This is very helpful because with another heatwave now forecast* for large parts of the UK, Autoglym, the UK’s largest car care brand, is sharing 10 practical tips for keeping cars clean in hot conditions.
In extreme heat and bright sunlight, natural contaminants like bird lime and tree blossom, as well as road grime and complex water-resistant chemicals such as suncreams, can adhere stubbornly to painted and plastic surfaces, requiring extra care to remove without causing damage.
The following tips have been devised by Autoglym’s UK-based R&D department, working closely with the company’s Technical Services Team, experts who train professional valeters and detailers responsible for cleaning thousands of cars each year in all weathers.
- Rise and shine. Wash the car first thing in the morning, when the car is cool
Wherever possible, complete the full wash and protect process out of direct sunlight and ensure the surfaces are cool to the touch – mornings are often ideal. This ensures cleaning solutions have more time to attack the grime without drying out. If cleaning in the sun is unavoidable, park the car in the shade or use a canopy or temporary gazebo. It is also important to take care of yourself during a prolonged car clean by staying hydrated and applying suncream.
- Use a dedicated pre-wash spray to loosen the worst of the dirt
Using a dedicated pre-wash spray such as Autoglym’s All-Purpose Cleaner, can loosen the worst of the dirt, notably on the lower panels. Dead bugs on the front of the car and on the windscreen will be very difficult to shift through conventional washing, so use a specialist product like Autoglym’s Active Insect Remover to soften and loosen the remains. Then rinse thoroughly using a hosepipe or pressure washer, working from the bottom up.
- Tackle wheels before bodywork to avoid the grime flying onto clean bodywork
It’s advisable to clean the wheels before the bodywork so that loosened brake dust and wheel cleaning agents aren’t deposited onto clean paintwork. First, make sure the wheels are cool, so spraying the face of the wheel can help, then apply a dedicated product (such as Autoglym Advanced All Wheel Cleaner) to loosen embedded contaminants. In the event of a hosepipe ban, use a clean pump spray bottle such as Autoglym’s Easy Sprayer filled with water to rinse wheel cleaner from all the nooks and crannies.
- Wash using the two-bucket method – one with soapy water, one to rinse your mitt
Once the car is pre-washed and well rinsed, start the contact wash using two buckets – one with the soapy water and another with clean water. Once you have washed a panel, dip your mitt or sponge in the separate bucket of clean water to rinse away the dirty suds. This ensures you don’t contaminate the soapy water and avoids you reapplying any dirt to the car – particularly important if you have to skip the pre-wash stage (tip 2). Work from the top of the car down, as the lower sections are likely to be dirtier and prolonged exposure to suds descending from the upper areas could be beneficial. Use a car-specific product, such as Autoglym Bodywork Shampoo Conditioner, which is low foaming so easier to rinse away.
Load your mitt or sponge generously with soapy water to flood the surface at each pass, working on small sections of the car at a time ensuring the product doesn’t dry. Using greater quantities of soapy water will help to loosen baked-on grit and grime; Autoglym’s Microfibre Wash Mitt is ideal for applying lots of soapy suds with each pass. Always avoid rubbing away at any stubborn dirt. Instead, do repeated passes with the soapy water, applying gentle pressure.
- Use specialist detergents if you encounter stubborn stains like tar or bird lime
These products have active ingredients that help lift the worst grime, such as baked-on bird lime. Tar residues, which are more of a problem when the sun softens the road surface, can be easily wiped away with a dedicated product like Autoglym Intensive Tar Remover.
- Rinse and repeat – wash in sections and rinse from the top down
Flood the soapy surface with rinse water to prevent the suds from drying out. As it will take longer to rinse the whole car, it’s best to wash and rinse one section of the car at a time. Following the contact wash (step 4), rinse from top down. Autoglym Bodywork Shampoo Conditioner is an ideal cleaning agent because it also leaves a water repellent film that makes rinsing much easier.
- Watch out for water spotting – dry the car before the sun does
Letting the car dry out in the warm ambient temperature might seem like a good way of avoiding having to dry the car yourself, but this approach is likely to lead to streaks and water spots that can be just as hard to remove as road grime. As soon as you’ve finished rinsing the car, quickly dry the surfaces using a suitable microfibre product such as Autoglym Ultra-Soft Drying Towel. If you see any residual water spots, use a detailing spray (see next tip) to lift and remove straight away or, if they have been left for a while and are particularly difficult, apply a quality polish such as Autoglym Super Resin Polish.
- Between washes, deploy a detailing spray to avoid having to do a full clean
Between washes, you can remove light coatings of dust or dirt on the car with a detailing product such as Autoglym Rapid Detailer. Apply the product liberally to safely lift grime away. Be sure to fold and turn the cloth into quarters, as this will effectively give you eight sections of clean cloth to use, which stops you spreading collected dirt and contaminants across the surface. Use multiple cloths if you see too much dirt building up. Bird droppings could be harder to remove, especially if they bake onto the surface in the sunshine, but a handy box of Autoglym Bird Dripping Wipes can be used to quickly wipe them away – ideally when fresh.
- If it is too warm for a full car wash, consider a quick clean of the glass and light units to maintain good visibility and keep the car looking presentable
If you aren’t able to wash the car or don’t want to do battle with the grime in the midday sun, consider using a specialist glass cleaner (such as Autoglym Fast Glass) to quickly and easily remove dirt and bug splatter from windows, windscreen and lights. Spray and wipe to safeguard visibility and leave a streak-free finish.
- Apply protection to resist the grime and make future cleaning much easier
Giving the car an essential layer of protection – with a quality wax, polish or a fast-acting ceramic sealant such as Autoglym Rapid Ceramic Spray – will help to resist dirt and reduce the amount of time needed the next time you wash the vehicle. You can even simplify the dry and protect stages outlined above using a product like Autoglym Rapid Aqua Wax, which is applied to a wet car before drying with a microfibre.
To view and purchase Autoglym products, visit Autoglym.com, Halfords in-store or online (www.halfords.com/motoring/car-cleaning/autoglym), Amazon (Amazon.co.uk/Autoglym), or independent car care retailers.
