Clean that car yourself

Washing a car will not be a difficult affair if you get the basics right. PHOTO ALEX ESAGALA.

You wake up to a dirty car but, for some reason, you cannot drive to the washing bay to have it cleaned. You are either broke or just do not trust washing bays since you do not intend to sit around to watch it.
Do not scratch your head so hard for a solution, you can do it yourself if you understand simple and vital basics of how and where you can start from.

Park in a shade
Sam Nsubuga, a mechanic in Kamwokya, Kampala, advises it is to wash your car under a shade to avoid fast dryoffs of soapy water. “If soapy scrams dry before being rinsed, the car will have marks and a pale surface,” he says.

Mind the materials you use
Many washing bays use water that is drawn from streams or dirty channels. However, such water contains stains that in the long run fade some parts of the car. Therefore, use clean water to rinse dust before you introduce water and car washing detergent, which should be rinsed off before drying.


“Don’t use household detergents because they can remove the paint. There are specific detergents for cars,” says Nsubuga. Soft clothes or sponges are the best for scrubbing since they are gentle on the surface.
Jimmy Muhindo, a washing bay attendant at Brown Flats in Bukoto, notes that rough materials will damage the car and leave scratches or remove some of the paint and wax.
“Wash the car in a vertical pattern to push the dirt downwards,” Muhindo says. According to Nsubuga, it is important to concentrate on one section of the car before moving on to another. “Start with the top parts and move downwards,” he says.

Washing the interior
After you have washed the exterior of the car, move to the interior but be careful not to wet the seats and some other parts if you will not have time to wait for them to dry.
Cleaning the interior must, at most, be limited to a wet sponge because car seats contain spongy material that takes long to dry, which might result into a pungent smell.
Other parts of the car interior apart from the seats are usually plastic and can be scrubbed with a wet sponge.

Washing the tyres
Most people will clean car wheels and rubber floor marts last. But it is advisable to clean such parts first to avoid dusty particles dropping on already cleaned surface.
“You can use a plastic brush with soft bristles to wash the sides of the wheels since a sponge may not effectively do this,” Muhindo tips.

No water in these areas

According to Peter Kimbowa, a mechanic in Kiseka Market downtown Kampala, you should never pour water on the engine because it might damage the sensors, thus the car may fail to start.
“There is no need to wash the engine. If it is very dirty, simply wipe it with a dry cloth,” he says and advises against rinsing the car seats with much water because it they do not dry, they will smell.