If you don’t want to go to the car wash, you can wash your car yourself. But be careful: washing your car privately is not allowed in many places. You can find out what you should pay attention to and what the legal situation is here.
Exterior cleaning
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First of all, you should coarse dirt and dirt Remove by hand (e.g. leaves lying in the engine compartment in front of the windshield).
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bird droppings, insectstree resin, etc. should be removed as soon as possible as they can damage the paint in the long term.
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Then start with the actual exterior cleaning. With the high pressure cleaner Salt, sand and coarse dirt are the easiest to remove. The pretreatment is important so that the paint is not scratched with small grains of sand during subsequent cleaning.
Important here: Keep at least 30 centimeters away from all vehicle parts, otherwise they will be easily damaged.
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With sponge, Car shampoo and lukewarm water you can now wash the car.
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Then the Varnish with a chamois leather or microfiber cloth Rub dry. Also pay attention to the entrances, as these are often particularly dirty.
Wash wheels and rims
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With a high pressure cleaner The easiest way to pre-treat wheels and rims (not over 60 degrees Celsius) is to then clean them with a sponge and shampoo.
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For stubborn dirt could you also Rim cleaner Use: Pay close attention to the manufacturer’s instructions. Then rinse off the cleaner and, if necessary, rework it with the sponge.
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Inside Of course, rims can only be cleaned if the wheels are removed.
Further information on cleaning rims can be found in our article “Cleaning aluminum rims.”
Clean plastic strips and door rubbers
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Plastic strips after cleaning with Plastic care products Treat, this refreshes the colors again.
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Door rubbers are best done with special ones Rubber care sticks/products Treat: This is especially important if you want to make the car winter-proof, as it protects the door rubbers from drying out.
Clean windows
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Window cleaning products and a microfiber cloth are usually enough External and internal windows to get clean. Sticks Tar or fly droppings on the window, you can use special removers.
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Remove toll stickers: Soften “Pickerl” using the heat of a hairdryer. It can then be removed. Wipe away any adhesive residue with a silicone remover.
Clean interior
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Let’s start with the thorough one Vacuuming the interior. Be careful with plastics: The hard vacuum cleaner nozzle can leave scratches and marks on softer materials.
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For the fittings: A special brand of cleaner, a bucket of water and a microfiber cloth. Also Seat cushion and fabric side panels can be cleaned with it. But be careful: don’t get it wet, just rub with foam!
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If there is deep dirt, one helps Wet vacuum cleanerwhich sprays the areas and immediately pulls the moisture and dirt out again.
Legal: Wash your car at home
Washing vehicles privately on your own property is usually the case not permitted, because there is always the risk of contaminating the groundwater. This is especially true for unpaved ground such as lawn, gravel or gravel. If the ground is solid it can local exceptions if the washing water is completely drained into the municipal sewerage system and the wastewater is cleaned there. The provisions for these exceptions are issued by the respective ones Municipalities.
More detailed information about the legal situation in this video:
Can you wash the car on the street?
A vehicle wash on public property is usually the case municipal statutes in contrast to. In the Road traffic regulations It also prohibits the street from being soiled or wetted if this could endanger or make traffic more difficult.
ADAC tip: Use washing areas
Since not only cleaning agents, but also dissolved oil and soot can collect in the wastewater when washing cars, we recommend that cars and motorcycles only be cleaned in approved car washes or areas because these facilities have a groundwater-conserving cleaning system feature.
Video: Wash your car yourself
How to get your car ready for spring.
