The first rule of car care mirrors the Hippocratic Oath that doctors take… “First do no harm.” It comes down to tools and techniques. The car care products you use, the towels, applicators, and brushes you use, and most importantly how you use them will go a long way in safeguarding your paint as you clean it and bring it to life. Car washing should be a smooth and easy process… if you find yourself about to bear down and scrub your paint, STOP, and weigh your options. More soak time, more suds, and/or a different wash tool are likely in order.

Car Washing Tips & Tricks

To maximize your car was effectiveness we recommend cleaning your wheels and tires prior to breaking out the wash soap and mitts. This ensures dangerous brake dust and road grime are out of the equation and unable to harm your paint.

For more on how to clean your wheels and tires, click here.

The Two-Bucket Method

Keep wash water and contaminated rinse water separate by using two buckets — one for soapy water and another for rinsing your wash mitt to prevent re-introducing dirt to the paint. Employing a dirt trap in the bottom of your bucket will further separate grit from your ride.

The Two-Mitt Method

Dedicate one mitt for the top portion of the car and one for the lower rockers and under-bumper areas. After washing both mitts should be thoroughly rinsed, wrung, and allowed to dry before storing them away.

Top-To-Bottom Technique

Another anti-contamination ploy — Wash from the roof down so dirty runoff does not run across already clean paint at the bottom of the vehicle. Further, the rockers and lower fenders are typically the dirtiest section of the vehicle and runoff from the upper section can help “jumpstart “the washing process.

Beat The Heat

Washing in the shade or on a cooler day is beneficial because heat-soaked body panels dry faster. This can cause the water and soap to dry too fast, reducing the effectiveness of the soap while promoting troublesome water spots. Be aware of the drying time that weather conditions are producing and re-soap accordingly.

A Thorough Pre-Rinse

Thoroughly rinse the vehicle before activating wash mode — the more contaminates you can remove before mitt meets paint the better.

Go Big On The Suds

Lubricity is a key factor in getting a quality wash. Soap suds represent lubricity which allows your wash mitt to glide across the paint picking up contaminants rather than spreading them. Keep your mitt sudsy and rinse by dunking and shaking the mitt.

Slow Your Roll When Drying

Always towel-dry your vehicle. Never rinse and run as this invites water spotting. Use a high-quality deep fiber microfiber towel that is specifically dedicated to your car wash regime. Never use a drying towel to power off a left-over dirt deposit… keep your wash bucket nearby for clean ups.

Tooling up

There are a multitude of tools and doodads out there, from specialized wash buckets with dirt traps, measuring cups, and wheels for added convenience to a myriad of wash mitts, scrubbers, and drying towels.

I keep it simple and store all my car wash gear in one of the buckets. My kit consists of two wash mitts, a shop towel for baked on bugs and grime, and a double-sided microfiber drying towel (not pictured).

How To Wash Your Vehicle Using Holley’s Wash + Wax

Know your ride. Individual makes and models have their own dirt attracting characteristics and enthusiasts, who are more in tune with their vehicles than A-to-B commuter types, key into these details. For example, on our 2012 Toyota Tundra pickup, there are four points of interest (shown below) — where the hood meets the cowl, the door handles, the transition joints in the front bumper, and the roof.

Both the angular design of the bumper and its textured powder coating conspire to attract dirt and pollen. Up top, the roof is both often neglected and lacks the airflow of the hood so it’s a prime place to be especially dirty. It can be hard to reach, consequently many owners wash from the windows down. I alter the Top-Down Method by treating the roof as a separate process where I rinse, wash, and dry it before moving on to the rest of the truck. For a car, the Top-Down Method can be executed in one fell swoop.

Shop Holley Wash + Wax here.

Holley’s Wash & Wax is a 2-in-1 formula that cleans away above-surface dirt and road grime while leaving behind a protective Carnauba-based wax coating for enhanced gloss that beads water and makes your paint pop. Designed for fast, effective results, it delivers a deep clean and lasting shine in a single step. Wash + Wax can be applied with a foam cannon to quickly blanket the vehicle in a layer of lubricating soap.

To get the party started, rinse your vehicle from top to bottom to remove loose dirt and debris. Wash + Wax is a concentrate, simply mix six ounces of Wash + Wax per gallon of water (a wash-to-water ratio of 1:20). Soap up your vehicle by applying soap with a wash mitt or a foam cannon. The more suds the better. Use the wash mitt to create the cleaning action. I prefer mitts with soft tendrils as they are gentle on your paint while delivering ample cleaning capability. Remember to flip the mitt to the clean side and extend your time between rinses. The dirty water bucket usually gets so dirty it becomes a liability. I water some plants with it, then refill with clean rinse water. If you come across a tough area apply more soap, resist bearing down on the paint. My favorite mitt has a mesh side (pictured below) that provides more cleaning horsepower without harming the paint.

I wash one section at a time and rinse as I go so the soap won’t dry on the paint. Then I like to do a final wash of the entire vehicle followed up by a thorough full-vehicle rinse. Then it’s straight to drying so no water spots have the time to form. Don’t use an old beach towel, I suggest investing in a large-format, quality microfiber drying towel. It will safely dry your entire vehicle without wringing.

Wash + Wax is one component of Holley’s complete car care system that currently consists of six products that address the cleaning and maintenance of paint, wheels, tires, and interior surfaces.

Put your car care in the fast lane with a six-pack that offers all our cleaning and detailing products at a discount.

Shop Holley Six Pack here.

Stay tuned for our next How To article which will focus on how to maintain your paint’s luster between major washings with our Speed Wash waterless wash and Speed Finish spray-on detailer.