You better believe it when I say that there are rules to washing your car.  Chances are that you already know how to wash you car appropriately but you may know a guy or girl friend who is oblivious to these rules.  Hopefully this will give you some insight on the Do’s and Don’t’s of washing your car.

• When planning to wash your car be sure that you don’t wash in the direct sunlight.  The reason for this is so that the soapy water doesn’t dry on the car causing potential damage to the paint.  Also while rinsing the car avoid direct sunlight because there are usually minerals in the water itself and will cause water-spots.
• Do NOT use a power washer.  Although this is easier you could be “grinding” the grit and debris more into the clear-coat of the paint.
• Sorry spouses but if you’re washing the car and have any jewelry on, remove them… including wedding rings!  Jewelry will cause unexpected scratches in the paint.
• If in the event you drop your towel, wash cloth, wash mitten, brush, etc.  Do NOT use it again until you’ve thoroughly washed the dropped item.  If it’s a washing mitten or brush, be sure it’s cleaned of all debris and dirt.  If it’s a towel, then throw it in the dirty clothes bin and grab a new towel.  If you use a dropped item you will put scratches in the paint from any debris.  Microscopic particles will scratch the surface, even though the wash mitten or towel may appear to be clean. 

1. If you’re using any kind of chemicals to wash your wheels and tires, this is the first step.  Otherwise rinse out your wheel wells and the main debris from your rims and tires.
2. Be lucrative with your soap.  I prefer to have more soap suds than not enough.  This makes it easier to see where you’ve washed and where you missed.  Think of washing the car in thirds and working from the top to the bottom.
3. As you wash your vehicle be sure not to “swirl” your cloth but instead move in the motion of the airstream.  So you will be washing the car in straight lines moving from front to back.  Do this as much as possible.  The reason for this is if you’ve got grit or debris the scratches in the clear-coat will be in line with the airflow and will be harder to see.  Have you ever looked at a car and thought that there were spiderwebs in the paint?  That’s because the owner didn’t wash in straight lines.  Also be sure not to wash up and down whenever possible.  Always make the effort to go front to back.
4. Rinse between each third and rinse the complete car every time.
5. Last is to wash the wheels and tires.  If you used chemicals to clean your wheels and tires, then for the most part rinsing may all you need to do.  However, most car guys that I know will take the extra time to wash the wheels.  People that do a lot of car shows will also make the effort to remove the wheels from the car and clean the wheels in the rim side too.  For everyday use though, this isn’t necessary.
6. After you’ve finished washing the car immediately dry your car off with clean towels.  This will help prevent water-spots and will also get places that you may have overlooked.  Also during this drying time open up all the doors and dry out the door’s edges and the door jams.  Then after the doors are done do the trunk lid and then the hood.  This will keep the car looking new for much longer.
7. If you feel that you need to wash out the engine compartment be sure to not spray water directly on the electrical components of the engine and also be sure that the engine is running.  This way there’s positive pressure in the engine and the chances of water leaking in and settling on components is less likely.
8. After you’ve toweled your car, do an inspection for any missed spots.  Then your done… with the inside.

Hopefully this will help you enjoy washing your car and taking car of your car will not only make the car look good but will make you look good too (my cheesy tag line there… it’s dumb, I know).