All tips for washing your car with a pressure washer!

Recently updated on March 3, 2022 at 12:15 am

For car lovers, regular cleaning of your vehicle is essential mandatory. A thorough cleaning should always be planned so that it fulfills its purpose and the car shines again afterwards. When cleaning should be not only Dirt should be removed thoroughly, but it should too no damages on the vehicle or scratches in the paintwork. To avoid scratches, many car enthusiasts usually do a hand wash (how hand washing works, you can find out here) and therefore leave the rough busts of a conventional car wash (everything about the car wash) do not affect the high-gloss finish of your car. As alternative (or additionally) for quite time-consuming hand washing, you can also use the vehicle with a Pressure Washer to wash. This is kind of like one Combination from hand washing and washing system. In this article, we'll tell you how to best use the high-pressure cleaner.

Wash with a high pressure cleaner!

For a high-quality high-pressure cleaner, stubborn dirt, such as bird droppings or dried-on mud, not a big problem. The pressure washer works with one centered water jet, which easily removes even stubborn dirt. When washing by hand, you would have to exert significantly more pressure in order to be able to remove such contamination. However, the greater pressure may allow you to damage the paint.

One tip: When using a pressure washer, always pay attention to an appropriate one Distance from about 20-30 centimeters to the vehicle, otherwise the water jet can also cause damage to the vehicle. This is the best example License-plates. If you get too close with the high-pressure cleaner, the seal or the TÜV badge will be blown away. You can find out what to do then here.

Car washing with a high-pressure cleaner explained in just a few steps!

We have put together step-by-step instructions for the perfect car wash with a high-pressure cleaner. Follow these steps and your car will shine like new again and you will not have to worry about damage to the car.

1.) The pre-treatment

Before you start high-pressure cleaning, you must remove coarse dirt such as leaves, small branches or larger particles from the vehicle remove. For example, leaves can burst into many small pieces when the high pressure jet hits them. This would hardly make cleaning easier.

Heavily soiled areas should be rubbed with a special cleaning agent before cleaning, as extremely stubborn dirt cannot be removed without pretreatment, even with a high-pressure cleaner. On very dirty rims you can first use a rim cleaner suitable for your type of rim (for either steel or aluminum) and let it take effect before directing the jet of water onto the rims. (There is more about this in our article Rim cleaner - this is how it is used correctly!)

Tip: Bugs, tar or resin on the vehicle? This will remove the dirt!

Even a very dirty windshield must be cleaned beforehand. A is suitable for pre-cleaning Insect remover. With this, however, other dirt particles can also be easily removed from the windshield. That way, the end result will be a lot better. (There is more about cleaning the windows in our article Clean car windows for an excellent view!)

2.) Flat jet vs. point jet

When washing your car with a pressure washer, you should always have one flat jet use, because a point or rotation beam could Scratches or flaking paint cause. In addition, stone chips can crack when hitting a point jet and damage the tire rubber. The flat jet is far friendly and still removes stubborn dirt.

If impurities don't go away immediately, adjust not on a harder beam but clean the relevant areas with a special cleaning agent before spraying the affected areas again with the flat jet. Flat jet attachments are already included in the basic equipment set of most high-pressure cleaners.

3.) The water pressure

The water pressure should neither be too high nor too low, so the correct attitude of the pressure washer is crucial. If the water pressure is too high, damage can occur, if it is too low, dirt cannot be removed thoroughly. A water pressure between 60 and 80 bar is ideal for a car wash. In many self-service washing systems, the water pressure is therefore already on 60 bar programmed. This means that you do not have to fear any damage in a self-service car wash. (There is more on the subject of self-service wash boxes in our article Car wash in the self-service wash box: the advantages and disadvantages!)

4.) Minimum distance between vehicle and high pressure cleaner

When cleaning you should always keep a minimum distance of 30 cm Maintain between the nozzle of the pressure washer and the car to avoid damage to the paintwork or the body of the car. With the rims, 20 cm is also okay. Aim No way front on pollution, rather slightly angled. In this way, the dirt can be removed more effectively and the impact force of the water is at the same time somewhat dampened.

The cleaning is most effective when you use a kind Swiping motion perform with the water jet. For very stubborn dirt, we recommend a Pre-cleaning. Light and normal dirt can be easily removed without pre-cleaning.

5.) Pay special attention to tires and springs

Special attention must be paid to soft parts of the vehicle, such as the tires or the springs, when cleaning with a high-pressure cleaner. When cleaning the tires should be the water temperature 60 ° C not exceed. You should also use the water jet not frontalbut always angled aim at the tires. In this way, punctual weak points on the tires can be prevented. The rims are a little less sensitive, but these should also be cleaned with an angled jet. You should also never clean the seals on the panes directly with a water jet, otherwise the seals Cracks could get. Either irradiate only indirectly or rework with a sponge.

Tip: Is the seal still intact, then you should take care of them regularly. How it works, we have in our article "This is how rubber seals on the car are properly cared for“Listed. And is the poetry damaged, then there is in our post "How to repair car door seals correctly? How to do it!“A little guide to repairs.

6.) Adjust the water temperature to the ambient temperature

When cleaning with a pressure washer, you should check the water temperature adapt to the outside temperature. In the case of larger temperature differences, the water jet could hit the body Micro-cracks produce. Therefore, the water temperature should not be too low in summer and not too warm in winter.

7.) The drying off

In order to avoid water or limescale stains that are visually unattractive, it is best to use a cloth made of car leather or a microfiber cloth after cleaning the car dry.

Think about the environment!

cleaning supplies make your car shine beautifully, but if you use them in the yard or garden, they can get into the ground or into the groundwater. Because of this, it is allowed in many communities no cleaning agent in the garden be used. It is best to find out in advance whether you are allowed to use cleaning agents in your community or whether you have to drive to a self-service car wash, where the water is separated from the cleaning agents again using special treatment systems.

Hand wash vs. pressure washer

A car wash with a high-pressure cleaner is never as thorough as a hand wash, which is why you should rework by hand after a high-pressure wash and apply various polishes or car wax. Because only through the wax or the polish does the shine last and the next wash can be delayed a little. What there is to consider in this regard, which we in our article NASIOL NL272 ceramic coating for the paint explained.

Of course, that wasn't the end of it!

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