When it comes to keeping your car clean, there are usually two categories of people: those who like to do it themselves and those who like to take it to the car wash regularly. For those who like to get down and dirty, let us take you through a complete and affordable process that will have your car looking amazing cruising through your neighborhood.
Essential Car Washing Supplies
If you want to make your car stand out and stay sparkling, you’ll want to use our array of essential car-washing supplies. From multipurpose wash soaps and microfiber towels and chamois to tire cleaners and windshield fluids, we’ve got all your needs covered. Elevate your car care routine with durable brushes and sponges, ensuring a thorough clean every time.
Choosing the Right Cleaning Products
When you think about which products to choose, think about what you want as your end goal. Try to decide how you want your car’s interior to look and smell. For the inside of the car, think about fragrances and air fresheners, along with floor mats. On the exterior, consider sponges and multipurpose soaps to keep both surfaces and tires scratch free and clean.
Elevate your cleaning routine with our diverse range of cleaning supplies designed for maximum efficiency.
- Scrub brushes
- Microfiber cloths
- Sponges
- Mops
- Buckets
- Soap
Pre-Wash Tips to Avoid Common Mistakes
Before you get to the hard part of wiping and waxing your car down, you want to make sure you get all that grime and dirt off your car. It’s in those spots you can’t see that you want to reach around with a rag to loosen up.
Here’s a few other things to do in order to avoid common mistakes:
- Use a pressure washer or garden hose with a spray attachment to provide a nice rinse before soap.
- Using foaming soap with water will avoid streaks being left on your car.
- Washing your car in a shaded or covered area to avoid direct sunlight and having the water on your car dry too quickly.
Step-by-Step Guide to Washing Your Car at Home
Washing your car can be like having a dance routine or a method to win a game. If you don’t have a game plan or practice, it’s not going to go well by the time you get to the end. This should be yours:
- Remove all trash inside the car.
- Take out floor mats and vacuum floors and seats.
- Clean windows inside and let them dry completely.
- Wash the outside of the car.
- Dry and wax car.
Preparing Your Car and Workspace
Your first step is to make sure you have enough room to get around your car to wash it properly. Side-to-side and front-to-back, make sure you can go all the way around. You’re going to need a heavy-duty hose from Ocean State Job Lot to use. We’ve got them in various sizes up to 100’ plus nozzles to make sure you get some power into your cleaning. Try to see if you can maneuver around the entire car before you get started.
The Washing, Rinsing and Drying Process: From Top to Bottom
First, rinse your car from top to bottom. This will provide a nice base before you start using any type of soap to clean. If you don’t have a hose available, make sure you have one bucket for soap and one bucket for water. That will ensure that the soap gets cleared after you’ve scrubbed it with the soap first then the water. Rinse off any remaining soap and let the drying begin.
Detailing Your Car Like a Pro
Yes, you want to make sure you take care of the inside of the car just as well as you do the outside. From the floor to windows to the dashboard, give your car some needed love.
Interior Cleaning and Freshening
This doesn’t have to be a daunting task if you keep up regular maintenance. Don’t leave trash building up in your car. Encourage your passengers to not leave any either. Daily checks, along with routing vacuuming, make this so much easier than trying to tackle a full-blown trash debacle down the line.
Keep an air freshener hanging from your rear-view mirror and change it at least once a month will give your car a fresh smelling scent that everyone riding along will enjoy.
Use a glass cleaner on the windows and make sure they dry before rolling back down.
Finally, wipe down the dashboard, steering wheel and other dust-building areas.
Eco-Friendly Car Washing Practices
As Ocean State Job Lot moves forward as a leader in sustainability, one part of our Mission, Vision, and Values, we would encourage the use of our biodegradable car wash soaps that effectively lift grime without harming aquatic ecosystems. Opt for reusable microfiber towels to reduce waste and achieve a streak-free shine. Save water with waterless wash solutions, perfect for quick touch-ups that are gentle on the environment.
You can also explore eco-friendly tire cleaners and wheel brushes to maintain a polished look without compromising sustainability. Switch to phosphate-free and non-toxic cleaning agents, ensuring an eco-friendly green approach to car care. Environmentally conscious products extend to glass cleaners that deliver clarity without harmful chemicals.
For a greener finish, consider plant-based waxes and polishes that protect your vehicle while being kind to the planet.
Suds and Savings
Think about your car as an extension of you and your personality. If you want to portray a clean and professional look, you have to put the work into it. At Ocean State Job Lot, we give you that opportunity without putting a crimp in your wallet with prices you won’t believe!
Don’t forget, it’s not only the spring and summer months that you have to worry about cleaning your car. You’ll want to look after it in the winter months as well. You can find out more in our blog post on how to winterize your car.
