Car cleaning step by step

First step: the engine

• Open the bonnet.
• Remove accumulated leaves and debris by hand.
• Protect the electrical parts with a plastic bag.
• Wash with clear water without pressure or with a specific product.
• Allow it to dry before closing the bonnet.

Tip: In order to clean the vehicle thoroughly, it is helpful to start by carefully inspecting it. You can spot this way any scratches, tar particles or particularly dirty areas.

Second step: The wheels

Clean each rim with a brush, using a commercial cleaning product and not forgetting to scrub the wheel arch, then rinse thoroughly with a jet or high-pressure washer.

Third step: the bodywork

Firstly, remove the floor mats, take care not to drop any dirt that has accumulated inside the vehicle. Next, prepare the equipment for your washing equipment: a bucket of water with car shampoo, a bucket of clean water for rinsing the equipment, a wash mitt, a microfibre towel.

Tip: use buckets with a “grit guard”, a sort of grid at the bottom that prevents dirt from mixing in with the water each time you dip the mitt.

• Soak the wash mitt in soapy water.
• Start with the roof and work your way down to the underbody.
• Rinse the mitt regularly in clean water.
• Rinse the entire vehicle with a water jet, or better yet, with a high-pressure washer (without bringing the nozzle closer than 20 centimetres to the bodywork), not forgetting the underside.
• Dry the bodywork with the slightly damp towel and polish, wringing it out as often as necessary.
• Wipe the area around the open doors and boot with a clean cloth.

Tip: You can replace this step with a waterless wash, which is more environmentally friendly.

Fourth step: The interior

After the exterior of the car has been cleaned, it is time to move on to the interior. A powerful hoover vacuum is recommended for this purpose.

• Start with the front, moving the seats as far back as possible and tilting them back to vacuum the area between the backrest and the seats.
• When you have finished with the front, straighten the seats and push them as far forward as possible, then move on to the rear of the car.
• Vacuum the boot.
• Spray the dashboard and plastic parts with a suitable cleaner and wipe with a microfiber cloth.
• Finish by cleaning the windows and windscreen (outside and inside) with a suitable product applied to a microfibre cloth.

Doing this regularly, using appropriate products, means that you don’t have to spend too much time on it and you’ll have a car that is pleasant to look at as well as drive.