Need to clean your car but don’t have a hose? Don’t worry, you can learn how to achieve a clean finish with minimal water usage. While having someone else clean your car may seem like a copout and be expensive, observing a professional can help you understand their techniques and the products they use, making the job easier when you do it yourself.
One option for cleaning your car without a hose is to use a modern drive-through car wash. Although these are often less abrasive than a typical home wash, which can damage the paintwork with inappropriate cleaning tools, some automatic car washes may also harm your car’s paint in the same way.
Automatic car washes are water-conserving as they recycle water, but the accumulation of dirt on their brushes over time can be detrimental to a car’s paint. Additionally, the equipment may not be maintained regularly. Therefore, it is recommended to thoroughly inspect automatic car washes before use. For optimal results, use an automatic car wash as a pre-wash and follow up with a hand wash at home using a microfiber washing mitt, car shampoo, microfiber towels, and two wash buckets with Grit Guards to prevent swirl marks and scratches. The latter method involves soaking the mitt in soapy water and wiping the car clean before cleaning it in plain water and drying with microfiber towels. A rinse-less wash is also an alternative, but it is not suitable for heavily soiled cars. It is advised to supervise anyone helping with the cleaning to avoid damaging the car’s paint and to reward them for their assistance.
I like Optimum No Rinse, which is a rinse-less wash product that requires less than a gallon of water and won’t scratch your car’s clear coat. To use, fill a bucket with water and a Grit Guard, add the rinse-less wash product, and clean with a microfiber mitt. Waterless car wash products like Chemical Guys Swift Wipe also make it easy to clean your car without a hose. For a small pump sprayer, use one sprayer with suds and a second with clean water to rinse small sections of the vehicle. The cordless high-pressure washer can also be used to clean cars, as well as floors, fences, swimming pools, water plants, and wash pets. It comes with an extension rod and nozzles for hard-to-reach spots and provides more power than a small pump sprayer, making it easier to move around the car.
