How to Wash Your Car with a Pressure Washer

Washing your car thoroughly is one of the easiest ways to keep it looking great. It is also a vital first step to prep for any exterior finishing work, like paint touch-ups or waxing.

If you park under trees or use your vehicle in particularly dirty conditions, you can save money and time on your car washing by investing in a pressure washer. Here is our guide to washing your car effectively – and fast! – with this essential piece of kit.

Attachments

Your electric or petrol pressure washer will more than likely come with a selection of wands, tips and other attachments (if not, you can usually find good deals on these from various suppliers or manufacturers). Make sure you use the right attachment for the job – for example, the body of the car will be easier to clean with a broad spray of around 40 degrees, whereas for detailed work around your lights, number plates, tyre wells and wheels, you’ll need more focus, so around a 20- or 25-degree nozzle.

Soap up

Many pressure washers have internal soap dispensers – so you simply fill up the soap tank with your preferred cleaning agent and it will dispense evenly as you wash. If your washer doesn’t have this feature, you’ll need to soap up manually – use a wet sponge with your soap on it, start from the top of your vehicle and work your way down. Be sure to thoroughly clean away the soap, as dried-on residue can ruin the look of your car.

Scrub

This very much depends on how dirty your car is, and the kind of dirt. If you clean your car frequently, and really only drive on well-maintained roads, you might get away without any scrubbing at all – the combination of the water pressure and the detergent will take care of the job for you. For everyone else, it’s time to get scrubbing.

Use a clean microfibre cloth or glove, and massage the soap onto the car evenly and firmly. Rinse your cloth/glove frequently and make sure you aren’t collecting any grit or other abrasives between the fabric and your bodywork – scrubbing your car with these is a sure-fire way to ruin your paint job.

Rinse

Time for more pressure washing. Once again, start at the top of your vehicle and thoroughly rinse the soap off. You’ll need to pay particular attention to the bottom of your windscreen (around your wiper blades), your door seals and in and around wing mirrors and door handles.

Dry off

The step that many people forget (or simply don’t bother with) – drying off. If you don’t dry your vehicle, you’ll be left with streaks, so grab a dry microfibre towel and work your way across the whole vehicle. Once again – make sure you don’t pick up any abrasives or dirt (not that there should be any left) and always work from the top down.

Author Bio: First Mats started life as safety matting specialists, but have since expanded to become a complete industrial and commercial supplies company. The focus of First Mats is to provide safety-focused products that improve the wellbeing of staff through quality approved products, backed up by extensive knowledge. www.firstmats.co.uk