Getting the Red Dirt Off: The Real Way to Clean Mud and Grime

Never, ever wash a muddy car in direct Aussie sun. The water dries too fast, leaving water spots and baking the soap onto the paint. If you haven't got a carport, wait until the arvo when the sun drops.

Give the car a quick spray with just water. Not to clean it, but to drop the surface temp of the metal. If the bonnet is hot enough to fry an egg, your soap will fail instantly.

Check your windows and sunroof twice. I once had a customer bring in a LandCruiser with a soaked interior because he forgot the back pop-outs were open. Not a fun day for anyone.

Take off the Maxtrax, the awning covers if they're loose, and pull the rubber mats out of the cabin. Clean those separately on the driveway.

If it's just fine outback dust and not wet mud, sometimes a soft brush and a vacuum around the door seals *before* you get it wet stops it turning into a permanent red paste.

Start from the bottom and work up. Use the pressure washer to knock off the big chunks of mud from the tyres, arches, and chassis. If you start at the top, the mud running down just hides what you're doing below.

Get that underbody broom under there. If you've been on a beach or in salt mud, this is the most important part. Spend 10 minutes just on the chassis rails.

Spray a citrus degreaser into the arches. Let it sit for 3 minutes (don't let it dry) then blast it. This breaks down the road film and grease that holds the mud on.

Cover the whole car in a thick layer of foam. This isn't for washing yet; it's to soften the remaining dirt. Let it dwell for 5-8 minutes. You'll see the foam turning brown as it pulls the dirt off.

Rinse the foam off thoroughly. You should be looking at a car that's 90% clean now without you having touched it with a mitt.

Now we get personal. Dip your mitt in the soapy bucket, wash a panel (start at the roof), then rinse the mitt in the plain water bucket before going back for more soap. This keeps your wash water clean.

While the car is soapy, use your detailing brush to agitate around the window rubbers and badges. This is where red dust lives forever if you don't nudge it out.

Open the doors and carefully clean the sills. Use a separate, older microfibre for this. Don't use your main wash mitt here or you'll get grease on it.

If the paint feels rough after washing, spray an iron remover on the lower halves of the car. It'll turn purple as it reacts with the metallic dust. Rinse it off well.

One last go-around with the pressure washer to make sure no soap is hiding in the gutters or behind the mirrors.

Lay your large drying towel flat on the bonnet and pull it towards you. Don't scrub. You want to blot or glide the water off. If you've got a leaf blower, use it to blow water out of the lug nuts and light housings.

Clean the glass with a dedicated glass cleaner. Apply a trim dressing to any black plastics that look a bit grey from the sun or the mud.