How I Wash a Car, Step by Step (Wheels First)

People wash in all sorts of orders, but I always follow the same one, and it always starts with the wheels. Wheels are the dirtiest, most contaminated part of the car, so you clean them first and get them out of the way before you touch the paint. Here is my routine, step by step.

Step 1: Wheels first, pre-wash

Start on the wheels while the rest of the car is still dry. Spray them with a degreaser or an alkaline wheel cleaner to break down the brake dust and road grime. If the wheels have heavy iron contamination (the little metal specks that turn purple), use an iron fallout remover to dissolve it. Let it dwell, then rinse.

Step 2: Wheels, contact wash

Now do a contact wash on the wheels: a wheel mitt or brush with shampoo to physically remove what the cleaner has loosened. Keep your wheel tools separate from your paint tools, wheels carry the most abrasive dirt on the car. Rinse off.

Step 3: Bodywork, pre-wash foam

With the wheels done, move to the paint. Cover the whole car in an alkaline pre-wash foam and let it dwell. An alkaline pre-wash lifts and loosens the dirt so you are not dragging it across the paint later. Rinse it all off.

Step 4: Bodywork, contact wash

Now the contact wash. Either spray a pH-neutral shampoo straight on, or add it to your bucket and wash with a mitt. I use a pH-neutral shampoo for everyday washing. Wash top to bottom, then rinse.

Step 5: Protect it, sealant last

The final step is protection. Once the car is clean and rinsed, apply a sealant or coating to protect the paint and add gloss. I use a spray-on ceramic sealant that bonds when you rinse. For a wax finish, a spray wax or a carnauba paste wax both give a deep shine.

What about water spots on the glass?

If the glass still has water marks on it after the wash, that is not something a shampoo will fix and it is not part of the wash itself. Those marks have bonded to the glass. A glass restorer is the product for that, used on the glass on its own, rinsed off properly and kept well away from the paint. Do it after the car is washed, not during.

The routine in short

Wheels: pre-wash, contact wash, rinse. Bodywork: alkaline foam, rinse, pH-neutral contact wash, rinse. Finish: sealant or wax. Same order every time, and the car comes up clean and safe without swirls.

Frequently asked questions

Should I wash the wheels or the body first?

Wheels first. They are the dirtiest part of the car, so clean them while the paint is still dry and get the brake dust out of the way before you touch the bodywork.

What is the difference between a pre-wash and a contact wash?

A pre-wash is a foam, usually alkaline, that loosens the dirt so most of it rinses off before anything touches the paint. The contact wash is the shampoo you wash with using a mitt, usually pH neutral.

Can I use an alkaline pre-wash on a ceramic coated car?

Yes. I pre-wash coated cars with V-Mol too, just weaker, at about 1:20 unless the car is very dirty. On a waxed or coated car that is not very dirty, a pH-neutral pre-wash such as V-Floc or Vireto DRIFT is the gentler option.

Products mentioned in this guide