When it comes to putting some miles on your four-by-four, there’s not a lot of experience that could match the sheer expanse of driving through the Australian outback but Australia’s extreme weathers and the fact that the majority of the roads in the outback aren’t covered in tarmac means that this experience comes with a cost, both for you and the car you’re driving in.
For those of you making a living in the metropolis that is Sydney or Melbourne, dealing with the aftermath of what the outback inflicts on your Ford Ranger could be a hassle, especially for DIY-ers out there who’d rather not use the help of a professional service.
Luckily for you, the popularity water blasters as an all-around cleaning tool means that there are a lot of compact water blasters out there that has much less risk of damaging the exterior of your car.
Water blaster, or alternatively known as a pressure washer, works by ejecting high-pressure streams of water through a nozzle, it’s basically your average garden hose on steroids. It essentially acts as a water pump to any source of water of your choice and it comes in two flavors, one that’s powered by gasoline or one from electricity.
Gasoline powered water blaster has a relatively high pressure level so it’s usually exclusively used for heavy industrial purposes while electric water blaster, compact and relatively small machine that it is, is used for commercial and residential purposes, such as for cleaning house exteriors, swimming pools and motor vehicles.
We’re made to drive a car and to do washing
That being said though, electric water blaster is still a powerful little tool and used carelessly could cause damage to your car or even worse, to yourself, so take proper care especially when it is the first time you’ve ever used a water blaster yourself.
Common sense applies here, read the manuals, wear safety gears if necessary and don’t aim it at other people. Now, once you’re comfortable with the basic operation of a water blaster, it’s time to figure out how to properly wash your car and don’t fret as this article aim to help you with exactly that.
Choose the appropriate nozzle for your water blaster
Electric water blaster comes with color-coded nozzle that differs in spray angles and level of pressure and you need to make sure that the nozzle you’re using is appropriate for the task you’re currently on.
Choose the appropriate place for washing
Even if electric water blasters aren’t as powerful as their gas-powered cousins, the stream of water they eject is no joke and it is advisable for you to maintain a safe distance away from your car so as not to damage its paint.
One good idea is to start from a meter away and inch ever closer until you get to a distance you’re comfortable with. It’s by this same token that you should wash your car in an open space, to avoid hitting anything and also to give yourself plenty of space when washing. It should be noted however electric water blaster needs both a water outlet and an electrical outlet to function, so plan ahead.
Rinse your car first
Once the preparation is completed, if your car has any debris or other grimes stuck in its surface, wash it away first before applying any cleaning solutions. Make sure that the interior, the engine bay and the trunk is completely closed to keep any water from making their way to the interior. Use the green-tipped nozzle for this step, anything more powerful could risk damaging the paint.
Apply the cleaning solution of your choice
Most commercial water blasters come with a special tank for cleaning solutions, like what you’d find on washing machines but if there’s none to use, you can simply apply the solution manually with a cloth.
For the former, there’s usually a setting that switches the water blaster output to spray soap instead of water and depending on the solution you’re using, it might be advisable to dilute it with water beforehand. Use the black-tipped nozzle for this step and make sure to wait a few minutes before moving on the next step
Rinse the cleaning solution from your car
Using the white-tipped nozzle, wash the cleaning solution off of your car. Make sure that you’ve switched the setting back to spray water again or else you’re going to spend the rest of your day figuring out why the chemicals aren’t washing off. Once your car’s been rinsed clean, apply a towel or a soft cloth to dry your car.
And that’s it, that’s how you wash your car with a water blaster. Other than some precautions and tinkering, there really isn’t much difference compared to using your average garden hose.
It’s much quicker and takes less effort compared though and despite a number of warnings that using a water blaster could leave damages to your car, that’s only true if you’re careless, just like with other equipment.
Even using a stove could burn you if you’re not careful and it’s not like blog posts are written with the specific goal of getting you out of the kitchen. And hey, more time spend on washing your car could mean extra time on road trips, and who wouldn’t want that?