First and foremost, never, ever, use dishwashing soap to wash your car. Dish washing detergent strips off wax and can dull the finish. Use either a high-quality car wash product available at leading retail and auto parts stores or make your own. See the recipe box section of our site for how to make your own eco-friendly, cost effective and safe car wash and other car cleaners. Second, never wash a car when the body is hot or when the car has sat in direct sunlight for long periods of time.

To get started you will need two clean microfiber mits or cloths, a bucket, a hose soft chamois cloth for drying and specialty cleaners to remove bugs, tar, tree sap or bird poo.

Fill the bucket with clean water, making sure that you rinse the bucket to remove anything that may have accumulated before filling with clean water. Next use the microfiber mit or cloth to apply the cleaner to the paint, rinsing the cloth or mit frequently. Don't scrub your paint to remove stubborn marks like bird poo. Use a pressure hose to remove or a specialty formulated remover to loosen the dirt.

Use a separate cloth to clean the tires then the cloth you will use to clean the body paint. Grit and grime accumulate in the wheels and will be caught up in the cloth, which could cause damage to the paint if used there. Rinsing the cloth completely after cleaning each wheel.

Dry the car completely with a soft chamois cloth. Do not use a bath towel as it could cause scratches in the paint. Air drying will leave spots especially if you wash your car with un-softened or hard water.

Your car is constantly exposed to environmental contaminates, UV rays, road salt and other chemicals that can dull the surface of your paint. Modern car finishes with clean coat are very durable. However, for optimal protection and longevity of your car's finish, you should use a high quality wax after each washing.

After the car is dry, put a small plastic bag on your hand and run your hand over the paint surface. If you feel rough spots, there are contaminates or debris on the paint that were not removed during washing. To remove these contaminates, you will need to clay your car. Read more about claying your car in the car care section of our site.