As Tesla owners, we desire clean cars. So many washing procedures make keeping it clean confusing. Here are the finest ways to wash and clean your Tesla.
Best Ways to Wash your Tesla
Handwashing
If you love your Tesla, do this. It's great since it reduces contamination and scratches. Some stores use foam cannons. Foam, rinse, and pressure-wash the car to remove heavy grime. Using a two-bucket approach, wash the panels from top to bottom. You can pre-wash your tesla and do handwashing before rinsing between panels and do rockers and bumpers last. Without a pressure washer or foam cannon, use the two-bucket approach. Rinse first to loosen the dirt.
Putting forth the extra effort to hand wash your Tesla is a labor of love. It is the most effective approach for reducing the amount of pollution and avoiding the annoying scratches that can ruin the finish of your vehicle.
Materials Needed:
- Car wash soap
- Two buckets
- Microfiber wash mitt
- Grit guard
- Hose or pressure washer
- Drying towels
Pre-Rinse: Start by thoroughly rinsing your Tesla with a hose or pressure washer to loosen dirt and debris.
Prepare Buckets: Fill two buckets with water—one for soapy water and the other for rinsing. Add car wash soap to the soapy water bucket and place a grit guard inside to trap dirt.
Top to Bottom: Begin washing your Tesla from the top and work your way down. Use the microfiber wash mitt in the soapy water to gently scrub each panel.
Frequent Rinsing: Rinse the mitt in the clean water bucket frequently to remove dirt and grime, preventing scratches.
Rinse Panels: After washing each panel, rinse it thoroughly with water to remove soap residue.
Drying: Finish by drying your Tesla with clean, microfiber drying towels to prevent water spots.
Benefits of Washing Your Hands:
- The gentlest way to clean the paint on your Tesla is to wash it by hand. It makes it less likely that your car will get scratches or swirl marks, which can happen at automatic car washes.
- Customizable: When you wash your hands, you have full control over how hard you scrub and where you clean. You can pay more attention to spots that are especially dirty to make sure they are clean.
- Many Tesla drivers find it relaxing and enjoyable to wash their cars by hand. It can be relaxed and fun, and it can help you get to know your car better.
Other Things to Consider:
- Techniques for washing: Handwashing is safe when done right, but using a dirty wash brush or putting too much pressure on the car can damage the paint. Use a good wash mitt and the two-bucket method every time.
- To avoid water spots, it's important to dry things the right way. After washing your Tesla, you might want to use a special cleaning towel or a high-quality microfiber cloth to dry it gently.
- How often you hand wash your Tesla relies on many things, such as where you live, how you drive, and your own preferences. Aim to wash your hair every two to four weeks, but make changes as needed.
Waterless
Waterless wash means just that. Best results come from 300+ GSM microfibers. Some cosmetics contain wax for shine and protection. Avoid using it after mudding or in dirty regions to avoid scratches. Use clean microfibers to avoid scratching your Tesla.
When you don't have access to a hose or bucket, waterless cleaning is the best option for getting the job done. It is a speedy, hassle-free, and environmentally responsible option.
Materials Needed
- Waterless car wash spray
- High-quality microfiber towels (300+ GSM)
- Wax-infused waterless spray (optional)
Spray Solution: To begin, spray the waterless car wash solution onto a part of your Tesla's surface that is approximately one square inch in size.
Wipe with Care: Using a high-quality microfiber towel, carefully remove dirt and grime from the surface using a wiping motion in a straight line.
Buff: Polishing involves turning the towel over to the clean side, then buffing the surface in order to get a finish that is free of streaks.
Repeat: Continue Cleaning Your Tesla Panel by Panel Carry on cleaning your Tesla panel by panel until the whole vehicle is spotless.
Optional Wax: After cleaning, you may want to try applying a waterless spray that contains wax as an additional layer of protection and gloss.
Benefits of Waterless Cleaning:
- Convenience: Cleaning without water is very handy. It's great for times when standard ways of washing aren't possible, like when you're on the go or live in a place with limited water.
- Eco-Friendly: Waterless cleaning is good for the environment because it doesn't use tons of water. It helps keep water from running out.
- Versatility: You can clean the inside and outside of your Tesla without water. You can also use it to clean windows, inner panels, and even things around the house.
Other Things to Consider:
- Surface Condition: Cleaning without water works best on areas that are only moderately dirty. If your Tesla is covered in mud or has a lot of grime, you should pre-rinse or use a different way to clean it.
- Quality of Microfiber Towels: To clean without water, you must use high-quality microfiber towels with a high GSM (grams per square meter). If you use cheap or low-quality blankets, they can scratch the paint on your car.
- Avoid Too Much Pressure: When cleaning, use light pressure so you don't push dirt into the paint and cause scratches.
Rinseless
Rinseless wash doesn't sud up, therefore it doesn't need to be rinsed. It must be dried. Rinseless product in water. You may also use a spray bottle to pre-soak the worst areas. This wraps dirt to prevent Tesla scratches. "Gary Dean Method" employs many microfibre towels.
