at how to clean car seats, this is one of the best ways to remove dirt and dust from these kinds of surfaces!
- Surface Disinfectant Wipes: The interior cleaning of a vehicle is extremely important and here at TouchBio we have surface disinfectant and cleaning wipes to ensure that the interior of your car remains clean. The wipes do not contain any harsh chemicals, meaning that you do not have to worry about stains or residue being left on surfaces.
- Vacuum the interior: Vacuuming the interior of your car will help to quickly remove small particles of dust and dirt that you would otherwise not be able to reach and clean.
- Clean the glass: Glass cleaning is an important part of any car cleaning, and you do not even realise how dirty your glass surfaces are until you give them a good wipe! Be sure to use glass cleaner when doing this as multi-surface cleaners may not be as effective.
