Okay, so my car was looking pretty rough the other day. Just caked with dust and road grime. I've got this pressure washer sitting in the garage, mostly used it for the driveway. I figured, why not try some of that special pressure washer detergent auto stuff I saw at the store? Seemed easier than scrubbing by hand, right?

First thing, I dragged the pressure washer out from the back of the garage. Had to untangle the cords and hose, always a bit of a mess. Hooked up the garden hose to the inlet, made sure it was tight so it wouldn't spray everywhere. Then plugged the power cord into the outdoor outlet.

Next, I grabbed the bottle of car wash detergent. It specifically said it was for pressure washers and safe for cars. I read the back real quick – some you have to mix with water, but this one said to pour it straight into the detergent tank on the machine itself. Simple enough.

Setting Things Up

So, I found the little detergent tank on my pressure washer. It had a small screw cap. Unscrewed that and carefully poured the blue soap stuff in. I didn't fill it completely, maybe about halfway? Didn't want to waste it or make too much foam if I messed up.

Then came the important part: the nozzle tip on the wand. My washer came with a few different colored ones for different pressures. I remembered reading somewhere you need the low-pressure nozzle for soap. Found the black one, which is usually the soap nozzle, and clicked it onto the end of the spray wand. You definitely don't want to blast soap out at full force; it's meant to be applied gently.

Doing the Wash

Alright, time for action. I turned the water on at the spigot, then started the pressure washer motor. Gave it a second to build pressure. First, I gave the whole car a quick pre-rinse with just water. For this, I actually popped off the soap nozzle and used a wider angle one (I think the green or white one?) just to knock off the loose dirt and wet the surface. Didn't spend too long on this, just a quick pass.

Then, I switched back to the black soap nozzle. Took a deep breath and pulled the trigger. Success! Out came this stream of water mixed with the pressure washer detergent auto soap. It wasn't super thick, crazy foam like you see in some fancy detailing videos, but it was definitely soapy water, clinging to the car.

I sprayed it all over, making sure to cover everything. I tried to follow the advice I read: start applying from the bottom of the car and work your way up. Supposedly this helps prevent the soap from running down too fast and causing streaks before it has a chance to work. Covered the wheels, body panels, windows, everything.

Once the car was all soapy, I let it sit for a few minutes. The bottle said something like 3-5 minutes. Just let the soap dwell and hopefully break down the grime. I made sure not to let it dry on the paint, especially since it was a mildly sunny day. You could kinda see the dirt starting to loosen up in the suds.

Rinsing and Results

After letting it sit, it was time to rinse. I swapped the nozzle again, this time to a wider rinsing nozzle (I used the 40-degree white tip). This time, I started rinsing from the top of the car and worked my way down. Makes sense, so the soap washes downwards and off the car.

I took my time with the rinse, making sure I got all the detergent off. Paid extra attention to places where soap likes to hide, like around the mirrors, window seals, door handles, and the grille. You don't want dried soap spots left behind.

Once I was sure all the soap was off, I turned off the pressure washer and the water. Stepped back to take a look.

Honestly? It came out pretty darn good! It wasn't like a professional detail, obviously, but it removed probably 90% of the dirt and road film. The car looked way better, much cleaner and brighter. Here's a quick list of what I noticed:

• The main layer of dirt and grime washed away easily.
• It definitely saved a lot of time and effort compared to bucket washing and scrubbing the whole car.
• There were still a few stubborn spots, like some baked-on bug splatters on the front bumper and mirrors, and a little bit of tough grime low down on the doors. These needed a quick wipe with a microfiber mitt afterwards.
• The wheels also came out cleaner but could have used a dedicated wheel cleaner and brush for the really baked-on brake dust.

So, my final thoughts? Using the pressure washer detergent auto soap was definitely worth it for a regular maintenance wash. It's quick, easy, and does a decent job getting the bulk of the dirt off with minimal effort. Just gotta manage expectations – it won't magically remove every single tough spot without a little extra help. But yeah, I'll be doing this again. Much better than spending an hour scrubbing.