Washing your car is one of the go-to activities for a warm, nice weather weekend. You can do it solo or with the whole family, and it’s a great way to care for your car and get outside at the same time! However, there are definitely some tips and tricks for making sure that you’re washing your car the way it deserves to be washed – preserving your paint job and guarding against future damage.

There are some supplies that you’ll need for washing your car. These are:

• Automotive soap/shampoo

• Microfiber cloths (yes, multiple)

• Wash Mitt

• Wheel brush

• Buckets

• Water

The first thing you should do is park your car in the shade and then give it a good rinse with a strong blast from the hose. If you have a pressure washer, you can also use it. Just make sure you’re standing a few feet away from your vehicle… but it’s a great way to literally blast off dirt, mud, grime, and other things that might stick to your paint. It’s important to get as much junk off your car before you start washing so that you don’t scratch the paint with anything that stuck to the surface of your vehicle.

Next, start soaping up your vehicle. Use long straight strokes with the washing mitt or designated washing cloth and wash your vehicle panel by panel. Let the soap hang out for a minute and tackle the wheels with the wheel brush and another cloth.

After you’ve soaped the whole thing up, give your vehicle a final rinse. Do not let it air dry! After you’ve rinsed off all of the soap, dry your vehicle panel by panel with a clean, dry microfiber cloth.

The last step, if you want to, is to apply a protectant spray or wax to your vehicle to maintain the good work you’ve just done and to prevent future damage between this wash and the next.

You’re done! Check out your great work and let your car be the envy of everyone on your street. You earned a little praise, don’t you think?