Yes, it is about that time: Car Wash Season is here! Break out your snazzy sunglasses, your garden hoses and your car soap because it’s time to make your car sparkle, shine and shimmer! From experience, there are two ways to go about this during summer; bring your car to a car wash (if you bring your car in to Windsor Nissan for service we will wash it for you, free of charge!) or wash your car yourself. Washing your car on your own can be a timely, tricky and messy ordeal. But Windsor Nissan is here today to give you step by step instructions on how to wash your car like a car washing guru!

Step 1: When to wash your car? The best time of day to wash your car is when the sun is setting. If you  wash your car at the height of the day, in the blistering sun, the  water will dry and icky white marks will form. There is no way you could  go cruising in a car with white watermarks?!

Step 2: Buying the right materials. One of the most common mistakes people make when washing their cars is  not buying the right type of soap. The only type of soap you should use  on your car is car wash soap, which you can buy in concentrated form or  pre-mix form. Either way, make sure that it is car wash soap. For  example, if you use dish washing soap it can remove the wax from your  car! Dish washing soap was designed to remove animal fat from fired  ceramic plates/dishes, and when it is used on cars it attacks with the  same motive: removing anything and everything from the surface of what  it’s cleaning – that includes car wax! So, be very careful with the type  of soap you use because you don’t want to end up with a half waxed car.

Step 3: Start washing your car! After you have picked out the right soap, have your bucket, water,  sponge, and Shammy/terrycloth towel ready – it is time to start having  fun! The first thing you want to do is rinse off your entire car. Hosing  your car down will get off excess dirt that, when mixed with soap,  could scratch your clear coat. Trying to fix that damage is costly, and a  burden you shouldn’t have to bear!

Step 4: Properly soaping up your car. NEVER soap down your entire car! If you soap down your entire car, then  start to hose it off section by section. The soap can start to dry and  damage the surface of your car. You should always soap up your car in  sections. Start by completely soaping the hood of your car, then wash it  down. Move on to the fenders and the roof, repeating the same process.  This will prevent the soap from drying and damaging the surface of your  car…woo!

Step 5: Rinsing and drying. After you have soaped and rinsed, it is time to rinse again. Coat your  entire car with water and then take a Shammy or a terrycloth towel to  dry your car off. When drying your car, make sure to gently dry from the  top to the bottom. This will prevent some watermarks from forming, and  will make your car glisten like you bought it yesterday!

Step 6: Show off your car! If  you have completed steps 1-5 you are ready to show off your shiny,  sparkling clean car to the world!