How to Wash a Vehicle with Micro Fiber Cloths

Micro fiber cloths appeared for non-commercial use about four years ago. They are sold mostly for automobile care, but can be used for house cleaning and other maintenance needs. This article will focus on cleaning a vehicle.

Micro fiber cloth is a synthetic knit fiber of very small threads. The cloth is both soft and abrasive at such a micro level that you can’t feel it. Since it is made of so many small fibers, it is very absorbent, yet can be wrung almost dry like a chamois (shammy). Since it is synthetic, it holds dust, dirt, and bugs well, but rinses out easily, with very little being absorbed into the cloth.

Edit Steps

Park your vehicle in a shady place.

Hose off most of the loose dust and dirt. If a hose is not practical, such as in a camp ground or RV Park, use a bucket of water and the micro fiber mitt or micro fiber cloth. Apply water from the bottom of the vehicle up to avoid streaks.

Soak the micro fiber mitt with plain water, and wash a quarter of the car. Wash your car first, and the wheels last; this will lessen the chance of picking up debris that will scratch your vehicle. Rinse your mitt or cloth often. If you don’t have a micro fiber mitt, use a regular micro fiber cloth. The bugs and specks of dirt will come loose from the finish with very little rubbing. If some spots don’t come free on the first go-around, come back to them after the entire quarter has been washed.

Rinse the area that was washed, or wipe it down with a very wet micro fiber cloth.

Wipe the water off the area with a micro fiber cloth, wringing it damp dry as often a necessary. This will spread the water into a fine film that will not spot the finish. You can also hit any missed spots with the damp micro fiber cloth.

Take your clean, dry micro fiber cloth and wipe the area one more time, completely removing any of the fine film of moisture. You will completely polish and shine the finish, chrome and glass.

Throw the dirty micro fiber cloths into the wash.

Edit Tips

Don’t use fabric softener or bleach when you wash the micro fiber cloths.

When rinsing do not use a strong stream of water. Gently flood with an open hose. The water will sheet off rather than leave droplets on the surface. A strong stream may also penetrate areas that should remain dry.

If you have a large vehicle, have several sets of cloths, especially the one used at the end to dry the vehicle.

You can get micro fiber cloths all over the Internet, or Costco carries a 20-pack for about $12.00.

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Edit Warnings

Washing your vehicle in the shade gives you more time with each section. If you must wash in the sun, use smaller sections and move through the steps faster. Do not drop mitt or cloth on ground, it will pick up debris and scratch the surface you are washing!