Since heat can speed the drying time of soap and water, you want to wait for your car to cool down to avoid soap and water stains.
Gather your supplies to clean the interior as well. These supplies may include a vacuum, trash bag, glass cleaner, upholstery foam cleanser, carpet cleaner, Q-tips, paper towels, and rags.
Do not use dishwashing detergent or hand soap to clean your car. These harsh household cleaners may strip off your car’s wax.
Set the hose on a high-pressure setting to rinse hard-to-remove dirt, debris, and grime. However, make sure the pressure isn’t too high so as not to remove your car’s wax or paint.
One bucket will be used for cleaning and the other will be used for rinsing your sponge.
If your wheels are very dirty, you may need to apply a de-greaser before cleaning them.
Repeat steps one through three for each wheel.
Once the clay begins to glide smoothly over the section and you do not hear or feel a roughness in the finish, move onto the next section. Make sure to use the clean parts of the clay on the new sections as you work. Clay bars are used to remove microscopic dirt from your car’s body to prevent scratching during the waxing process.
Make sure to apply thin layers of wax as opposed to thick layers. As a rule of thumb, it is better to apply multiple thin layers than to apply one thick layer.
Before buffing the wax, you may need to let the wax dry. It depends on which formula you are using. To be safe, follow the product’s instructions.
Use a BBQ skewer to remove dirt and pieces of trash from small crevices like in between seats. Make sure to remove trash from cup holders as well.
Alternatively, place an old sock on the bottom of a mug or travel cup. Then place the mug in the cup holder and twist to remove dirt and grime.
Adjust the seats backwards and forwards to clean hard to reach spots under the seats.
Use a clean, dry towel to blot the stains and dry the area.
If your seats are leather, then make sure to use a leather cleanser or saddle soap to clean your seats, as well as other components of the car that contain leather.
If you do not have car wipes, then an all-purpose household cleaner that is ammonia-free will do.
Roll down your windows to thoroughly clean the top section of the window.
Use an odor-removal spray, like Febreeze, to remove any remaining smells from your car.
