4 Expert Car Cleaning Tips & Tricks

There are few sights as impressive as a freshly cleaned car. No matter the make or model, there’s just something inherently great about seeing the way it shines beneath the sun once it’s been nicely washed and waxed. Of course, it’s more than a purely cosmetic appeal — a car that’s regularly washed is also a car that’s going to last longer and serve you better. 

In fact, one of the most common misconceptions about car cleaning is that it’s a purely aesthetic consideration. A dirty car runs just as well as a clean one, right? 

But in truth, that’s not always the case. Unwashed cars are more prone to having their paint damaged, which in turns makes them more susceptible to the vagaries of rust and potentially other internal damage. Additionally, too much dirt and grime on the exterior of the car can eventually filter its way through to the car’s interior or delicate instruments within the engine and potentially cause other issues. 

So we’ve put together a few tips for cleaning your car and some car interior cleaning tips to ensure that you can keep yours looking nice and running smoothly on the road. And here at Jim’s Cleaning, we also offer car cleaning services, so feel free to get in touch with us if you’d like us to take care of the task for you too. 

1. Make sure you’re washing your car regularly 

 How often you should clean your car hinges on several different factors — how often are you exposing it to the elements? Where is it stored? Is it regularly subject to paint damage? However, it’s advisable to clean it at least every couple of weeks to ensure the integrity of the paintwork. 

Prevention is always better than cure when it comes to protecting your car’s paint, and regular cleaning is part of that process. Damage can occur to the paint over time via UV rays, bird droppings, scratches, bad weather and a multitude of other sources. So when you’re washing your car, it’s important to keep an eye out for any signs of paint damage or oxidation on the clearcoat. After washing your car, you might apply a paint guard — this will provide a harder coat than the standard clearcoat. Additionally, you may need to call in the services of a detailer if you find damage beyond your ability to repair.  

Certain circumstances may also require more direct and immediate action too, such as if you’ve been driving in muddy conditions or have been hit by some form of debris. In these instances, it may be necessary to go beyond simple cleaning and call in the services of a detailer. 

2. Relying on water alone won’t cut it

While giving your car a hose down with water is certainly better than not cleaning it at all, it’s not the optimum way to clean your vehicle. Water will help remove some of the obvious surface-level issues, but on its own water isn’t always effective at removing dirt or other contaminants, and over time these can cause damage to the paint on your car. If the paint is damaged and not repaired quickly, further issues such as rust can develop — which has much more serious long-term consequences for the wellbeing of your vehicle. 

One of the most important car cleaning tips at home is to invest in the right products for the purpose. Good-quality car wash liquid, sponges and chamois are crucial to getting your car looking good — when you opt for the cheaper stuff, you can run the risk of potentially damaging the paintwork, or simply leave your car looking shabby. 

3. The straightforward, step-by-step guide to washing your car 

Cleaning your car is a relatively simple process, but excellence comes in its execution. You’ll need two buckets, a liquid car wash, a hose, two sponges, a wheel brush and a chamois or drying cloth. 

• The first step is to hose down the car, to loosen the surface-level dirt, droppings or other issues. Make sure you hose the entire car down, as the wet surface will provide the basis for the car wash lather afterwards 

• Mix the required amount of car wash liquid in one of the buckets, and fill the other with water. Starting from the top of your car, work your way down with the sponge to clean off the car’s surface with the car wash mix. Make sure you don’t scrub too hard; use a light touch to avoid scratching the paintwork.
   
• Dunk the sponge into the bucket of water as necessary to rinse it off and clean out contaminants. It can be helpful to work over the car panel by panel, so that spots aren’t getting missed and that there’s no cross-contamination between dirtier and cleaner parts of the car.
  
• When you reach the wheels, it’s best to switch to a different sponge, to ensure that the one you use for the body of the car stays as clean as possible.
  
• Once you’ve sponged down the entire car, it’s time to give it another rinse with the hose.
  
• Last but not least, wipe the car down with the chamois to avoid spotting on the car as the water dries. 

Another alternative is to get the team at Jim’s Cleaning to handle the process for you. We can guarantee that we’ll get your vehicle looking great again, and can also include additional steps such as buffing and waxing to ensure that your car stays looking its best for longer. 

4. Cleaning up inside your car — the quick way

Cleaning the interior of your car is just as important as maintaining the look of the exterior.  A messy or cluttered interior can cause issues for driver safety, as they can cause distractions while driving. So the first step is to remove rubbish and debris, to prevent such issues. Check under the seats to make sure nothing is loose underneath; even innocuous items like water bottles can come loose and potentially interfere with the braking and acceleration pedals. If there are items you need to retain, it may also be worth moving them to the boot or strapping them down so that they can’t move around during the journey.

The interiors of car windows should also be cleaned, to ensure maximum visibility after cleaning the exterior of the car. Areas such as ashtrays and air conditioning filters should also be cleaned to ensure they’re free of dust, and seats should be vacuumed. It’s also worth washing your floor mats — whether by hosing them and hanging them out to dry or simply carrying out some spot cleaning.   

Getting in touch with Jim’s Car Detailing 

Of course, the fastest way to clean the inside or outside of your car is to get someone else to do it for you! Jim’s Car Detailing offers a variety of interior cleaning and detailing services, including mini detailing or other packages that can also be combined with an exterior wash. We offer this service on vehicles ranging from small cars up to caravans, trucks and boats, so no matter the size of your ride, we’re here to help. 

In addition to providing a range of car cleaning services, Jim’s Car Detailing is also able to provide more specific interior cleaning services for your car, including: 

• Chamois dry
• Vacuum seats, carpets & boot
• Ashtrays cleaned
• Dash cleaned & dressed
• Windows cleaned inside & out
• Interior deodorised
• All interior trims cleaned & dressed
• Shampoo of the seats & carpets (also referred to as steam cleaning)

Jim’s Cleaning is also proudly part of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). As a group, we work with support services and families across Australia, providing car cleaning services — among others — to those with disabilities. Our main priority is to improve participant’s lives by assisting to manage their home and vehicle cleaning with a range of services.