How do you fully wash a car?
How do you fully wash a car?
user
Let me try to understand what you mean by “fully wash”.
assistant
I used to bring it to a car wash, but I want to try washing it at home. What's the procedure and what things do I need?
user
Ah, so you want to learn how to clean your car yourself.  That’s totally fine, but remember that a “car wash” is different from a “full car wash”.  
If you go to a car wash, you're just going to have the outside of your car cleaned, and inside your car the bugs and dust will still be there.  It won’t be the same as cleaning your whole car.
assistant
Thanks. Yeah, just the exterior. I think the interior still looks good. It was raining a lot lately and some mud have caked up all over the car.
user
Uh huh.   The exterior will definitely be easier to clean.   The exterior parts of your car are mostly just dirt, mud, and grime.  You can wash these things off with a hose and some soap.  
Your car also has wheels and these usually have grime underneath too.  
To wash these parts, you'll need a toothbrush.  
You can use one of the brushes from your medicine cabinet, but they'll be more suited to the job if you buy some specifically for car washing.  
They usually come with a handle and a case to keep them from being ruined.  
Wash the wheels of your car to remove the grime, and give them a good scrub with a toothbrush.  
You can try different things, like an old toothbrush, or one that's extra-soft, or one that you don't mind wearing down over time.  Try different types until you find what you like best.  
You might want to avoid buying an electric toothbrush if you plan to use it for cleaning the wheels of your car.  They can be really great for cleaning your teeth and I use one at home, but they are not good at scrubbing the dirt off of
assistant
One would be crazy to use an electric toothbrush on a car. Haha. What kind of detergent or chemical do I need to clean the car?
user
You don’t really need anything special.  
An ordinary dish soap or car wash soap will work great.  
In addition to the soap you need something to spread it around on your car with.  This can be either a sponge or a brush.  A sponge is better than a brush, but it doesn't get into the nooks and crannies as well.  
You can use a sponge from the kitchen, but to make things easier you can also pick up a car wash sponge at a hardware store.  
I'm also going to suggest buying a spray bottle and some water to rinse your car off with.  
It's not essential, but this will make it easier to get the soap off and it also makes for a better rinse.  
Use your spray bottle to spray the soap off the car and onto the ground.  A spray bottle is handy here, as it lets you to wipe the dirt and soap off your car in a way that's similar to what a car wash does.  
If you do this on a really hot day, it'll also help your car dry a lot faster.  
Make sure to wipe the water off in any nooks and crannies
assistant
Thanks. After rinsing everything off with water, how do I make the car shiny?
user
That's up to you, but you can help keep it shiny by applying a wax or clear coat to the car.  
This is great because it helps to protect your car and make it look shiny, but it's not as important if you plan on washing it every few weeks.  
I'd recommend just learning how to wash your car instead, because it's really easy and it helps keep your car in great condition.  
If you plan on washing your car often, you can find waxes and clear coats that are made especially for cars and can withstand the soaps and the washing.
assistant
Awesome, will definitely try it. Wish me luck on my first time!
user