How to Give Your New Car Its First Proper Wash (Mar 2026)

Never wash a car in direct Aussie sunlight. March can still hit 35 degrees easily. If the metal is hot to the touch, the soap will dry and leave spots before you can rinse it. If you've got no shade, do it at first light or after the sun goes down.

Always start with the wheels. They're usually the filthiest part. If you do them last, you'll splash brake dust and grime onto your clean paint. Use a separate bucket for your wheel brushes too.

Fill one bucket with soapy water and the other with plain water. This plain water is your 'rinse' bucket. Every time you wipe the car, rinse the mitt in the plain water first to drop the dirt before going back into the soap.

Spray your wheel cleaner on cool rims. Let it dwell for a minute but don't let it dry. Use your brush to get into the barrels and around the nuts. Rinse 'em off thoroughly.

Give the whole car a good blast with water. You want to knock off all the loose grit, especially if it's been sitting in a dusty holding yard. Start from the top and work down.

If you've got a foam cannon, chuck some foam on and let it sit for 5 minutes. This softens up any bird droppings or tree sap. It's a lifesaver for prevents scratches.

Starting from the roof, gently wipe with your soapy mitt. Don't scrub, just let the weight of the mitt do the work. Use the two-bucket method I mentioned earlier.

In our climate, I usually rinse each panel as I finish it. Don't wait until the whole car is done or you'll get water spots, especially on a black car (I made this mistake on a black Commodore once, never again).

Run your hand over the paint. Does it feel like sandpaper? That's industrial fallout. Use a fine clay mitt with plenty of soapy water as lubricant to gently glide over the surface until it feels smooth as glass.

One last rinse to make sure all the clay residue and soap is gone from the gaps in the doors and lights.

Lay your large microfibre towel across the flat surfaces and just pat it dry. For the sides, wipe gently. If you've got a leaf blower, use it to blow water out of the mirrors and badges so it doesn't drip later.

Since the paint is fresh and clean, now is the time to protect it. Apply your sealant or spray ceramic. This is what stops the sun from fading your clear coat and makes the next wash ten times easier.

Clean the glass with a dedicated glass cleaner (no ammonia if you have tint!). Put a bit of tyre shine on for that finished look. Don't go overboard or it'll flick up onto your clean paint the moment you drive off.