How to clean undercarriage of car : Do you know what’s under your car? It’s the bottom part! It can get super dirty. Your car drives over mud and yucky stuff. Cleaning under your car is a big help. It keeps your car working good and staying nice for a long, long time. This will show you how to clean under your car. It’s easy, like playing a game!
Why Cleaning Under Your Car is a Good Idea
You might ask, “Why clean a part of the car I can’t see?” Well, lots of important car parts are under there. When mud, salt (from snowy roads), and other yucky stuff stick there, it can make problems.
- Stops a Car Sickness Called Rust: Wet dirt and salt can make the metal under your car get a sickness called rust. Rust is yucky brown stuff that eats metal. It makes the metal not strong.
- Find Problems Sooner: When you clean under your car, you might see if something is wrong. Like if water is dripping or if parts are wobbly. You can find these little problems before they get big.
- Helps Parts Work Good: Clean parts usually work better. They also last longer.
Cleaning the bottom of your car helps all the parts under your car work right.
Getting Ready: What You Need and How to Get Your Car Set
Before you start to clean, let’s get everything set. When you get ready first, the job is easier and safe.
Getting Your Cleaning Things
First, you need to get your cleaning things. It’s like getting your toys ready before you play! Here are things you might need:
- Water Hose: A hose from your garden is good.
- Strong Water Sprayer (If you have one, it’s great!): This sprays water very hard. It can push off hard dirt. If you don’t have one, a hose with a good spray top is fine.
- Special Soap for Sticky Dirt: This soap helps get off oily and sticky dirt. Make sure it’s a soap that’s safe for cars.
- Buckets: One for soapy water. Another to wash your brush.
- Brushes: Brushes with long handles and hard pokey bits are good for scrubbing. An old toothbrush is good for tiny spots.
- Plastic Scraper or Old Play Card: To softly scrape off dirt that is stuck on hard. Don’t use metal things, they can scratch.
- Safe Clothes: Wear old clothes that can get dirty. Put on eye glasses to keep dirt out of your eyes. Gloves that keep your hands dry are good too.
- Towels: For drying. But letting it dry in the air is okay too.
- Car Lifters (Maybe, for more room): If you want more space to clean, you can use these to lift your car up a bit. Listen: If you use these, ask a grown-up to help. Make sure the car is very safe and won’t fall before you go under. Be safe first!
Getting Your Car Ready to Clean Underneath
Next, you need to get your car ready.
- Park it in a Safe Spot: Park your car on a place that is not bumpy or slanty. A flat spot in your driveway or garage is good.
- Car Motor Off and Not Hot: Turn the car motor off. The motor and the pipe where smoke comes out must be cool. Hot parts and cold water are not friends!
- Put on the Car’s Stopper: Make sure the car’s stopper (parking brake) is on so the car doesn’t roll away.
Step-by-Step: How to Clean Under Your Car
Now for the best part – cleaning! Follow these steps to make under your car shiny.
Step 1: First Wash Underneath
The first cleaning step is to wash off the dirt that is easy to get off.
- Using a Strong Water Sprayer: If you have one, use it to spray all under the car. Make the water spray out wide at first. Don’t put the sprayer too close to wires and plugs if you can see them.
- Using a Garden Hose: If you have a hose, use a spray top that makes the water come out strong. Try to spray off as much mud and dirt as you can.
This first wash will make the next steps much easier.
Step 2: Put on Your Special Soap
After the easy dirt is gone, it’s time to get the really stuck dirt.
- Pick Your Soap: Get your special soap for sticky dirt or a soap that’s okay for cars. Some soaps are just for under cars.
- Spray it On: Spray the soap all over under the car. Spray more on spots that look extra oily or dirty. Like near the car motor (from under there) and the space above your car wheels.
- Let it Wait: Let the soap sit for a few minutes. The soap bottle will tell you how long. This lets the soap make the dirt and oil soft so it comes off. Don’t let it dry all the way.
Step 3: Scrub the Yucky Stuff Off (Mix it Up!)
Now it’s time to scrub! This step is like mixing up the dirt.
