VIDEO Car Washing 101 – Pre-Wash and Wash

Car Care - Car Washing 101

How to complete your pre-wash

Now because this car is really dirty, what we are going to do is a pre-wash.

What we use is a Snow Foam

And you hook it up a cannon to your pressure washer

And it puts a layer of detergent over it and what it effectively does is softens the dirt so you can wash it off.

This dramatically reduces the chance of scratching occurring.

Now you leave the foam on there for at least 4 or 5 minutes and what it does

It softens all the dirt and now it’s safe to pressure wash off.

It’s a touchless clean and this is how you minimize swirls and scratches.

Now when you begin, you begin at this back quarter of the car.

Don’t do the back of the car

Leave this last cos it’s the dirtiest part of the car leave the longest dwell time for the detergent on there, so get to it last.

So, beginning from the top work your way down to the back.

Car Care - Car Washing 101

Completing the wash phase

So, we have done the Snow Foam on the car.

Now, that’s got rid of the majority of the dirt and grime.

To a lot of people, they will be thinking that’s enough.

Simple test, the dirtier part of the car, and if you pull up any dirt like we did there

Then that means you have to go back over and give it a second wash.

With the two-bucket system, you add one capful to the bucket and swirl it about, rinse it out in there.

Then get your pressure washer and agitate it right up.

With our Wax Wash it comes up like a banana milkshake.

Now it’s important, don’t get a big head of suds.

You want a light little layer, that way you get a beautiful thick lubricating mixture of detergent there which is perfect to wash your car with. 

Now coming onto washing the car. 

Always start at the top, it’s the least dirtiest part of the car and do it in a side to side motion.

The reason you do it side to side, not circular, you don’t miss any sections

If you do, you always get that little crescent shape that you miss when you go circular.

Also minimizes the chance of dirt further creating swirls and scratches on your car.

Now once you have used all your suds up, move back to the rinse bucket.

Dunk your tool in the rinse bucket, thrash it all about and get all the dirt out you removed off the car, then you go back into the wash water bucket.

This way you’re never getting your wash water dirty, another step to minimizing scratches and swirls on your car.

Now this bottom eighth of the car you attack and get to it last, the reason being it’s the dirtiest part of the car.

What you want to do is Wash Suds, and in one swipe go across it.

Turn to the other side, one swipe goes across it, back into your rinse bucket.

Give it a good thrash about and then move onto the next section. Be sure to use heaps of suds on this part.

Now before you rinse the car off, it’s a time to look at the bugs, there are a few bug spots that are left on the car.

And the way to remove them is to get a good bug cleaner, spray it on, get a damp microfibre… and it's gone.

Now when it comes to rinsing the car off

Remove the end of the hose or get a cool little contraption like this and actually sheet and flood the panels

And the reason you do this is that all the water hangs together and it comes off in one big element.

And it cuts down the drying time dramatically.