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I thought I'd put up some stuff and tips for people perhaps like myself who understand the need for cleaning and even enjoy the end result but not the time and effort required - (obviously not for detailer and concours enthusiasts)
this one is so easy and useful I should have thought of it earlier -
rinsing the underside of the car
easy to do and quite important to do to get the salt off, do this before you wash the car or even if you don’t wash the car because you haven’t got the time or can’t be bothered at that time
I never use a power washer on a car and you definitely wouldn’t under the car from my thinking as you risk removing or loosening protective waxes that can be on some cars
instead I just use a garden hose with a nozzle, I start on one side by thoroughly rinsing the inside and underside of the wheel arches (see below) and rinse off the tyres and wheels
then I run the hose under the car to the middle with the hose lying on the ground pointing upwards and guide the hose along the car moving it nearer the side of the car with each sweep
repeat for the other side and remember to rinse under the front and rear of the car
simple as that
if you have a floppy hose (poor you) you may need a lance attachment but set it to a wide and not needle spray pattern
further wheel arch cleaning
if this is the first time you’ve rinsed or cleaned under the wheel arches or you regularly go through wet or dry muddy areas then you may need to also first remove excess mud
depending on the type of wheel arch and material under there you may need a brush and/or plastic or wooden spatula – either old used discarded items or clean them after use and put them back in the kitchen and no one need be any the wise – go easy using the brushes and spatulas as you only want to remove the mud not scratch anything or remove any protective waxes
if you don’t live in a muddy area you’ll find if you do a good job on the arches first time then you only need rinse them in future
if you want to go even further you could remove the wheels to thoroughly clean the arches with a soft brush, car shampoo and rinsing or if very dirty you could use a cleaning spray such as AutoGlym Engine & Machine Cleaner and rinse off
always use clean cleaning materials, not half clean from previous use, or use fresh cleaning materials and throw them away when soiled or clean and reuse as appropriate - this applies to the cleaning water too, if it's dirty change it for fresh and rinse out the bucket(s), tools and materials used
clean your brushes, cloths, chamois*, sponges, buckets, etc. before you put them away - or at the very least clean them before you use them again but they'll be smelly and possibly mouldy if you put them away wet/damp and dirty
otherwise your starting out cleaning with dirt
note: a proper chamois does need to be kept damp, in a container with small vent hole - but it still should be packed away clean - most are dirty before use
this one is so easy and useful I should have thought of it earlier -
rinsing the underside of the car
easy to do and quite important to do to get the salt off, do this before you wash the car or even if you don’t wash the car because you haven’t got the time or can’t be bothered at that time
I never use a power washer on a car and you definitely wouldn’t under the car from my thinking as you risk removing or loosening protective waxes that can be on some cars
instead I just use a garden hose with a nozzle, I start on one side by thoroughly rinsing the inside and underside of the wheel arches (see below) and rinse off the tyres and wheels
then I run the hose under the car to the middle with the hose lying on the ground pointing upwards and guide the hose along the car moving it nearer the side of the car with each sweep
repeat for the other side and remember to rinse under the front and rear of the car
simple as that
if you have a floppy hose (poor you) you may need a lance attachment but set it to a wide and not needle spray pattern
further wheel arch cleaning
if this is the first time you’ve rinsed or cleaned under the wheel arches or you regularly go through wet or dry muddy areas then you may need to also first remove excess mud
depending on the type of wheel arch and material under there you may need a brush and/or plastic or wooden spatula – either old used discarded items or clean them after use and put them back in the kitchen and no one need be any the wise – go easy using the brushes and spatulas as you only want to remove the mud not scratch anything or remove any protective waxes
if you don’t live in a muddy area you’ll find if you do a good job on the arches first time then you only need rinse them in future
if you want to go even further you could remove the wheels to thoroughly clean the arches with a soft brush, car shampoo and rinsing or if very dirty you could use a cleaning spray such as AutoGlym Engine & Machine Cleaner and rinse off
always use clean cleaning materials, not half clean from previous use, or use fresh cleaning materials and throw them away when soiled or clean and reuse as appropriate - this applies to the cleaning water too, if it's dirty change it for fresh and rinse out the bucket(s), tools and materials used
clean your brushes, cloths, chamois*, sponges, buckets, etc. before you put them away - or at the very least clean them before you use them again but they'll be smelly and possibly mouldy if you put them away wet/damp and dirty
otherwise your starting out cleaning with dirt
note: a proper chamois does need to be kept damp, in a container with small vent hole - but it still should be packed away clean - most are dirty before use