Everybody likes to see a nice, shiny, gleaming car – but when cleaning it yourself it’s easier than you think to make a total mess of the job.
If you’re not careful, you can end up wasting loads of time rewashing areas which you missed or left streaky. Worse than that, you may even leave your paintwork scratched.
To avoid going wrong, first check out the extent of the task. That way you can figure out if you need the heavy-duty clean-up materials or the lighter stuff. Are the wheels caked with mud? Is the bodywork filthy or just a bit dusty?
Try to avoid cleaning your vehicle in bright summer sunshine because your shampoo may dry too fast and leave streaks.
Away we go. Fill a bucket with car shampoo and water, another with clean water and have a hose handy if you’ve got one. Rinse the car with several buckets of clean water or use your hose. Resist any temptation to rush this stage. If you do it properly you’ll have removed any grit or mud which could cause scratches and swirls on your paintwork. Rinse under the wheel arches and rinse alloy wheels.

After that, it’s time to start the clean-up. Using a wash mitt dunked in your shampoo water, start at the top of the car. Use steady sideways motions to prevent swirls. Rinse the mitt in the clean water, dip into your shampoo bucket and onwards until all’s clean.
Next up, the rinsing and drying bit. Swoosh off the shampoo using your hose or a few more buckets of clean water, starting at the top again. Dry off with a microfibre cloth.
If you want to use a wheel cleaner, buy one designed for your vehicle to make sure it’s the correct strength and follow the instructions.
That leaves the windows, which is often the fiddliest bit. Use a microfibre cloth and a car window cleaner. Clean with circular motions, which overlap from time to time and remove smears (a newspaper is still a handy standby here). There aren’t really any shortcuts on this one. It’s all down to determination and elbow grease.

Before you start, bear in mind that a proper car wash can take at least an hour so line up some of your favourite tunes.
Of course, an alternative to doing the job yourself is to go to a hand car wash instead. They usually do a good job. The Car Wash Advisory Service was formed in 2007 to promote best industry practice. Establishments which meet the service’s criteria display a blue WashMark logo.
A further option is the automatic car wash. Over the years they’ve come in for some bad press, with some of the older systems blamed for leaving tiny scratches. These days automatic washes have been upgraded and are much gentler on your paintwork.
But when it comes to the perfect car wash, nothing beats doing a proper job yourself. And of course, you get to listen to all that music you haven’t heard for ages.
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