Alright, so I finally got around to giving the white Porsche a proper clean this weekend. It was looking a bit sad, you know, road grime, bug splatters, the usual stuff. White shows everything, doesn’t it?
Getting Started
First things first, I pulled it into the driveway, out of direct sun. Always better to wash a car when it’s cool. Grabbed all my gear: couple of buckets – one for soapy water, one for rinsing the wash mitt – my pressure washer, foam cannon attachment, car shampoo, wheel cleaner, bunch of microfiber towels, a drying towel, and my trusty wash mitt.
The Washing Process
I started with the wheels. Sprayed on the wheel cleaner, let it sit for a minute – not too long, don’t want it drying on there. Used a soft brush to get into the spokes and around the lug nuts. Then gave them a good rinse with the pressure washer. Wheels first, always, so the dirty stuff doesn’t splash back onto clean paint later.
Next up, the pre-wash. Filled the foam cannon with water and a bit of car shampoo. Hooked it up to the pressure washer and just covered the whole car in thick foam. It looks cool, yeah, but the real point is to loosen up all the dirt and grit before I actually touch the paint with the mitt. Let that foam dwell for a few minutes, watched the dirt start dripping off. Then, rinsed it all off thoroughly with the pressure washer, top to bottom.
Then came the actual hand wash. Filled one bucket with clean water for rinsing the mitt. Filled the other with water and the right amount of car shampoo. Dunked the wash mitt in the soapy water. Started washing the car panel by panel, always from the top down. Roof first, then windows, bonnet, boot, doors, and finally the lower sills which are usually the dirtiest. Crucial bit here: after each panel, I rinsed the mitt thoroughly in the clean water bucket before putting it back into the soapy water bucket. Two-bucket method, stops you dragging grit all over the paintwork.
- Washed the roof. Rinse mitt.
- Washed the glass. Rinse mitt.
- Washed the bonnet and boot lid. Rinse mitt.
- Washed the upper sides of the doors. Rinse mitt.
- Washed the lower parts, bumpers last. Rinse mitt.
After the whole car was washed, I gave it a final rinse with the pressure washer, again top to bottom. Made sure all the soap was gone.
Drying and Finishing Touches
Drying time. Grabbed a big, soft microfiber drying towel. Gently patted the car dry and then lightly wiped. Didn’t rub hard. Got into the door jambs and around the boot and bonnet edges too, where water likes to hide and drip out later.
The paint felt pretty smooth already, so I skipped clay barring this time. Maybe next time. I just applied a quick spray sealant. Sprayed a little onto a microfiber towel, wiped it onto a panel, then used a separate clean, dry microfiber towel to buff it off. Worked my way around the whole car. Gives it a nice shine and a bit of protection.
Finished off by applying some tire dressing – just a little, didn’t want them overly shiny, just a clean, dark look. Gave the windows a final wipe with glass cleaner.
Didn’t really touch the inside much this time, just a quick vacuum. That’s a job for another day.
Took a good couple of hours, maybe more. But standing back and seeing that white paint gleaming, totally worth it. Looks sharp again. Simple process really, just takes a bit of time and care.
