Easy Car Wash Tips

Tools of the trade: None of the below are affiliate links! And any of these can probably be purchased cheaper at your local hardware store. Amazon links just for reference and images. Washing Microfiber Mitts Pressure washer: https://www.amazon.com/RYOBI-Electric-Pressure-Washer-RY141820VNM 40 Degree Nozzle: https://www.amazon.com/McKillans-Stainless-Rinsing-Rubberized-Protecting/dp/B0BQZ2DGPP Foam Cannon: https://www.amazon.com/Ryobi-RY31F04-Pressure-Washer-Blaster/dp/B088WD7NRZ Soap (Mr Pink): https://www.amazon.com/Chemical-Guys-Mr-Pink-Car-Wash-Soap/dp/B071RKWXKV Waxing Tons of microfiber cloths, I go through several during a waxing: https://www.amazon.com/50-Pack-SimpleHouseware-Microfiber-Cleaning/dp/B01NAAJLVG Chemical-Guys Wax: https://www.amazon.com/Chemical-Guys-Butter-Wet-Wax-Paste-Cream/dp/B00FALVU8A CAR GUYS Plastic Restorer: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071FRWWRF Nice to haves Under car pressure washer: https://www.amazon.com/Pressure-Washer-Undercarriage-Professional-Grade-Attachment/dp/B0CL9Y5KZ3 Silicone Grease (for wiper blades): https://www.amazon.com/Super-Lube-92003-Lubricating-Translucent/dp/B0081JE0OO Rubber Seal Protectant (plasticizer): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00T44D1R2 Initial rinse Use the 40 degree nozzle about 2 feet away from the paint. Important, if it hurts your hand, it hurts the paint! Do not pressure wash damaged areas of a car, and aim to avoid seals and gaps where pressurized water would enter in places rain normally would not. Also I would not use anything less than 40 degrees as anything tighter could damage the paint or increase damages in problem areas (rock chips, scratches, rust). Wash top-down. I usually start at the windows and work my way down. A lot of times for bird-poop and other stuck on times an initial once-over softens it, and then come back a after rinsing other parts and it blasts right off. Don't try to laser dry/hardened right off the bat. Its safe to hit your rims, and carefully wash out your wheel wells as well. Knocks down a lot of salt and dirt. Soap Make sure you test the foam cannon on the ground first. I noticed unless you adjust the cannon I linked, it will be in laser mode that can blast a line into concrete. Some cannons demand a specific soap and ratio. Mr Pink seems to work great in anything and you may want to play with ratios to nail down what works best. Do the cars baseboards and near the tires last! Use an entirely different glove to wash your tires and VS your car paint and store them separate. The reason being brake dust is basically sandpaper and it will destroy your paint. Plus all the horrible road dust, dirt, gravel, asphalt. Not stuff you want to go over in a glove and then buff into your paint. Wax Any wax is going to work well. I have used Turtle Wax and Meguiar's. I am now trying the wax I linked above by Chemical-Guys which is liquid. I think I prefer solid but it works well. You may not have a choice but its best to wax in the shade. You want the wax to find its way into all those swirls, scratches and imperfections of the paint. The sun will insta-dry it out. Common questions: yes its totally OK to wax your headlights and taillights! This will protect them against UV damage and bug splatters. Yes its totally OK to wax your rims! Obviously avoid the caliper/rotors and make sure you wash the rims WELL. As waxing on top of brake pad dust is literally sandpaper. The best part about waxing is you can do a few "maintenance washes" with just water later and knock down so much dirt and bugs that slide right off the wax. Plastic Restorer This stuff is awesome. It can make 10 year old plastic brand new. It protects from UV damage and deepens and darkens the black on your plastic. Cant recommend enough. Check out pics on Amazon. Rubber Seal Restorer I haven't used these too much but as your seals age and rubber ages, a plasticizer is a helpful treatment to restore your cars seals. Door seals, window seals, trunk seals, etc. Personally id only use this for older seals until I have seen data that products like these do not actually increase the rate at which seals dry out without frequent re-applications of products. Wiper Blade Tips Buy some silicone grease, I like Super Lube, and wipe down your wiper blades with it. RainX sells blades they call Silicone AdvantEdge™️ this is literally just silicone grease on the blade. And they charge a LOT more for these blades. Cleanup Make sure you add pump protector before you store your pressure washer for the season. If you have a garage, I have seen dudes mount theirs to the wall and have a little shelf for different nozzles and their soap blaster and stuff. Wash out your cannons with fresh water. Soap can dry and harden and ruin nozzles and cannon siphons and filters. Send all your mitts through the washing machine. Hand-wash wax soak