In addition to being kind to the environment and saving water, washing without rinsing is very effective at getting things clean. It is an excellent choice for people who wish to reduce their intake of water.
- Rinseless car wash solution
- Multiple microfiber towels
- Bucket with rinseless wash solution
- Clean, dry towels
Prepare: To start, prepare a bucket with rinseless car wash solution and a number of microfiber towels to use as drying towels.
Pre-Soak: To get the dirt to come loose, you should first pre-soak the area that you plan to clean with the rinseless solution.
Wash Gently: Wash the panel using a damp microfiber towel, and while doing so, gently agitate the surface to remove any dirt that may have accumulated.
Dry the Panel Immediately: In order to avoid water marks, immediately dry the panel using a microfiber cloth that has been wrung out.
Polish to Shine: To get a glossy finish that is free of streaks, polish the surface with a clean, dry towel.
Repeat: Repeat the process of washing and drying one panel at a time until your Tesla is spotless throughout.
Benefits of Waterless cleaning:
- Water Conservation: Washing without a rinse is a great way to save water. It needs less water than traditional ways, so it is better for the environment.
- No Need for a Hose: You can wash your clothes without rinsing them anywhere, even if you don't have a hose or running water.
- Effective Cleaning: Even though rinseless washing uses less water, it gets rid of dirt and grime effectively, leaving your Tesla clean and shiny.
Other Things to Consider:
- Proper Diluting: When diluting the rinseless wash solution, follow the guidelines from the manufacturer. Using the right quantity makes cleaning work better and reduces the chance of streaks or spots.
- Multiple Towels: If you want to wash without rinsing, keep a few microfiber towels on hand. This lets you switch to clean blankets when the old ones get dirty, so dirt doesn't get back on the surface.
- Working in parts: When doing rinseless washing, divide your Tesla into parts that are easy to handle. This makes sure that you clean and dry each area before going on, which keeps the solution from drying on the surface.
Auto-Car-Wash
This approach is the least advised since it can scratch your Tesla. Automatic vehicle washes are contact and touchless. Contact car washes employ bristle or cloth brushes to wash cars as they pass through the tunnel. Since automatic car washes wash hundreds of automobiles daily, dirt gets trapped on the brushes and scratches your car. Touchless vehicle washes don't use brushes but employ stronger chemicals to remove grime. I'd prefer a touchless vehicle wash over a contact one. Be careful if you have a vinyl wrap or ceramic coating, since powerful chemicals may discolor or damage them. Before washing your automobile, verify with the vinyl company.
Considerations:
- Possible Risks: The biggest problem with automatic car washes, especially those with real brushes, is that they could damage the paint on your Tesla. Brushes can get scratched because they hold dirt and debris from the last time they were cleaned.
- Check for Compatibility: If your Tesla has a vinyl wrap or a ceramic finish, don't use automatic car washes too often. Certain chemicals can hurt or change the color of these coats.
- Even if you use an automatic car wash once in a while, you should always check the paint on your Tesla for any signs of damage or swirl marks.
Tips & Tricks
- Please refrain from using automated car washes unless they are touchless. This is strictly forbidden per the owner's handbook, and it will inevitably ruin the paint job.
- Avoid doing your laundry in the hot sun. In most cases, white watermarks would appear all over the automobile.
- Use caution while cleaning with harsh chemicals.
- Keep at least 30cm of space between you and any stone chips while you use a pressure washer.
- Never use a soiled sponge or a wash mitt that has been dropped on the floor.
- Avoid spraying cameras, sensors, light edges, etc. with a pressure washer.
- Don't spray windows or seals with a power washer for an extended duration.
- Please don't direct high-pressure water hoses into the charging port.
- You can also get your Tesla’s interior parts like the camera, protected from dirt and debris using a camera cover and more interior essentials to keep your car in the best shape.
Quick tips for your Tesla interior
One of the primary reasons why a Tesla car depreciates more quickly and, as a consequence, fetches a lower resale value is because the inside is not cleaned on a regular basis and in the appropriate manner. Although the inside, as well as the outside of the Tesla, should be cleaned, the topic of this post is going to be how to clean the interior of the Tesla.
- To clean your seats, steering wheel, and panels, spray some of the Car Guys Interior Spray cleaner onto a microfiber cloth and then wipe them down.
- To remove any remaining fingerprints and clean the screen cleaner, use a microfiber cloth that has not been sprayed with any liquid.
- Vacuum your interior.
- Organize your accessories using some helpful storage essentials like Glove Box Organizer and trunk organizer.
Final Thoughts
Inadequate cleaning and maintenance can hasten the depreciation of your vehicle, so if you intend to sell your Tesla at some point in the future, it is in your best interest to maintain it as clean as possible. Do not put off cleaning your white headboard until it becomes dirty and dingy looking! You would save a lot of time as well as cleaning supplies if you maintained a regular cleaning regimen.