The Ultimate Summer Maintenance Wash Routine

Before applying any water or chemicals, check the surface temperature of the panels. In an Australian summer, panels can reach 70°C. If the metal is hot to the touch, move the vehicle to a shaded area and allow it to cool for at least 30 minutes. Applying cold water to hot brake discs or sun-baked paint can cause thermal shock or chemical spotting.

Mix your chemicals according to the current humidity. In dry, high-heat conditions, slightly increase the water-to-soap ratio to prevent the solution from drying too quickly. Prepare your wash bucket with 15L of water and 50ml of premium shampoo, and fill your rinse bucket with pure water.

Use a pressure washer (set to approx. 1500-2000 PSI) to remove loose grit, red dust, and salt. Start from the roof and work down. Pay special attention to wheel arches and door shuts where salt and dust accumulate. This step removes 80% of the abrasive dirt before you ever touch the paint.

Walk around the vehicle and identify bird droppings or tree sap. Spot-treat these areas with a dedicated bug and tar remover or a wet microfibre soaked in warm water for 2 minutes to soften the enzymes before the main wash begins. This prevents the need for aggressive scrubbing later.

Always clean wheels first. If you clean them last, you'll splash dirty brake dust onto your clean paint. Apply a pH-neutral wheel cleaner to cool rims. Let it dwell for 3-5 minutes (it should turn purple as it reacts). Agitate with a soft barrel brush and rinse thoroughly. This prevents corrosive brake dust from pitting the alloy finish.

Apply a thick layer of snow foam to the entire vehicle, starting from the bottom and moving up. This allows the surfactants to dwell longer on the dirtiest lower sections. Let the foam dwell for 5-8 minutes, but do not allow it to dry. The foam encapsulates fine dust and carries it off the surface as it dwells.

Dunk your mitt into the soapy wash bucket, then gently glide it over the roof in straight lines. Never use circular motions, as these create 'swirl marks'. After each panel, rinse the mitt in the dedicated rinse bucket to drop trapped grit before re-loading with soap. This ensures you are always using a clean mitt on the paint.

Use a soft-bristled detailing brush to agitate the snow foam around window seals, badges, fuel filler caps, and grilles. These areas collect salt and red dust that a wash mitt cannot reach. Gentle agitation prevents the 'crusting' of dirt in gaps that eventually leads to trim failure.

Switch your hose to a 'flood' setting (nozzle removed). Start at the top and let the water sheet down the panels. This 'pooling' effect uses surface tension to pull most of the standing water off the car, leaving much less work for your drying towel and reducing the chance of water spotting.

Lay your large microfibre drying towel flat across the horizontal surfaces (hood, roof) and pat it down. Do not drag it. For vertical surfaces, use a light 'blotting' motion. For an Australian summer, speed is key here; you must dry the vehicle before the sun evaporates the remaining water droplets, which leaves mineral deposits (water spots).

Open all doors, the boot, and the bonnet. Use a separate, older microfibre to dry the internal channels. In coastal areas, salt-laden moisture sits in these channels and causes 'hidden' rust. Wiping these dry weekly is the single best way to prevent long-term structural corrosion.

Clean the exterior glass using a dedicated glass cleaner and two towels. Use the first towel to spread the cleaner and the second 'dry' towel to buff to a streak-free finish. Clean glass is vital for safety during the high-glare Australian summer sunsets.

While the paint is cool and clean, apply a quick ceramic-infused spray sealant. Spray 2-3 mists per panel and buff immediately with a plush microfibre. This adds a sacrificial layer that reflects UV rays and makes the next week's wash significantly easier by preventing dust from bonding.

Apply a water-based tyre dressing to the sidewalls. Avoid silicon-based 'sling' products which can brown the rubber over time (blooming). A water-based dressing provides a satin finish and includes UV blockers to prevent the sidewalls from cracking in the 40°C heat.