Cleaning your car

We use our cars on a daily basis, some people pretty much live out of their cars which means that our cars, like our homes, get very dirty and require a good clean from time to time. Whether you are selling your car or just want to give it a spring clean, here is a complete guide that will help you along the way.

You will need:

• Car Shampoo
• Sponges
• Cloths
• Leather Cleaner
• Wax
• 2 Buckets
• Hose
• Vacuum Cleaner
• Glass Cleaner
• Air freshener
• Rubbish bags

Start with the exterior of the car, if it is very messy hose it down before you begin. Fill the two buckets, one with water, and the second with a water-car shampoo mix. Use the sponge to wash the car clean, start at the highest point and work your way down and around the car. When the sponge gets dirty, clean it in the bucket of water.

After you have cleaned the body of the car, clean the wheel arches, the wheels and the bumpers. Rinse the entire car using your hose to get rid of all the shampoo. You can either let the car dry naturally or use some cloths or chamois leather to dry it. While your car is drying use some glass cleaner to clean your side mirrors and if necessary your windscreens, when cleaning your windscreen remember to lift your window wipers up.

Once the car is fully dry use a cloth to apply some wax, when applying use circular motions, leave the wax to settle for a few minutes and use your finger to check if it is done, if there is a powdery residue you will need to re wipe with a fresh cloth.

Once the exterior of your car is clean you can move onto the interior. Have 2 rubbish bags at hand, one for actual rubbish and a second for things you want to put back into the car once you’ve finished cleaning. Completely empty your car and polish and vacuum it throughout, including the boot. Clean the interior of the windows and the rear-view mirror with glass cleaner. Remember to empty any ashtrays, and any pockets on the inside of the doors. Now everything is clean inside you can put back into the car items you wanted to keep. Give the car a spray of air freshener to finish off the clean.

When you are cleaning your car make sure you use specialized sponges, cloths and products as if you use something too abrasive or unsuitable you may scratch or damage the surface or paint of the car.
Think about the cleaning process logically, for example, you will want the wheels to be the last thing you clean.
Lisa Thomas

Some people will need to clean their cars more often than others, how often you should clean your depends greatly on how much it is used, by how many people and if any of those people are children. Only you know how often you should be cleaning your car, there are no hard fast rules.
Try to clean your car on a dry and warm, but not hot, day. The warm temperature will help to dry the car, but if the day is too warm it will dry the car too quickly causing a streaky finish and hindering your job. Check to make sure there is no risk of rain to ruin your hard work.

Lisa Thomas