All your car cleaning questions answered

Cleaning your car should be a relatively easy job, but getting your pride and joy back to its sparkling best often throws up a few curly questions.

Here are some common car cleaning conundrums that prove the most confounding. Whether you’re perplexed by how to clean bird poop off your car poo or confused at whether you can put car mats in the washing machine, read on.

Some experts say you should wash your car every week, others recommend every two weeks. Of course, there are a few variables to consider. How often do you drive? Do you keep your car undercover or out on the road? Are you more likely to be found on rally tracks or in multi-storey car parks? And what’s the weather been like – has there been much mud flying around lately?

If you want to clean your car on a budget, here’s how.

The best way to polish a car is by hand. Buffing machines can damage paint if you’re not well-versed on how to use them, our detailing expert warns.

It’s worth noting the difference between polishing and waxing. Both add shine, but polishing causes abrasions, making it ideal to smooth out minor scratches or other imperfections (see next question, below) before wax is applied as a protective layer. No imperfections? Skip the polish and go straight to the wax.

If you’re polishing, choose a product such as Autoglym Super Resin Polish

, and follow the instructions: wash and dry the paintwork; give the polish a shake and pour a small amount onto an applicator (foam or microfibre applicator pads and microfibre towels work best); apply in thin layer in overlapping circles (you can go a bit harder on scratches or dull patches); allow to dry, then use a clean microfibre towel or finishing cloth to buff.

Some polishes include wax, while others require you to wax

afterwards. Waxing is a similar process to polishing, except you leave the wax to cure for a little while (from minutes to hours, depending on the product) before buffing.

Yes, polishes and other scratch-removal products can be used to tackle light scratches on the top layer of paint. A deeper scratch – something that your thumbnail catches on – is likely to need more than a polish to correct.

From the Rainbow Bee-eater to the Wedge-tailed Eagle, our feathered friends come in a dizzying array of colours and sizes, but they all have one thing in common: they love to poop on cars.

So, how to clean bird poop off your car? If you’re thinking of reaching for the hose you’re on the right track. Water helps reduce the poo to a liquid state, making it easier to remove and less likely to damage paintwork. Aim to get as much off as you can with the hose, then use a damp microfibre cloth to dab and lift the rest off (if you just wipe, you may scratch the paintwork). You’ll find more helpful tips in our article on paint-safe ways to remove bird poo from your car.

Yes, cleaning the engine bay is a great idea, and should be part of any thorough car spring-clean to help prevent any mechanical or electronic issues.

You’ll need a degreasing cleaner such as Orange Agent

to get the grime off the engine, plastic protectant such as Vinyl Revival

to clean all the plastic bits, and some detailing brushes

to get in all the nooks and crannies.

It’s generally not a good idea as rubber and washing machines don’t mix well. However, if your mats are all fabric, with no rubber trims, it might be a possibility. Check the label or the manufacturer’s website to see if the mats are machine washable.

A combination of vacuuming, brushing and hand washing is usually the way to go. A carpet cleaner

or vinyl care

product (depending on whether your mats are fabric or rubber) can help.

Cleaning car lights is often overlooked but it’s an important step in an overall car clean. After a solid headlight clean or restoration their visibility will increase and you’ll be able to see better at night when you need to most. If your headlights are a bit cloudy or yellow, it might be time to reach for a headlight cleaner

or headlight restoration kit

.

Head to our Go Well Content Hub for more car cleaning pearls of wisdom.

^Disclaimer

^{Viva Energy Australia Pty Ltd (“Viva Energy”) has compiled the above article for your general information and to use as a general reference. Whilst all reasonable care has been taken by Viva Energy in compiling this article, Viva Energy does not warrant or represent that the information in the article is free from errors or omissions or is suitable for your intended use.}