Every car owner has at least one bottle of car shampoo in their garage and for most car owners, this is one of the only steps of car detailing that is regularly carried out at home. Whether you’re a devoted car washer who likes to keep their vehicle looking in mint condition all year round, or you’re the sort who will give it a go on a sunny day, correctly washing a car can be the difference between one that looks like it just rolled out of professional car detailers and one that is left with more marks than when you started! See our tips to get the most out of your car shampoo below.

Wash Your Tools

When applying a car shampoo, what you apply it with can have as much of an effect on the finish as the shampoo itself. Many people make the mistake of reaching for an old sponge or microfibre cloth that has been sat in the garage since the last wash, but this can be extremely detrimental to the paint job. If not properly cleaned and stored between washes, cleaning equipment gathers dust and contaminants which can scratch the car when you apply the car shampoo, leaving unsightly marks behind. Always make sure your sponges and cloths are thoroughly washed and dried between uses!

Pre Wash

Using a snow foam prewash is a sure-fire way to elevate the use of your car shampoo, improving the appearance of the freshly washed vehicle and saving you time. Snow foam is applied using a pressure washer, and the thick foam coats the vehicle, grasping at loose dirt and contaminants, before being rinsed away and taking particles with it. By precleaning the vehicle, the car is less likely to suffer scratches from loose particles on the paintwork and a layer of dirt has already been removed, meaning the car shampoo can get to work removing any deeper layers of dirt, providing a cleaner, better-looking finish.