DIY Car Wash: How to Hand-Wash Your Car

• The must-have car washing essentials to keep on hand, including the type of towels, how many buckets, and which sprays to use.  

• Step-by-step washing instructions from body and windows to lights and tires.  

• Pro tips and tricks to help get rid of foggy-looking headlights and minimize streaks. 

Essentials for a Do-it-Yourself Car Wash:

• Car soap – When it comes to car wash soap, the milder, the better. Some folks use dish soap as a common choice for home car washes, but it’s not recommended. Opt for a soap that’s made for cars, such as Mr. Pink Super Suds Car Wash, Armor All Car Wash, or Meguiar’s Gold Class Car Wash.

• Microfiber towels and/or car washing mitt – Don’t use regular scrubbing sponges on your car—you might scratch the car paint or finish. Instead, use something soft like a microfiber towel, or a special mitt designed specifically for car-washing at home.

• Separate wash buckets – You’ll need at least two buckets, potentially three. Your first bucket will have clean, soapy water in it, and the second will have plain water for rinsing your rag or mitt. You don’t want to keep dunking your rag into the same bucket of water and putting the grime right back onto the car. A third bucket might be useful for rinsing after wheel-washing, since you’ll be dealing with a lot more dirt there than on most other parts of your car.

• Hose – While it’s totally possible to wash your car without a hose, it’s much easier with one, especially when it comes to rinsing the car off.

• Scrubbing brush or sponge – You can use a rougher brush or sponge on the wheels and lower parts of the car as well as the floor mats. In fact, it may make it easier to get rid of dirt and grime.

• Glass cleaner – You’ll need this for your car’s windshield and windows. Make sure it’s an ammonia-free brand like Sprayway.

• Vacuum with a hose – If you have a plug near your car-cleaning site, you can easily use a regular home vacuum for this step.

• Optional: headlight restoration kit and waxing kit

How to Hand-Wash Your Car

1. Find a shady spot, if possible. Direct sunlight will cause soap to dry faster and water to evaporate, two things that will make your car wash more difficult.

2. Give your car an initial soak. Spray your car down with a hose or pour water over it to soak off bird poop, dirt, and debris.

3. Start with the wheels. Tackle the dirtiest part of the car first. Again, you may want to use a separate brush or sponge for the hubcaps and non-painted parts of the car. Don’t forget the front and rear bumpers, too.

4. Wash the body of your car by hand. Use the bucket of warm, soapy water to gently scrub your car with the towel or mitt, rinsing occasionally in the rinse bucket. Wash your car from top to bottom, since the soapy water will drip down as you go. Rinse everything with clean water afterward (another instance where a hose might come in handy).

5. Dry your car off using the microfiber towels.

6. Clean your car’s windshield and windows. Wipe away any excess water from the windows and windshield and then spray them down with a glass cleaner. Wipe them off with a clean towel, making sure not to leave any streaks. Don’t forget to wipe off your windshield wiper blades!

7. Clean your headlights. If your headlights look foggy and yellow, you might need to invest in a cleaning kit, which you can find on Amazon or at your local auto parts shop. You’ll want to put masking tape around your headlights so that the cleaning solution doesn’t get on other parts of the car. If the kit comes with a protective finish, apply it after wiping the headlights off.

8. Wax your car. If you have a waxing kit, now is the time to use it. Spray wax is the easiest to use. Spray it on a section of the car, then rub it in with a damp microfiber towel. Buff the section out with a dry part of the towel, and then repeat the process on the next section of the car’s exterior.

9. Clean the car’s interior. Take the floor mats out and give them a good spray-down, then let them dry in the sun. Don’t put them back in the car while they’re still wet. While they’re out, thoroughly vacuum the inside of the car—seats, floors, and all the nooks and crannies that may have accumulated dirt.