Cars are like shoes. You get in them and use them to move around. Another thing cars and shoes share is they easily get dirty. But unlike shoes, cars are far from being wash-and-wear items. Washing a car, either by hand or through a service, is going to cost you more than it takes to wash a dozen pair of shoes. Frequent car washing isn’t necessary, just enough to get at most of the dirt on the car’s exterior. The car’s interior, depending on how often you use the vehicle, can go a couple of weeks at most without cleaning, but don’t hesitate to clean it when the situation calls for it.

Cleaning the Interior

Start with the car’s interior if you decide to hand wash your car. Car wash services are good, but sometimes it’s better to do things yourself every once in a while. Car washing is no exception. Take a small duster and brush the upholstery, dashboard, every corner and crevice, and under the seats. It’s important that you get at the small corners of the car’s interior. Dust tends to build up in those places and it gets troublesome once you switch the air conditioning on, especially if you or one of the passengers has asthma.

Cleaning the Exterior

It’s time to do the outside. The first thing you need to do is to park the car in a shaded area, preferably in a garage or anywhere with a roof on it. Keep the car from getting dirty while you’re washing it, just in case it starts raining. Don’t park the car under a tree, either.

Carefully consider the type of soap you use to wash the car. If you’re using regular car soap, no problem. Most car soaps work well on almost any body kit, but other cleaning products are a completely different story. Make sure your cleaning product does not contain any chemical or compound solution that can damage or roughen the car’s finish. It’s better to be safe than sorry.