How do I wash a car?

[DingDongMerrilyOutOfSeason]

Apologies for the insanely stupid thread title, but have never actually washed a car with a bucket and sponge and that sort of thing, always take it to the carwash! Trying to save cash so have got my bucket out but do I use washing up liquid? Or something else? So I use a sponge or a cloth? My hose doesn't reach out the front of the house so would have to rinse with buckets of water. Is this going to cost me the same in water as going to the carwash?
Please help!

any kind of soap, fairy liquid will work, proper car stuff would be better.

sponge it all on, soap it up and scrub it clean. then rinse with clean water.

Dry with a cloth.

Dry with a cloth? Blimey, your car is pampered. That is what the sun is for.

kreecher I agree that the sun is for drying cars but I thought rain was for washing them

Do you have a water meter?

Yes. Will it be cheaper that driving a few miles to the garage and paying £3.20 to wash car?

Afraid I don't know. But I doubt it. You could probably wash your car with three or four standard buckets of water. Does that help?

Off to bed but do appreciate your replies, will check in the morning

I do normally leave to dry in the sun. but if you want a streak free high polished look then a quick rub over with dry cloth works.

my car barely even gets washed ....unless the dc have been naughty and i make them as punishment

Don't use washing up liquid - it isn't good for the paint. You need to use proper car washing liquid, which is quite cheap from supermarkets.

Start by washing off all the grime with a hosepipe or watering can (I use water from the water butt and a watering can). Once you've done this, take a bucket of lukewarm water and car washing liquid and either a sponge, or better still a microfibre cloth. Wash the car from top to bottom - if you do the bottom first you will get bits of grime in your cloth and scratch the top with them, if you see what I mean. Perfectionists use 2 buckets - one to rinse the sponge/cloth in before you put it back in the soapy water.

Once the car is clean, use the water that's left to wash the wheels.

Then rinse all the soap off, either with hosepipe or watering can as before.

Finally, dry with a chamois or microfibre cloth.

If you drop the cloth on the ground, don't put it back on the car, as the bits of grit you might pick up will scratch the paint.

FGS don't use Fairy liquid - you will knacker the paintwork and strip the polish off.

I use a watering can to drench the car, and two big buckets; pretty much doing as janey says (although I'm not a perfectionist because I don't have a mit and I rarerly polish after ). The second bucket (the rinsing one) hopefully removes any grit picked up on the sponge/mitt, minimising scratching risk.

I use AutoGlym - this stuff - it isn't cheap but lasts for ages and leaves my baby lovely and shiny.

Thanks all. Went shopping yesterday and bought a lovely new sponge and some car shampoo but by the time DCs were in bed, I only had time to wash the windscreen! Better luck next time...

Happy carwashing :)