Professional Car Wash DIY

So, of course, we know that one of the best parts of spring is the warm air, the rising temperatures, the trees and flowers blooming and the weather just getting much nicer. Of course, there’s another great part of spring – it’s the perfect time to wash your car at home! Take a look at our tips for how to do a professional job of it and make your Toyota look better than ever!

For a proper car wash, you’ll need supplies like automotive soap or shampoo, a few microfiber cloths or a microfiber wash mitt, a wheel brush, and a couple of buckets for water, both to soap and rinse. The first thing you should do before you start washing is to make sure your vehicle is in the shade, and then give it a good rinse with the hose before you begin. Get the body of the vehicle AND the undercarriage! There’s a lot of dirt and salt that you might miss by not rinsing properly, so make sure you’re thorough.

Next, fill one bucket with soapy water and the other with clean water for rinsing your washing cloths or mitt. Soap up the car, using long straight strokes and going panel by panel. When you’ve washed the whole thing, let the suds hang out for a few minutes while you tackle the wheels, making sure to get between the spokes.

The final rinse is next, and you should be equally as thorough with this one as you were with the first so that you are sure to get all the soap off. You should NOT let your car air-dry! Instead, dry the vehicle panel by panel with a dry microfiber cloth. When you let the car air dry, the evaporating water leaves rings and deposits and those are difficult to get off.

After this, a nice coat of protectant spray or wax is a good idea if you want to go the extra mile. This preserves the hard work you’ve just done and protects your vehicle against any future damage between now and your next wash. That’s the last of it – step back and take a look. Great job!