How To Wash A Car - Step by Step
How to wash a car using the correct technique
This is a guidance article and is especially useful to our customers who have newly had their vehicle decontaminated, restored, polished and protected. In order to maintain the new and improved clarity of your paintwork it is important to know how to wash your car using the correct technique.
Why the conventional single bucket car wash method doesn’t work?
The conventional car wash uses a single bucket wash method in which the wash mitt is dunked into repeatedly. As the mitt continues to be dunked into this same bucket, dirt from the mitt is constantly being embedded into bucket and mitt.
This can then cause many negative effects on the vehicles paintwork such as:
Damaging protection layers such as waxes, sealants, coatings.
Cause swirling, and marring on the paint which makes paint look hazy and dull.
Paint feels rough and noisy rather than smooth and supple.
As your paint is now lacking protection it can cause future problems such a rust, erosion, clear coat failure, thick built up layers of grease and dirt on the outer layer of paint.
Why the two bucket wash technique is effective?
The two bucket wash method is a simple yet effective car washing technique which is focused on safety. The idea of this hand washing method is given away by the name, ie, two buckets. One bucket is for car wash shampoo, and the second bucket is for fresh clean water. Both buckets also contain grit guards which cause the dirt to become isolated at the bottom of the bucket.
The two bucket wash method ensures virtually no dirt can be rubbed back onto the surface through the mitt.
Two Bucket Wash Kit - What do I need?
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Alloy wheel brush (not essential but recommended)
Alloy wheel degreaser spray (not essential but recommended)
Clean microfibre cloths (to dry vehicle)
How to wash a car - The full two bucket wash method
Ensure your vehicle is in a cool shaded area, out of direct sunlight on a dry day.
Begin with fitting both of your wash buckets with grit guards.
Now fill both buckets with fresh, cool water.
Pour you car wash shampoo into one of the buckets and mix.
Before beginning to wash the car I would recommend a quick rinse of the vehicle using your hose pipe or jet wash without any soap. This will remove some of the loose dirt on the surface.
Alloy wheels must then be washed using the degreaser and alloy wheel brush to remove any grime and dirt.
Now rinse the wheels and wheel arches.
Now we can begin to wash the car, starting from the top of the vehicle.
Dunk your car wash mitt into the shampoo and begin to gently glide across the panels in the following order: Roof, driver side top half of doors and windows, windscreen, bonnet, passenger side windows and upper doors, boot panel and spoiler.
Please ensure you rinse the wash mitt in the fresh water bucket and then re-shampoo in the shampoo bucket after every couple of panels.
Once the top half of the car is full of shampoo, you may now proceed to shampoo the lower half of the panels in the following order: Lower driver door, side skirts, lower wings, front bumper, passenger side lower doors and wings, rear bumper and exhaust.
The vehicle is now ready to be jet washed with clean water.
Inspect the vehicle to ensure it is clean, if not, repeat the previous steps to shampoo and rinse for a second time.
One the vehicle is clean it must now be dried promptly using only fresh, quality microfibre cloths. Fold the microfibre cloth twice in half so it is a flat square shape. Turn over the cloth every time each side gets damp to ensure a smooth streak free finish.
You may now apply other extras such as window cleaner, tyre gel or finishing wax if needed.
The two bucket wash method highlighted above has been our go to technique for many years and continues to excel despite newer technologies, methods and products coming out into the mainstream. This wash method is definitely worth remembering but if not, then feel free to print or bookmark this article.
If you have had your vehicle detailed by us recently, then I am sure you have heard our detailers emphasise the importance of the two bucket wash method for your vehicle. We always recommend this method and are happy to help if you need any further guidance.
Please do let us know your thoughts on our two bucket wash method, and share this article with friends. Feel free to suggest below any other article ideas that you think may be useful to our readers.
We recommend purchasing your essential two bucket wash items from Amazon