The 40-item checklist for washing your friend’s car

(Photo: woodleywonderworks)

Summer is coming, and you’re ready to serve. Washing someone’s car is a wonderful way to help out a friend.

First things first – you’ll need permission to clean the car. A friendly call or visit should work. Say you’re out cleaning cars for the day and wondered if they’d like you to do theirs for them. Tell them up front you’re doing it for free.

When they agree, have them move their car (or move it yourself) near a water supply and power supply, and make sure it’s okay to clean a car there (check that the run-off won’t be a problem).

You might have to move the car twice if you can’t find somewhere with both a water and power supply nearby. Also, a shady spot is best so the water won’t dry too quickly, but don’t want to park under a tree because leaves and birds might help you “un-clean” it.

With the car in a decent location, you can get to work.

13 things you’ll need

  • Friend’s car (including permission to wash it)
  • Hose
  • Car soap
  • Bucket
  • Four or five sponges (Update: Sarah pointed out in the comments that sponges can get dirt or small rocks stuck in them and as a result scratch the car if you wash with them. So… perhaps just one sponge for the wax and add more soft towels. :) )
  • Brush for scrubbing the wheels and tires (optional)
  • Several towels, some for polishing and some for wiping
  • Baby wipes or special car cleaning towels (optional)
  • Vacuum cleaner with hand-held attachments
  • Carpet or upholstery spray cleaner
  • Window cleaner
  • Trash bags
  • New air freshener or air freshener spray (optional)

You’re ready to have at it once you’ve gathered the supplies.

17 steps for the inside

I’d suggest starting with the inside so you don’t have to deal with water on the ground while you’re vacuuming or whatever. Here’s a 17-item checklist for what you’ll need to clean:

  • Remove any loose objects that might get in your way like maps or books or whatever else might be laying in the car.
  • Pick up any trash on the floor, seats, door handles, or cup holders and throw it a trash bag.
  • Remove seats that move easily (like the backseats in minivans).
  • Remove floor mats and vacuum them.
  • Vacuum the seats.
  • Vacuum the floors.
  • Apply a carpet or upholstery cleaning spray to stain spots.
  • Vacuum around the doors.
  • Wipe down the sides and doors with a slightly damp cloth to remove dirt.
  • Wipe down the seats if they aren’t cloth.
  • Wipe down the dashboard, possibly a center console, and any other plastic parts with a slightly damp cloth to remove dirt.
  • Clean the windows, including the front and back windshields, with a window cleaner.
  • Put the car mats back where they belong.
  • Put the seats back into in the car.
  • Replace everything you took out of the car in the beginning.
  • Change out the trash bag (if the car has one inside).
  • Add the new air freshener or spray some scent inside (optional).

Close the doors because you’ve just detailed the inside of the car. Now for the outside…

10 steps for the outside

(Photo: vvvracer)

This is the part that adds the most bang for your time. Turn on your hose, fill your bucket with water and soap, and start washing. Here are nine steps to do that:

  • Rinse the dirt off the car.
  • Soap and scrub the roof of the car.
  • Rinse the roof.
  • Soap and scrub the front, back, left, and right sides of the car, rinsing after completing each so the soap doesn’t dry on.
  • Scrub the wheels and tires, perhaps with that separate brush or sponge.
  • Rinse the wheels and tires and the whole car one final time to remove water spots.
  • Dry the whole car with a clean, dry towel.
  • Apply car wax with one of your sponges.
  • Polish the car to a shine with a buffer towel.

And you’re done, done, done. Drive the car back to your friend or have ’em pick it up. When you’re offered money for the job, simply smile and say, “No, thanks. It’s my pleasure.”

Bonus tips:

  • Be careful what you pick up with your vacuum. If it’s primarily for indoor use, you can totally ruin it if you’re not careful using it outside.
  • Rinse your wet sponges towels often. Dirt or small rocks stuck in your sponge towels can scratch the car while you’re scrubbing. (Update: See the update toward the top. This is why rinses off all the dirt and small rocks in the beginning is important.)
  • If you have kids, get them involved with the car wash. For some reason, kids love water. :)

And now… enough with the charade – I know you already know how to clean and wash a car. The whole purpose here isn’t to teach you how to do it but to get you to do it by providing a fun checklist for you to work through.

I know I always love checking things off, and if you actually do this one, you’ll really bless someone. And hey, you might even get a sweet tan along the way. :)

Serving Suggestions:

(1) Print this out so you’ll have it with you while you’re cleaning.

(2) Get permission to wash someone’s car.

(3) And then get busy with it, checking off as you go.