Using a Brush
- Take your long brush and start scrubbing under the car.
- Clean one spot at a time. Scrub all the parts you can reach.
- You can dip your brush in a bucket of soapy water if you need more soap power. Or just use the soap you already sprayed.
Getting Off Super Stuck Dirt (Plastic Scraper)
- Sometimes, you’ll find dirt that’s really stuck, like dry mud or thick sticky stuff.
- For this, you can softly use a plastic scraper or an old play card.
- Carefully scrape off the stuck-on dirt. Be soft so you don’t break anything.
Step 4: Wash Everything Off Good
After scrubbing, you need to wash all the soap and loose dirt away. Loose dirt is dirt that is not stuck anymore.
- Use your strong water sprayer or garden hose to wash under the car again.
- Make sure you get all the soap off. If soap stays, it can leave marks or get dirty again fast.
- Wash from all sides to make sure you clean all the small spaces and corners.
Step 5: Dry Under the Car
Drying is the next step.
- Air Dry: The easiest way is to let the air make it dry. If it’s a sunny day, it will dry fast.
- Towel Dry: You can use old towels to wipe parts you can reach if you want it to dry faster. This also stops marks from water drops.
After the Clean: Look and Protect
Once under the car is clean and dry, it’s a good time to look around and add some protection.
Look at Your Clean Underside
Now that it’s clean, you can easily see the parts under your car.
- Look for any yucky brown spots (rust).
- Check if any car juices like oil are dripping.
- See if any parts look wobbly, broken, or old and not good anymore. If you see something that makes you worry, tell a grown-up or ask a car doctor (mechanic) to look.
Protecting Under Your Car (Put on a Shield Spray)
To help keep under your car nice for longer, you can put on a shield spray.
- What is a Shield Spray? These are special sprays that make a wall against water, salt, and dirt. This helps stop that car sickness (rust) and makes it easier to clean next time.
- How to Put it On: You can buy these shield sprays at car shops. Read what it says on the spray can. You usually spray it on the clean, dry metal parts.
Why Stop Rust?
Rust is like a bad sickness for metal. It eats the car’s bones and parts. It makes them not strong. This can be not safe and cost lots of money to fix. Stopping rust is a very smart thing to do, especially after cleaning off salt and dirt.
Keeping Under Your Car Super Nice: Tips for Always
Cleaning under your car isn’t just a one-time job. Doing it some other times helps keep it really good.
How Many Times Should You Clean?
- Cleaning Most Times: Cleaning under the car 2 to 4 times a year is good for most cars.
- After Winter: It’s super important to clean it after winter if you live where roads get salty. Salt is very bad and makes rust.
- After Muddy Drives: If you drive in mud or on dusty roads, clean it more.
Special Job: Get Salt Off After Winter
Salt is so bad for the bottom of your car. After winter, make sure to wash under your car really well to get all the leftover salt off. This is one of the best things to do to stop rust.
More Ways to Clean Under Your Car
Besides doing it all with your hands, there are other ways too.
Using Big Car Wash Machines
- Some big car wash machines have a choice to wash under your car. This can be a fast way to do a simple wash, especially to get salt off in winter.
- It might not clean as good as you do, but it’s better than not cleaning it.
Cool Tools: Special Brushes and Kits You Can Use
Special Brushes for Under Cars
- There are brushes made just for cleaning under cars. Some go on your strong water sprayer and look like a “water broom.” These can make it easier to reach all spots and clean better.
Thinking About Kits for Cleaning Under Cars
- You can also find kits to help you clean under your car yourself. These kits also have a special end piece for your hose or strong water sprayer. Sometimes they have special soap too. These kits can make the job a bit easier and work well.
The End: A Clean Under-Car is a Happy Car!
Cleaning under your car feel like hard work, but it’s a big part of taking care of your car. Following these easy steps, you can wash away bad dirt, stop rust, and help the important parts under your car work well.
Cleaning it sometimes, especially after winter or driving in mud, will help your car last longer and be safer. So, get your things, find a sunny day, and give under your car a special cleaning treat! You’ll be happy you did.
