Owning a car is often associated with the headache of maintenance. It doesn't matter if you own an off-roader or just a small hatchback, everyone loves a well-maintained and clean car. With the arrival of hot summer days, dust increases on the roads, and in case of rain, this dust quickly turns into mud. This fact bothers owners of black cars the most, and I am certainly on that list. I have had this car for 5 years now, and while I am very satisfied with it, the constant need for washing has always bothered me. That is exactly why I decided to apply a ceramic coating to it. This coating is very expensive in professional auto hubs, but of course, there is an alternative way, and that is ceramic wax. In my case, this wax is the Soft99 brand's Fusso Coat. It handled its task perfectly. For comparison, I want to mention the results right here: while the car in my specific location previously needed a detailed wash twice a week on average, now washing it once every 10 days is enough. Moreover, if the car is simply covered in dust, it easily washes off with high-pressure water and only requires drying. The drying process is also twice as fast and comfortable because this coating simply repels water, meaning the washed car is already half dry before you even start wiping. There is already a post on our site about the Soft99 product and ceramic coating, which you can view here. Today, however, I want to talk about how to take care of the ceramic coating and how to wash the car easily and quickly at home. Before going into details, I want to note that if the car is heavily soiled with mud, it is better to wash it with a high-pressure water jet at a car wash. If you have a high-pressure jet at home, then this is no longer a problem. The method I use involves washing the car with a regular garden hose, which is suitable if the car has dirt spots, rain residue, and dust, but not deep mud.
The first step is to wash the car entirely with water. Rinse off the dust by spraying water from top to bottom. This process will remove dust and surface residue, preparing the car for the next stage. For a car with a ceramic coating, it is essential to use a pH-neutral car shampoo. This product will not damage the ceramic film, and its shine will be maintained for a long time. Under no circumstances should you use other chemical cleaning solutions, as the ceramic will simply strip off the car, wasting all your hard work. I spent about 5-6 hours applying the ceramic coating, so I definitely do not want my effort to go to waste. According to Soft99, this ceramic lasts up to 12 months, but in real-world conditions, you should expect 6-8 months, as it depends on environmental factors. However, if you use the wrong car shampoo, it will disappear in just 2-3 washes.
The next simple and important step is to take two buckets and fill them with clean water. Pour the pH-neutral shampoo into one of them. It is worth noting that this specific shampoo, which you will see in the pictures, has a 1:100 mixing ratio according to the instructions, meaning you don't need a large amount of it. After mixing, the water foams up well. Dip a clean cloth into the soapy water and begin washing the car. Keep in mind that the car must already be rinsed and wet at this point. Always start washing with the soapy cloth from top to bottom. First, clean the roof, hood, windows, and upper door panels. After cleaning each section, rinse the cloth in the second bucket of clean water, and then dip the cleaned cloth back into the soapy water. This way, you remove dirt from the car and leave it in the water bucket. This simple process cleans the car perfectly. Occasionally replace the dirty water with fresh water to keep the cloth clean. After thoroughly soaping the car's exterior, you must rinse it off immediately with a jet of clean water before the foam dries. Completely remove all foam from the car so not even a trace remains. Once rinsed, you can move on to cleaning the tires and the wheel wells. For this, I use a brush, dipping it into the soapy water to scrub the tires. Remember, this step should only be done after finishing the car's exterior. Tires and wheels are the final stage. The very last detail is the wheels (rims), for which I use a separate, dedicated cloth. Rims generally get dirtier than the car's paint because brake pad dust accumulates on them, and their proximity to the ground makes them attract road grime easily. Clean the rims with soapy water as well, and then give the entire car a final rinse from top to bottom with a water jet. That's it—the exterior wash is complete. The next step is drying. Use a drying towel, occasionally washing and wringing it out to avoid spreading dirt, ensuring perfect results.
After washing and drying the car, I recommend taking the floor mats out of the interior. These get dirty the fastest, and washing them is never a bad idea. If your mats are fabric, never wash them in cloudy weather; they need good sunlight to dry. If you have rubber mats like mine, it’s much simpler: take them out, rinse them with water, and scrub them well using the same brush used for the tires. Of course, the brush must be thoroughly rinsed first and dipped in soapy water so the mats get fully soaped. Then, just shake off the water and leave them in the sun for a short time to dry. The final touch, while the mats are drying, is cleaning the interior. Dust frequently accumulates here, along with unwanted clutter. Remove any trash and wipe down the interior with a clean, damp, well-wrung cloth; it will immediately pick up dust and clean the surfaces. Also, if you have access to a vacuum, take advantage of the mats being out to vacuum the car's floor carpet. Dirt often slips between the mats, which might not be very visible but can leave the interior quite dirty. Once the interior is done, you can place the dry mats back inside.
All of this might sound exhausting in an article, but the process is actually very enjoyable and fast, especially if you have a high-pressure washer. If you wash your car at a commercial car wash, do not use their foam unless you are absolutely certain it is pH-neutral, which is rarely the case. Instead, bring your own car soap, rinse the car with the high-pressure jet, apply your foam with a wet cloth, wash the car, and then rinse and dry it. If you are also interested in how to easily and effectively restore car headlights, you can check out that article here.