How to clean your car using a high pressure washer

Did you know you should wash your car every 2-4 weeks to keep it in tip-top condition? Cars are prone to getting dirty from all sorts of things such as bugs, road grit, tree sap, bird droppings, and general wear and tear. During the winter months, your car will be in even more need of a deep clean with higher chances of getting covered in mud in the cold, wet weather.

One way to wash your car at home is using a hosepipe and a mop and bucket, but hose pipe pressure levels are quite low and it takes a lot of elbow grease to fully remove the dirt and mud from your vehicle. The most efficient method is to use a high pressure washer to clean your car, we’ll take you through it step-by-step…

Step 1 – Spray your car with foam using your high pressure washer

Add car wash foam to the detergent bottle/foam sprayer on your high pressure washer and spray the mixture over the exterior of your car - use the pressure setting of around 90 bar (Nilfisk Core setting 3). This foam detergent will help to pull off the thicker pieces of mud from your car, making it easier to clean whilst avoiding any scratches to the paintwork.

Step 2 – Rinse off the foam from your car

Leave the foam on your car for 5 minutes and then rinse off using the pressure setting of 90 bar and a gentle nozzle on your high pressure washer before it dries. Remember to rinse from top to bottom so that the dirt doesn’t drip down over the parts of the car that you already cleaned!

Step 3 – Wash your car with soap

Use either a mixture of soap and water mixture or car shampoo to clean your car, you can add this into the detergent bottle and spray all over the exterior.

Then, use either a hand cloth or the brush accessory on your high pressure washer to wipe away any particular dirty areas on your car. Don’t forget to clean from top to bottom as the dirtier areas are more likely to be base of your car.

Step 4 – Rinse off the car shampoo/soap mixture

After another 5 minutes, use the setting of 90 bars on your high pressure washer to rinse the mixture off - this is even more important if the sun is out because otherwise the soap will dry onto your car leaving marks.

Step 5 (optional) – Wax your car

To get that extra squeaky clean look on your car, use car wax as a final touch. We recommend using the detergent bottle to spray it over the exterior and leave for a further 5 mins before drying off.

Step 6 – Dry off your car

Once the soap has rinsed away you can either let your car dry naturally or wipe down with a microfibre towel.

And there you have it, a beautifully cleaned car done right from the comfort of your home!