Washing your car weekly is vital to keeping the paint looking fresh.

Find a shady spot to begin washing the car. Start with the wheels first, that way if you accidentally splash wheel cleansers that are too harsh for the paint onto the body of the car, you will remove it when rinsing the vehicle. Using a clean, damp cloth, clean each wheel thoroughly, including inside any ridges and along the tires. When rinsing the wheels, use a soft brush to clean off any stubborn areas of grime, but use caution, particularly if you have alloy wheels, which can scratch.

When washing the car body, soak it thoroughly using a medium-hard stream to help knock off any bird dropping or other debris. Try to avoid using high-pressure hoses as they can actually imbed the contaminants into the clear coat, thus defeating the purpose of what you are trying to accomplish.

Pay attention to any substance on your vehicle’s paint. Annoying, bird droppings and bug splats actually are organic compounds that contain proteins that will bond to the surface and – if not washed off – will actually eat through the clear coating, making your car susceptible to corrosion. Brake dust is another paint killer. The dust is comprised of tiny metal shavings. While nearly invisible to the human eye, the dust will adhere to the lower portion of the vehicle. This sticky substance is also corrosive and will dull the paint job over time.

When beginning to wash the car, fill two buckets with cool water. Hot water will soften and therefore weaken the car’s wax. Use an approved car detergent and not dish or laundry detergents as they have a tendency to remove protective coatings. Soft all-cotton towels or mitts won’t scratch the finish. To avoid swirl marks in the finish, fill one of the buckets with soap and keep clean water in the other. Each time you go back to re-soap your sponge or mitt, rinse it out first in the clean water to remove grit and grime. This will ensure that you aren’t just spreading around contaminants. Using firm, large, sweeping motions, soap up the vehicle in sections, rinsing as soon as you are done. If you do the entire car and then come back to rinse, some areas will begin to dry, leaving ugly spots that won’t rinse off easily. When rinsing, do not use a nozzle on your hose since free flowing water will rinse the vehicle better as it removes all of the soap more thoroughly.

Some people elect to allow their car to dry on its own. However, doing so will invariably leave water spots. Instead, dry the vehicle thoroughly, moving the towels around gently, blotting rather than wiping for best results.

When the car is clean and dry, it’s time to apply the wax. While still in a shady place, avoiding waxing when it is very hot or extremely cold, wax the vehicle in small sections, rubbing the wax onto the car using small circles. Then, using a soft, terry cloth, wipe off the wax in the same order it was applied. Be sure to shake out the cloth as you work so wax doesn’t build up and begin streaking. When finished, use a cloth diaper or cheesecloth to polish the entire surface and bring out the shine.

By taking a little extra time and following these simple steps, your car will have that showroom shine.