Getting the Red Dirt Off: The Survival Guide to 4x4 Post-Trip Cleaning

Never wash a car in direct February sun. The soap will dry on the paint before you can rinse it, leaving nasty streaks. If you don't have a carport, wait until the arvo when the sun's low.

Make sure the engine and brakes are cool. Spraying cold water on hot brake rotors can warp them. Give it 20 minutes after you've pulled into the driveway.

Take off the recovery tracks, the shovel, and if you can be bothered, the roof rack tray. Dust and salt love to hide in the mounting points.

Give the engine bay a quick visual check. Look for bird nests (happens more than you think!) or stray sticks caught in the radiator.

Pull the interior mats out now. No point cleaning the outside then dragging dust back in from your boots later.

Start here. Use your underbody broom or a bent pressure washer wand. Spend at least 15 minutes just on the chassis. Pay special attention to the top of the fuel tank and inside the chassis rails. If you see brown water, keep going until it's clear.

If you've been near the ocean, spray your salt neutraliser all over the undercarriage and lower panels. Let it dwell for 5-10 minutes (don't let it dry) and rinse again.

Blast out the mud from the inner guards. Use a degreaser and a stiff brush on the tyre sidewalls to get that brown 'blooming' off. Scrub the rims with a dedicated wheel cleaner.

Rinse the whole body from the top down. Use a wide fan spray. You're trying to knock off the loose 'chunky' bits of mud before we add chemicals.

Coat the car in thick snow foam. This is the most satisfying part, honestly. Let it sit for 5 minutes. It encapsulates the dust and lets it slide off the paint. (A mate of mine once tried using dish soap for this, don't do that, it'll strip your wax and dry out your rubber seals).

While the foam is on, use your soft brush to agitate the badges, window seals, and the grill. This gets the dust out of the tight spots.

Blast all that foam off. Start from the top and work your way down. Check your gutters and the base of the windscreen for pine needles or leaves.

Now we actually touch the car. Dip your mitt in the soapy bucket, wash a panel, then rinse the mitt in the plain water bucket. Work in straight lines, not circles. Circles cause those ugly swirl marks you see under servo lights.

If you've been in red dirt, spray an iron remover on the lower doors and tailgate. Let it bleed purple. This pulls the iron particles out of the paint pores. Rinse thoroughly.

Cover the alternator with a plastic bag. Lightly mist the engine bay with an APC, agitate with a brush, and rinse with *low* pressure. Don't go blasting your electrical connectors.

One last flood rinse to make sure all the soap is out of the door handles and jambs.

Use your big microfibre towel. Lay it flat and pull it towards you. If you've got a leaf blower, use it to blow water out of the wheel nuts and mirrors so you don't get those annoying drip marks later.