You can wash a dirty car with Raj’s pre-rinse, pre-wash, and snow foam hand wash, then finish with a spray and seal that protects for 3 months to 6 months. You will need water for rinsing, a pre-wash, soap, a snow foam wash, spray wax, a spray and seal, and blow air for drying. This step-by-step guide follows Raj from Jim’s Car Detailing and shows you how to wash a car.
Watch Raj clean this Tesla above, or keep reading for the step-by-step breakdown.
What Will You Need To Wash And Protect The Car?
Raj keeps the process simple and staged. Here is everything he mentions or uses in the walk-through.
- Water supply for a pre-rinse and rinse
- Pre-wash (used on the paintwork)
- Soap (for hand washing)
- Snow foam wash
- Rim cleaning setup (to clean the rim properly)
- Underbody wash setup (optional, for some four-wheel drives)
- Spray wax
- Spray and seal (adds protection for 3 months to 6 months)
- Blow air (Raj does not use any shammy or rag)
How Do You Wash A Dirty Car Step By Step?
Step 1: Pre-Rinse The Car
Raj starts by pointing out that the Tesla is “quite dirty”.
He begins with a pre-rinse before anything else.
Pre-rinse the full exterior to knock off loose dirt so the next stage can do its job.
Step 2: Apply The Pre-Wash To The Paintwork
After the pre-rinse, Raj moves straight to paintwork prep.
Apply the pre-wash over the paintwork. Raj says this stage helps “dissolve the dirt and the contamination.”
Step 3: Rinse The Car
Raj follows the pre-wash with a rinse.
Rinse the car to remove the pre-wash and the loosened grime before you touch the car with a hand wash.
Step 4: Clean The Rim Properly
Raj calls this out clearly: “Have to clean the rim properly.”
Clean the rims as part of the exterior wash process, not as an afterthought.
Step 5: Remove The Pre-Wash And Check The Clean Level
Raj treats this as a checkpoint in the workflow.
He says, “Now it’s time to remove the pre-wash. So, the car will be 80% clean.”
He also describes it as “almost 80%, 90% dirt free.”
Remove the pre-wash fully, then move on once the car sits at that cleaner baseline.
Step 6: Apply Soap And Hand Wash
Now Raj moves to contact washing.
He says, “After that, we will apply the soap, and we will hand-wash it.”
He also reinforces the order: the pre-wash came first “to get rid of all the dirt and everything.”
Apply soap, then hand-wash the exterior.
Step 7: Do The Snow Foam Wash, Then Hand Wash Again
Raj introduces the next stage: “Now this is a snow foam wash.”
Then he says, “We have to hand-wash now.”
Apply the snow foam wash, then follow it with another hand wash stage, in the order shown.
Step 8: Add An Underbody Wash When Needed
Raj shares an extra step for certain vehicles.
He says, “This is how I do a bit of underbody wash.”
He adds, “Some four-wheel drives. They are quite dirty underneath.”
If you are working on a vehicle that is dirty underneath, add the underbody wash stage.
Step 9: Spray Wax After The Wash
Raj moves to protection right after the wash stages.
He says, “After the wash, we spray wax.”
Spray wax after the wash is complete, before the final rinse.
Step 10: Use Spray And Seal For Protection
Raj calls out the product and the result.
He says, “It’s a spray and seal. It gives a bit of protection for 3 months to 6 months.”
He also says, “The water beads off very easily.”
Apply the spray and seal as your protection step.
Step 11: Rinse Off And Look For Water Beading
Raj says, “And now we rinse off.”
He adds, “You will see the water beads off” because of the spray and seal.
Rinse the car, then check that the water beads off the surface as the finish.
Step 12: Dry The Car With Blow Air
Raj finishes with drying.
He says, “Now it’s time to dry the car. So, we will dry with the blow air.”
He also says, “We don’t use any shammy or rag.”
Then he explains why: “Because for me, I want to protect the car more. So, we will dry with the blow air.”
Dry the car using blow air and avoid using a shammy or rag if you want to follow Raj’s method.
What Mistakes Should You Avoid?
Raj does not list mistakes as a checklist, but his process makes the “don’t do this” points obvious.
- Don’t skip the pre-rinse and go straight to hand washing. Raj starts with a pre-rinse because the Tesla is “quite dirty.”
- Don’t ignore the rims. Raj says you have to clean the rim properly.
- Don’t treat the pre-wash as optional. Raj uses it to dissolve “the dirt and the contamination” before the main contact wash.
- Don’t dry with a shammy or rag if you want to follow Raj’s approach. He chooses blow air because he wants to protect the car more.
- Don’t forget the underside of some four-wheel drives. Raj points out that they can be quite dirty underneath.
When Should You Call Jim’s Car Detailing?
DIY works when you have the right setup, and you can follow the stages properly. Call a professional when you want the same staged process done safely, especially if the vehicle is heavily soiled, you want a consistent finish, or you simply do not want to risk doing it wrong.
If you want a pro to handle the wash, protection step, and dry-down properly, book a service through Jim’s Car Detailing or call 131 546.
If you are looking at this as a business, see this.
FAQs About Snow Foam, Spray And Seal, And Drying
Raj starts with a pre-rinse because the Tesla is “quite dirty.” He does this before any hand washing.
Raj says the pre-wash helps dissolve “the dirt and the contamination” on the paintwork before the main wash.
Raj says you have to clean the rim properly. He treats it as part of the wash process, not something you do at the end.
Raj says the car will be 80% clean, and he also calls it “almost 80%, 90% dirt free” before he moves into the hand-wash stages.
Raj moves from pre-rinse and pre-wash into hand washing, then he does the snow foam wash and follows it with another hand wash stage.
Raj says the spray and seal gives protection for 3 months to 6 months, and it makes the water bead off very easily.