Summer Weekly Maintenance Routine for Harsh Environments

Never apply water or chemicals to a hot vehicle. In 40°C weather, panels can reach 70°C. Touch the bonnet with the back of your hand; if it is too hot to hold there for 5 seconds, move the vehicle into total shade and allow it to cool for at least 30 minutes. Applying cold water to hot glass or brake rotors can cause thermal shock and cracking.

Mix your snow foam and shampoo according to the manufacturer's 'Heavy Duty' ratio if red dust or salt is present. For snow foam, this is typically 1:9 (100ml product to 900ml water) in a foam cannon. Ensure you use filtered water if possible to reduce the risk of mineral spotting during the wash process.

Walk around the vehicle to identify bird droppings, bat guano, or large insect splatters. These require pre-treatment. If they are 'baked on' by the sun, do not scrub them. Note their locations for targeted softening during the pre-rinse phase to avoid scratching the underlying paint.

Arrange your hoses and buckets to ensure they don't drag across the paintwork. Position your pressure washer in a way that allows 360-degree access. Ensure you are wearing closed-toe shoes and eye protection, as high-pressure water can kick up stones or concentrated chemicals from the wheel arches.

Clean the dirtiest parts first so grime doesn't splash onto clean paint later. Apply wheel cleaner to cool rims and use a dedicated brush to agitate. Use a high-pressure rinse to flush out the inner barrels and wheel arches, where coastal salt and outback mud collect and cause hidden rust.

Using an underbody attachment or a 40-degree nozzle, thoroughly rinse the chassis from front to back. Pay special attention to the top of the chassis rails where red dust sits and holds moisture, and the suspension components where salt spray accumulates. This should take at least 5 minutes of continuous rinsing.

Rinse the entire body with high pressure to remove loose topical grit. Start from the roof and work down. This step is critical in Australia to remove the 'first layer' of abrasive dust before any contact is made, significantly reducing the risk of swirl marks.

Apply a thick layer of snow foam to the entire vehicle. The foam should dwell for 4-5 minutes but must not dry on the paint. In high heat, you may need to work in sections or mist the foam with water to keep it wet. The foam encapsulates fine dust particles and lifts them off the surface.

While the foam is dwelling, use a dedicated bug and grime remover on the front grill and mirror caps. The enzymes in the cleaner will break down the proteins in bug splatter that have been hardened by the UV rays. Gently agitate with a soft brush if necessary.

Rinse the foam thoroughly, starting from the bottom and working up (to see where you've been), then a final rinse from the top down. Ensure all foam is cleared from window seals, door handles, and fuel caps where it can cause streaks if left to dry.

Fill one bucket with PH-neutral shampoo and the other with plain rinse water. Dip your mitt in the soap, wash a panel (starting with the roof), then rinse the mitt in the plain water bucket to drop the dirt before reloading soap. Use straight-line passes only; never circular motions.

Run your hand (inside a plastic sandwich bag) over the lower panels. If it feels like sandpaper, you have embedded contaminants. For a weekly wash, do not clay bar unless necessary, but note these areas for a monthly deep clean. If salt residue is visible, apply a salt-neutralising spray now.

Remove the nozzle from the hose and let a low-pressure stream of water flow over the car. This 'sheeting' technique uses surface tension to pull most of the water off the paint, leaving less work for your drying towel and reducing the risk of water spotting in the heat.

Use a large microfibre drying towel. Lay it flat across a panel and pull it towards you. Do not 'scrub' the paint dry. For mirrors and grilles, use a car dryer or leaf blower to expel trapped water that will otherwise cause 'weeping' streaks later.

Apply a ceramic detailer or Si02-based spray sealant while the paint is slightly cool. This adds a sacrificial layer that reflects UV radiation and makes the surface hydrophobic, preventing bird droppings from bonding to the paint during the following week.

Wipe the interior glass with a dedicated glass cleaner to remove the 'outgassing' film caused by dashboard plastics heating up in the sun. Apply a non-greasy UV protectant to the dashboard and door cards to prevent cracking and fading from the intense Australian sun.