Our professional detailer, Larry Kosilla, knows all the in and outs of detailing cars, from deep-cleaning exotics to a quick job on a dusty car. In this article, we'll show you how to wash your car quickly, the right way, in just 15 minutes. After reading it, catch all our Autoblog Details videos for more quick car care tips.
If you just cleaned your car, took it for a drive, and it got a little bit dusty, you probably don't want to break out all the tools and buckets to give it a deep clean. You just want to give it a light bath, to get that sparkle back, without taking a lot of time to do it. That's what we're going to show you today – just follow these quick tips.
But remember: this technique is only for lightly dusty or dirty cars. If your car needs a deep clean, you should break out your two-bucket system and foam gun, and do it right. And make sure to work in the morning when it's cool outside, so you don't deal with evaporation issues.
The idea behind this technique is to use water pressure to do a lot of the heavy lifting. If your car is too dirty, it'll require heavy agitation to release the dirt. But if water pressure removes it without scrubbing, you're in business. Start from the top of the car, using a heavy stream of water. Wet a clean microfiber towel until its sopping wet, then wring it out and fold it into quarters.
Paint lubricant is the key to this technique. Put three squirts on your microfiber towel. It's thick stuff, so work it into the microfiber cloth. Wipe the car down in straight lines, wringing it out and reapplying lubricant (three squirts!) afterwards.
As soon as the towel starts to look dirty, full of contaminants, fold it to a clean quarter. When the whole cloth is dirty, grab another. Clean towels are absolutely essential to preventing scratching. The further down the car you go, the more dirt you'll pick up, and the more re-folding or new microfiber clothes you'll need.
Brake dust is tiny pieces of extremely sharp metal that can easily scratch the paint if reintroduced to the paint by a towel once used on the wheels. So, be sure to separate your wheel towels from your paint towels. Dry the rims with a terry towel or old microfiber towel that will never be used again on the paint.
Lastly, remember to always leave a bottle of spray wax and a dry microfiber towel in your trunk or behind your seat to touch up any little spots or drips before you head out on the road. The key to a quick and safe cleanup is lubrication. By rinsing your car first and wiping dry with a paint lubricant, you can safely remove dust and light dirt in about 10 to 15 minutes without the need for a full wash in some cases.
From Dust to Glory
If you just cleaned your car, took it for a drive, and it got a little bit dusty, you probably don't want to break out all the tools and buckets to give it a deep clean. You just want to give it a light bath, to get that sparkle back, without taking a lot of time to do it. That's what we're going to show you today – just follow these quick tips.
But remember: this technique is only for lightly dusty or dirty cars. If your car needs a deep clean, you should break out your two-bucket system and foam gun, and do it right. And make sure to work in the morning when it's cool outside, so you don't deal with evaporation issues.
Keep the Pressure On
The idea behind this technique is to use water pressure to do a lot of the heavy lifting. If your car is too dirty, it'll require heavy agitation to release the dirt. But if water pressure removes it without scrubbing, you're in business. Start from the top of the car, using a heavy stream of water. Wet a clean microfiber towel until its sopping wet, then wring it out and fold it into quarters.
Use Lube!
Paint lubricant is the key to this technique. Put three squirts on your microfiber towel. It's thick stuff, so work it into the microfiber cloth. Wipe the car down in straight lines, wringing it out and reapplying lubricant (three squirts!) afterwards.
Toss the Towel
As soon as the towel starts to look dirty, full of contaminants, fold it to a clean quarter. When the whole cloth is dirty, grab another. Clean towels are absolutely essential to preventing scratching. The further down the car you go, the more dirt you'll pick up, and the more re-folding or new microfiber clothes you'll need.
Be Careful with Brake Dust
Brake dust is tiny pieces of extremely sharp metal that can easily scratch the paint if reintroduced to the paint by a towel once used on the wheels. So, be sure to separate your wheel towels from your paint towels. Dry the rims with a terry towel or old microfiber towel that will never be used again on the paint.
Wrapping Up and Touching Up
Lastly, remember to always leave a bottle of spray wax and a dry microfiber towel in your trunk or behind your seat to touch up any little spots or drips before you head out on the road. The key to a quick and safe cleanup is lubrication. By rinsing your car first and wiping dry with a paint lubricant, you can safely remove dust and light dirt in about 10 to 15 minutes without the need for a full wash in some cases.
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