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Personal Finance

How To Clean Your Car Like A Pro

The Benefits of A Clean Car

  • Financial. Every day our cars are subjected to sun, salt from the sea, grease and grime from the road, acid rain, smog, tree sap, dead bugs, and worst of all, the ever-acidic compound of bird poop bombs. These things eat away at paint which in turn eats away at the metal in your car. While failing to wash your car won’t result in immediate damage, over time the elements will eat away at your car and its potential resell value. Thus, making a 30 minute investment two times a month, can save you hundreds or thousands of dollars in lost car value.
  • Emotional. Your car is an extension of you. You wouldn’t go months without washing your clothes. Why are you doing it to your car? A clean car exudes confidence and orderliness. Also, keeping the interior of your car clean and neat can help with your stress level. Cars seem to become the default “junk drawer” in peoples’ lives. We just toss things in the back and forget it about it. All that crap in the car is definitely interfering with your feng shui. Clean out your car and you’ll notice immediately the stress while driving diminish.

How To Wash A Car

  1. Gather materials. You’ll need a hose, a bucket, a 100% cotton rag (a sponge could do) liquid soap designed for cars (household detergent can have chemicals that strip a car’s protective coating), a 100% cotton towel, car interior cleaner, and a shop vac.
  2. It’s best to wash a car in a shady place or while the sun isn’t that strong. Too much sun can cause the soap to dry up before you have a chance to rinse, which can result in paint damage.
  3. Clean out the crap. Toss everything out that’s laying in your backseat, the glove compartment (of jockey box as they say in Utah), and the side doors. Take out all the loose change in your cup holder and put in your change jar
  4. Vacuum. Take out the mats so you can air them. Start in the back seat and work you’re way up to the front. Make sure to get area between the console and the cup holders.
  5. Wipe down the interior. Using a rag and some car interior cleaner, wipe down the dashboard and cup holder. Wipe the steering wheel down with Lysol. That wheel is a breeding ground for germs.
  6. Clean the tires and wheels. Make sure to get the inside of the wheel wells.
  7. Pre rinse the car. Rinse the car down with clear water. This is to get all dirt and grease off that may cause scratches while you’re scrubbing the car.
  8. Wash. Use a cotton rag or sponge with sudsy water to wash the car from top to bottom with straight lines and overlapping strokes. Pay special attention to dead bugs, tree sap, and bird poo.
  9. Run your rag along the inside bottom edge of the doors, lift gate, hood, and trunk.
  10. Dry. Use a cotton towel to dry your car. Other types of materials can scratch the paint.

There you go. You have a professional quality cleaned car at half the price.
