Washing your car regularly is an important task when owning a car here in New Zealand.
If you clean your car regularly the following will happen:
- Your paint will last longer and be in better condition which will result in a better resale value when that time comes
- It’ll be easier to clean the more often you do it
- You’ll have less glare on the windows when the sun is out
- Having a clean car will make you appreciate your car more
- You’ll improve your fuel efficiency as dirty cars are less aerodynamic
Here at CRC, we have a wide range of car care products to help you get the job done right. Before you start, make sure you have the following to do a basic car wash:
- 2x buckets
- 1x wash mitt or sponge
- 1x cleaning brush
- 3x microfibre towels/cloths
- 1x large drying microfibre towel
- CRC Wash & Wax
- CRC Glass Cleaner
- CRC Mag Wheel Cleaner
- CRC Wet Look Ultra Gloss Tyre Shine
When cleaning your car, the best time is on an overcast day when the sun isn’t directly on your car. Otherwise, try to wash your car in the shade if possible. Also, don’t clean your car after you’ve driven it, wait for it to cool down.
Step 1. Fill both buckets up with warm water, and put 30ml or 3 caps full of CRC Wash & Wax into one bucket, this will be your clean bucket, and the other will be your dirty bucket. Put your mitt/sponge, one towel/cloth, and a cleaning brush into the clean bucket,
Step 2. Thoroughly rinse the whole car down with your hose. This will clean off any loose dirt, debris, and contaminants that could scratch your paint when washing your car.
Step 3. It’s important to clean hard-to-reach places that your mitt/sponge can’t reach. Use your cleaning brush to wash badges, lights, mirrors, etc. Make sure to dip your cleaning tool in the dirty bucket before dipping it into the clean bucket again.
Step 4. In sections, use your mitt/sponge to wash your car, starting from the roof and working your way down. Clean one section at a time, and then rinse off (this will stop the soap drying on your car), if it’s a particularly cool day, you can do bigger sections before rinsing. To protect your paint even more, rinse your mitt/sponge with the hose before putting it in the dirty bucket.
Step 5. Once you’ve finished cleaning the exterior, use your large drying microfibre towel to dry the whole car. Be careful not to let it touch the ground or your wheels.
Step 6. To clean the windows, spray a small amount of CRC Glass Cleaner onto a microfibre towel and rub onto the windows (do one at a time), then use another clean microfibre towel to dry off the glass cleaner.
Step 7. Spray CRC Mag Wheel Cleaner onto your wheels, following the instructions on the product. Use the microfibre towel/cloth that you put in your clean bucket to agitate if necessary. Don’t forget to rinse afterwards so the product doesn’t dry on your wheels.
Step 8. Once the tyres are dry (you can speed this process up with a leaf blower), it’s time for the finishing touch. Spray on CRC Wet Look Ultra Gloss Tyre Shine to finish the car wash!
Once you’ve done these 8 steps, your car will look clean again. Consider this a basic exterior wash that’ll keep your car in good condition if you do each step regularly (fortnightly/monthly).
If your car is in a below-average state where our basic car wash guide won’t cut it, check out our other blogs to find products and how-to guides to help get your car looking fabulous again.