How to Wash a Luxury Car

What Supplies Will You Need to Wash a Luxury Car?

• Can you use dish soap to wash a car? Although we understand why you might want to use household cleaners, you shouldn’t ever use dish soap to wash a luxury car. 
• Non-specialized products can damage automotive paint, so you should visit our parts department and buy an appropriate automotive wash. Pick up a wool mitt or a soft sponge that won’t create abrasions while you’re here. 
• You’ll also need an ammonia-free cleaner for your windows and an acid-free, pH-balanced cleaner for your wheels.
• After you wash, you may need a clay bar to remove stuck-on sap and other contaminants. Compound is also recommended if you haven’t washed your vehicle in a while.
• After you’ve completed the process, you may want to use a dual-action polisher to give your vehicle a glossy shine. Either way, you’ll definitely want to add a fresh coat of carnauba or polymer wax. 

Once you’ve got your cleaning products, grab two to three buckets. Fill one with soapy water and use the others to help you rinse. Don’t forget: we offer parts and service specials that can help you secure everything you need.

How to Wash a Car: Step by Step

First things first: you should decide how thoroughly you want to wash your vehicle. While newer and recently washed models may only need a quick wash and a top coat of wax, those who haven’t spent as much time caring for their vehicle may wish to take a few extra steps. Here’s what you should expect from the whole process:

1. Always begin by rinsing your vehicle. Before you break out the sponges, rinse your vehicle with clean water to remove as much heavy dirt and debris as possible.
2. Wash your vehicle from top to bottom. Start high and work your way down the body of the vehicle, saving the dirtiest, lowest areas for last. Rinse off the vehicle’s underside, too—especially if you need to clear away road salt. When you’re washing a luxury car, you want to work carefully. Any debris that has not been removed from the surface could create scratches on the vehicle. Rinse thoroughly when you’re finished.
3. Dry your vehicle using a chamois or a terry towel. If you let your vehicle air dry, you’ll almost certainly see swirl marks at the end of the process.
4. Use your clay bar to buff out any stuck-on residues. Tree sap is one of the most common residues that soap will have a hard time removing on its own.
5. If you haven’t washed your vehicle in a while,use your dual-action polisher to apply two to four coats of compound to the surface of the vehicle. This will buff out tiny scratches and help to protect your paint from further damage.
6. You’ll also use your dual-action polisher to apply polish to your vehicle. This step is important if you want your vehicle to look as nice as it can look on the roads of Rye and Stamford. It won’t do as much to protect your vehicle.
7. Adding a fresh coat of wax is a crucial step! For washing a luxury car, we recommend a polymer wax. This type of wax sets more quickly, and tends to leave less of a haze on the surface.

How Often Should You Wash Your Car?

Knowing how often to wash a car is just as important as knowing how to do so. For the very best results,washing your car every other week is a great place to start. Keeping up with this schedule will help to protect your vehicle against:

• UV rays
• Rust caused by road salt
• Grime, dirt, animal droppings, and tar

Get More Car Care Tips from Mercedes-Benz of Greenwich! 

Learning how to wash a car is an important part of being a responsible owner, but it’s not the only form of car care that you can properly execute at home. Although it’s easy to schedule service and receive assistance with anything on your plate, we also encourage you to explore our DIY car care tips and get a better sense of how to protect your vehicle at home in Greenwich or New Canaan.