Mar 14, 2025 - 19:36

Tools of the trade:

None of the below are affiliate links! And any of these can probably be purchased cheaper at your local hardware store. Amazon links just for reference and images.

Initial rinse

Use the 40 degree nozzle about 2 feet away from the paint. Important, if it hurts your hand, it hurts the paint! Do not pressure wash damaged areas of a car, and aim to avoid seals and gaps where pressurized water would enter in places rain normally would not. Also I would not use anything less than 40 degrees as anything tighter could damage the paint or increase damages in problem areas (rock chips, scratches, rust).

Wash top-down. I usually start at the windows and work my way down. A lot of times for bird-poop and other stuck on times an initial once-over softens it, and then come back a after rinsing other parts and it blasts right off. Don't try to laser dry/hardened right off the bat.

Its safe to hit your rims, and carefully wash out your wheel wells as well. Knocks down a lot of salt and dirt.

Soap

Make sure you test the foam cannon on the ground first. I noticed unless you adjust the cannon I linked, it will be in laser mode that can blast a line into concrete.

Some cannons demand a specific soap and ratio. Mr Pink seems to work great in anything and you may want to play with ratios to nail down what works best.

Do the cars baseboards and near the tires last! Use an entirely different glove to wash your tires and VS your car paint and store them separate. The reason being brake dust is basically sandpaper and it will destroy your paint. Plus all the horrible road dust, dirt, gravel, asphalt. Not stuff you want to go over in a glove and then buff into your paint.

Wax

Any wax is going to work well. I have used Turtle Wax and Meguiar's. I am now trying the wax I linked above by Chemical-Guys which is liquid. I think I prefer solid but it works well.

You may not have a choice but its best to wax in the shade. You want the wax to find its way into all those swirls, scratches and imperfections of the paint. The sun will insta-dry it out.

Common questions: yes its totally OK to wax your headlights and taillights! This will protect them against UV damage and bug splatters. Yes its totally OK to wax your rims! Obviously avoid the caliper/rotors and make sure you wash the rims WELL. As waxing on top of brake pad dust is literally sandpaper.

The best part about waxing is you can do a few "maintenance washes" with just water later and knock down so much dirt and bugs that slide right off the wax.

Plastic Restorer

This stuff is awesome. It can make 10 year old plastic brand new. It protects from UV damage and deepens and darkens the black on your plastic. Cant recommend enough. Check out pics on Amazon.

Rubber Seal Restorer

I haven't used these too much but as your seals age and rubber ages, a plasticizer is a helpful treatment to restore your cars seals. Door seals, window seals, trunk seals, etc. Personally id only use this for older seals until I have seen data that products like these do not actually increase the rate at which seals dry out without frequent re-applications of products.

Wiper Blade Tips

Buy some silicone grease, I like Super Lube, and wipe down your wiper blades with it. RainX sells blades they call Silicone AdvantEdge™️ this is literally just silicone grease on the blade. And they charge a LOT more for these blades.

Cleanup

Make sure you add pump protector before you store your pressure washer for the season. If you have a garage, I have seen dudes mount theirs to the wall and have a little shelf for different nozzles and their soap blaster and stuff.

Wash out your cannons with fresh water. Soap can dry and harden and ruin nozzles and cannon siphons and filters.

Send all your mitts through the washing machine. Hand-wash wax soaked rags in warm soapy water. You do not want your washing machine pump soaked in wax water.