Car washing establishments may be a convenient solution to get your car cleaned but they can cost a lot of money in the long run and the methods they do can actually damage your paint job. It is always better to wash your car with a portable pressure washer at home to keep your car’s paint job and surfaces in good hands.
For some car owners, using a pressure washer is an entirely new concept. It is definitely not the same as washing your car with your garden hose. This one uses high pressure and force to bring out water from a hose and clean your surfaces thoroughly.
So, how do you use a pressure washer to clean your car? Here are some tips to keep in mind.
Test the pressure washer on the ground first
Before you start cleaning your car, you have to make sure that the pressure is not too strong so that it will not ruin your paintwork. The right thing to do is to check the pressure on the ground first.
If you are working on a gravel surface, test the pressure somewhere else like on a cemented part. Testing it on the gravel may cause stones to fly up and hit your car. This will not only ruin the paintwork but may also cause some minor dents. Or worse, you may even hit yourself or people or pets around you.
How to choose the right setting
If you find that the pressure is too strong, then you have to work at finding the right setting. The pressure should be strong enough to clean the car without damaging the paint job.
Start off with a low pressure first and gradually increase it. If you did not get an adjustable pressure washer, you can add some control by maintaining a distance between you and the car. The closer you get, the stronger the pressure.
When working on fragile areas like your tires or lights, make sure you lower the settings first.
Get soap attachments
It is a good investment to get a pressure washer that allows soap attachments. This allows you to make use of snow foam. The pressure washer will create a heavy foam that you can spray on the car. Cover the car with foam and then leave it on for a few minutes. The foam will then break down any debris or tar that is stuck to the surface.
Go for a retractable hose model
A retractable pressure washer will make the job of cleaning up easier for you. You no longer have to deal with the hassle of having to reel in the hose and coiling it manually after you wash your car. All you have to do is reel it in and you can be done in just a minute or two. You can get a portable one or one that can be mounted on a wall for easy storage.
Last Thoughts
A pressure washer can speed up the task of washing your car. It also makes the job a lot easier. You can just spray soap, spray water for rinsing, wipe it down, then do your polishing and waxing!
