Cleaning your car regularly helps maintain a new and stylish look. Your cleaning schedule will depend on how often you drive and the conditions you drive in. a person in a dusty or muddy environment will have to clean their car more often than those living in relatively calm and sunny conditions. You will also need to clean your car before taking it for detailing so as to make the mechanic’s work as easy as possible.
Although cleaning your car is simple work, the wrong equipment will make it tiring. If you are using a garden hose, you will take more time, spend more energy and achieve poorer results. A proper alternative to this is getting a power washer.
The equipment releases high-pressure water with different settings depending on the washing stage you are at. Understanding how to wash a car with power washer makes the process simpler and more effective. This is how to achieve the best results with your power washer.
#1. Find An Appropriate Washing Spot
Although this step doesn’t involve using your power washer, it is vital for best results. Find an open area with enough room and lighting conditions. It allows you to spot dirt on the car and makes cleaning effective. You will also have enough room to handle the power washer, thus avoiding accidents. The selected washing spot should also have proper drainage to give you room to wash your tires properly. Once the car with rooftop box is parked, you can learn how to wash a car with power washer.
#2. Pre-Rinse Your Car
Rinsing your car is the first and most important step in cleaning. It helps remove lightly holding dirt particles. It also makes the car wet, thus ensuring soap can stick properly and thus making cleaning easier. Begin by setting up the power washer and connecting it to a proper water source.
It should be in line with the water flow rating on your power washer to ensure it is drawing enough water. This crucial step also ensures the Psi rating on your washer is fully utilized. Washing your car will require a 2800 cleaning unit, and thus a1200 PSI setting will be ideal for the entire process.
Insert the 25-degree tip for the pre-rinse. It releases adequate water at the right pressure and thus ensures all areas of your vehicle are fully covered. You should also rinse the wheels to remove any mud stuck on them.
#3. Lather and Scrub Your Car
Your pressure washer has a compartment where you can add in your detergent. Locate this compartment on the top or back of your pressure washer. The detergent used should be compatible with the power washing to prevent damaging your washer and ensure the detergent sticks. Dilute the detergent in a separate bucket and pour it into the right compartment.
You can still use the 25-degree nozzle for this step to maintain the right pressure for detergent distribution. Aim the nozzle to the top part of the car and spray your way down. Ensure all the spots in your car are fully covered by the lather, including its tires, as it is a crucial step in how to wash a car with power washer.
Using a soft cloth, scrub your car gently. It will help remove any mud stuck on the car as the power washer detergent is only ideal for dust and lightly holding particles. You should always scrub from the top down for the best results and ensure dirt doesn’t get to already cleaned parts. You can use a coarse tool such as a hand brush to clean the wheels and mudguards. High-pressure settings on the power washer can also be used in the rinsing step.
#4. Rinse The Car
After applying detergent with your car and scrubbing it lightly, give the detergent some time to work. In the meantime, ensure the detergent compartment of the power washer is empty and rinse it. It will thus ensure you don’t have any detergent while rinsing your car. You can also switch the output settings on the power washer to the water source you are using.
You can also change the tip on your nozzle to the 40-degree option. It is perfect for rinsing large areas such as your car and the pavement where you cleaned your car. Tilt the power washer away from you while holding it with both arms. It ensures you don’t get yourself wet.
Rinse every spot with detergent, starting from the roof and proceeding to the trunk, bonnet, and later the wheels. Switch to the 25-degree nozzle while cleaning the tires as it has a higher pressure and will remove dirt stuck here.
#5. Cleaning the Interior
The power washer can also be used for interior cleaning. One ideal area is the carpet of your car. It gathers mud and dust whenever you walk in the car, and if yours isn’t removable, you can clean it with the power washer and wipe it dry with a rug.
Switch to the 15-degree tip to produce the right pressure to remove dried dirt. You can also clean your leather seats with this tip as it will not get the car wet owing to the high pressure involved.
Cleaning your interiors will, however, most require a rug owing to its sensitivity. You can wipe down your car with a clean cloth once you are done cleaning. Letting it dry under the wind or sun will result in drop marks that can become hard to remove and will make your vehicle look less pleasing. Also, check out this guide explaining how to protect your car from the sun damage.
Conclusion
Once done cleaning, you can disconnect the power washer from the water source. If the detergent compartment has any left, empty it before storage. Also, disconnect and dry the tips used for various cleaning steps. You can now safely put your washer safely away until the next wash. This is how to wash a car with power washer.
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