How to wash your Vehicle Without Water
Washing your car without using water? Really?
Many people assume that water is needed to wash their vehicle. While it certainly helps, it isn’t a necessity. If you live in a condo/apartment or are looking for a more eco-friendly way to wash your car, you’ll be happy to learn that you can clean your vehicle’s exterior without the use of H₂O. Here are some tips below:
Use microfiber towels
One of the best fabrics to clean your vehicle with are microfiber towels. Unlike other cheaper materials, microfiber towels prevent smudging/smearing and do a terrific job of collecting dirt and debris.
Tip: Never use a dirty towel. While microfiber towels are great at picking up dirt, they won’t work well if the towels are dirty. Buy a large supply so you won’t have to worry about re-using a dirty one.
Use waterless cleaner liberally
Whatever you do, don’t hold back on the amount of waterless cleaner you use. If you’re cleaning your car properly, one bottle should only last you about two-to-three washes. Make sure to use the cleaner on the entire vehicle – not just spots that look dirty.
Wipe in one direction
The best way to avoid scratches is to wipe in one direction and stick with it throughout the wash. Wiping in circles forces you to use a dirty towel to wash a clean area. This could of course create scratches if you’re wiping too hard.
Start spraying at the top and work your way downward. You’ll likely have to spend some extra time near the bottom of your car since the majority of the dirt tends to form there.
Clean your wheels separately
Since your tires tend to pick up a lot of extra dirt and dust, it’s best to use a separate towel to clean your wheels. If you want, you could consider purchasing a special cleaner designed for cleaning tires. It may cost you a few extra bucks, but your car will likely look a lot better when you’re finished.
Clean it regularly
The more often you clean your vehicle, the easier it will be to remove dirt and debris from your vehicle. If you wait a month or more, you will likely have a hard time removing all the dirt and may need to go to a professional to have it washed. Waterless washes can be great, but they won’t work if you wait too long in between washes.
Water doesn’t clean your car
If you’re still skeptical about cleaning your car without water, you should realize that it’s not actually the water that’s doing the dirty work. If you want to test it out, rinse your dirty car with just water and leave it to dry. You’ll soon realize that it’s not that much cleaner than it was just a few hours earlier.