How to Clean a Dirty Car Body?
3 Answers
Methods for cleaning the car body are as follows: 1. When cleaning the car body, use a soft and clean sponge to wipe. This is because the car body usually has hard dust and mud. If high-pressure water is used directly for rinsing, it would be equivalent to letting the dust particles perform a 'friction movement' on the car paint surface. When cleaning the windows, use a specialized glass cleaner and wipe them with a clean towel instead of letting them dry in the sun. For oil stains, gently wipe with a sponge dipped in kerosene or gasoline. However, when cleaning plastic and rubber parts such as the steering wheel and lights, only use ordinary soapy water and avoid organic solvents like gasoline, stain removers, and thinners. 2. Before washing the car, remove the dust from the car. This not only reduces your workload but also prevents excessive dust on the car body, which could scratch the surface during the wiping process.
When I wash my car myself, I like to be fully prepared. I pour some dedicated car wash soap into a bucket and use a soft brush to rinse off large chunks of dirt first. Last time, I learned the hard way by washing under the sun—the water dried too quickly and left water stains, so now I always choose shady times to do it. I use two separate sponges: a fresh one for the roof and body, and another specifically for the wheels to tackle brake dust. When rinsing, I start from the roof and work my way down, making sure to thoroughly rinse off all the foam, or else the paint will feel sticky. Finally, I dry it with a chamois cloth, paying extra attention to door seams and trunk edges where water tends to accumulate and cause rust. Never substitute car wash soap with laundry detergent—it’s too alkaline and damages the paint, unlike washing dishes.
I'm responsible for cleaning both cars at home. When they get dirty, I drive them to a self-service car wash. Inserting ten coins gives you ten minutes with a high-pressure water gun, which works great for dried mud. For stubborn stains like bird droppings, you need to soften them with a wet towel first before wiping; scratching them off hard can damage the paint. To clean the rims, use an old toothbrush dipped in car wash soap and scrub slowly—the iron dust from brake pads is especially tough to remove. After washing, you must dry the car thoroughly. Once, I was lazy and didn’t dry it, and the next day, I found the headlight covers fogged up. After the rainy season, the car body often gets tar spots. Spraying tar remover on a towel and wiping is much easier than scraping it off.
