Pranav Sajikumar FCWR 151
Professor Chris Patterson How to Essay

How To Wash Your Car
We all know that we can pay to get our car washed, but why pay the expensive price of a professional when you can get the same results doing it yourself? You will save money and have the satisfaction of doing it yourself.
The actual washing of the car is not that hard, but you have to have the right supplies to get a professional job. You may have some of these items or you may have to purchase them. This is a list of things you will need: bucket, water, soap, wash cloth, and something to dry the surface of the car off. First, get the thing you already have. You need a clean, two to five gallon bucket to put the soap in. Next you will need a clean cloth to wash the car with. This needs to be about two to three square foot. A kitchen towel will work well, just make sure it is clean and made of cotton. You will also need a large bath towel to off the car. This towel needs to be lint free and very absorbent. Although a towel is adequate, you can purchase a leather chamois, which works the best, but are expensive. Now that you know what you have to purchase, go to your local automotive store to get the rest. You will need automotive type soap. It is important that the soap is designed for a car ‘s finish. Regular dish soap or detergent will not work. These soaps will strip the wax off your car and eventually dull the finish. I recommend Armorall brand soap. I have found that the best kind is called Quick Wash & Wax. This soap not only does a good job cleaning; it also has a wax in the formula that helps to keep your car clean. It repels dirt and doesn’t allow the dirt to stick to the paint. You can purchase this for about five to seven dollars. Now that you have the supplies, make sure you have running water and a water hose. You can use a spray nozzle but it is not crucial; you can do a good job with out it.
Before you start, park your car out of direct sunlight and on a hard surface. You should park on concrete if possible; this will keep dirt and mud from splashing up on the car when you rinse it off. Now fill up your bucket with water and mix the soap as directed. Next soak the car down with water; do this a couple of times. The water helps to loosen the dirt and grime. Submerge your wash cloth completely in the bucket of soap and water. Do not ring out the towel, take it dripping wet and start to wash you car. Start at the top and work your way down, using the wash cloth in a circular motion with a little bit of pressure. If it is a hot day, then you probably need to wash the car in sections. For example, wash the roof, windshield, and hood, and then set the wash cloth back in the bucket and rinse of the parts you just washed. It is important that you start at the top and work your way down. Make sure that you do not allow the soap to dry on the car. After you wash all the paint and windows, the last thing you will wash will be the wheels. They are usually the most dirty, and you do not want to use a cloth that is dirtier than your car. Also, if the wash cloth has a lot dirt and sand, the cloth will act like sandpaper on your paint; it could completely ruin you car’s finish. After you have washed the whole car, rinse the car off completely to make sure you got all the soap off. This is important because if the soap dries, it will leave spots and actually attract dirt. Now it is time to dry off the car using the clean bath towel. Dry it off in the same order that you washed it, starting at the top and working your way down. Use the towel in a back in forth motion, flipping it over occasionally to use the dry part of the cloth. As when you washed it, dry off the wheels and tires last, then you are finished.
After you clean up the items you used, take a moment to look at the car. Look how clean it is, and remember the money you saved doing it yourself. It should not have taken long, and the results should be well worth the effort.