Getting the Red Dirt Off: The Real Way to Clean Your 4x4 After a Trip

Never, ever wash a hot car. If you've just driven back from the servo, let the brakes and engine cool for at least 30 minutes. Spraying cold water on hot rotors is a one-way ticket to warped discs.

In the Aussie March sun, soap will dry on your paint in seconds, leaving nasty spots. If you don't have a big enough carport, wait until later in the arvo when the sun's a bit lower.

Open the bonnet, the tailgate, and all the doors. Clear out the rubbish, the half-eaten packets of chips, and the dirty laundry. It's much easier to clean when you aren't tripping over gear.

If you've got recovery tracks or jerry cans strapped to the roof, take 'em off. Dirt loves to hide behind those mountings and it'll just bleed out later if you don't.

Get your buckets ready, hook up the pressure washer, and lay out your brushes. There's nothing more annoying than being mid-wash and realizing your wheel brush is still in the shed.

Start from the bottom. This is where the real damage happens. Use your underbody broom and spend a good 20 minutes just rinsing. Move it slowly back and forth. You'll be amazed how much red mud keeps coming out even after you think it's clean.

Stick your hose or chassis tool into the holes in the frame. Flush until the water running out of the drainage holes is 100% clear. If you've been in salt, use a salt neutraliser in a spray bottle first, let it sit for 5 minutes, then flush.

Get right up in the arches. Scrub the tyre sidewalls with a stiff brush and some APC. If you've got mud terrains, make sure you get the mud out from between the lugs, otherwise it'll throw your wheel balance off on the highway.

Cover your alternator and air intake with some plastic bags. Spray a bit of degreaser on the dirty bits, agitate with a soft brush, and rinse with *low* pressure. Don't go blasting your electrical connectors.

Coat the whole car in a thick layer of snow foam. Let it dwell for about 5-8 minutes, don't let it dry! This softens the dust and bugs so they slide off without scratching.

Rinse from the top down. Pay close attention to the window seals and door channels where that fine red dust loves to settle.

Now you actually touch the car. Use the two-bucket method. Wash a panel, rinse the mitt in the plain water bucket, then dunk in the soapy bucket. Use straight line motions, not circles.

If there are still bug guts on the bullbar or mirrors, use a dedicated bug remover. Don't scrub harder; let the chemicals do the work.

Spray an iron remover on the wheels and lower doors. If it turns purple, it's working. This gets rid of metallic brake dust and industrial fallout that a normal wash won't touch.

Give the whole thing one last thorough rinse to make sure all chemicals are gone.

Use a large, clean microfibre drying towel. I like to use a drying aid (a quick detailer spray) to add a bit of lubrication and shine while I dry. Use the leaf blower for the nooks and crannies.

Open all the doors. Use the leaf blower or compressed air to blow dust out of the vents, buttons, and seat rails before you start vacuuming.

Vacuum everything. Twice. Lift the floor mats, move the seats all the way forward and back. If the carpet is really dusty, hit it with a massage gun while vacuuming to vibrate the dirt to the surface.

Use a damp microfibre and a mild interior cleaner. Avoid the greasy 'shiny' dressings, they just attract more dust next time you're on a dirt road.

Clean the inside and outside of the windows. Use two towels: one to spread the cleaner, one perfectly dry one to buff it off to a streak-free finish.