How to Properly Clean Your 4x4 After an Outback or Beach Trip (Mar 2026)

Never, ever wash a hot car in the Aussie sun. The water and soap will dry instantly, leaving spots that are harder to remove than the dirt was. If the bonnet is hot to the touch, wait an hour.

Open the doors, tailgate, and bonnet. Give the door jambs a quick blow out with compressed air or a vacuum to get the loose dust out before they get wet and turn into mud.

Give the whole car a heavy rinse with just water. Start from the top and work down. You're trying to knock off the heavy cakes of mud before you even touch a sponge.

This is where people get lazy. Use your underbody broom or a high-pressure wand to get into the chassis rails. If you've been on the beach, do this for twice as long as you think you need to. Run the water until it comes out clear. I've seen guys pull 5kg of sand out of a Ranger chassis because they didn't do this right.

Cover your alternator and air intake with some plastic. Use a mild degreaser and a soft brush to agitate the dust. Mist it off gently, don't go full blast with the pressure washer here unless you want electrical gremlins.

Chuck some heavy-duty snow foam in your cannon. Cover the whole rig. Let it dwell for 5-8 minutes but don't let it dry. This softens the Aussie red dust so it slides off instead of scratching your paint.

While the foam is dwelling, hit the tyres and arches with a stiff brush and some APC. If you've got mud terrains, make sure you get the brush into the tread blocks.

Use two buckets, one with soapy water, one with clean water to rinse your mitt. Start from the roof. Use light pressure. If you feel any grit, stop and rinse your mitt immediately.

For those baked-on grasshoppers on the bullbar, use a dedicated bug remover spray. Let it sit for a minute, then wipe. Don't scrub hard or you'll mar the finish on your bar.

If you've been anywhere near the ocean, now is the time to spray your salt-neutralising solution over the whole car and under the chassis. It reacts with the salt to stop the corrosion process.

Flood the panels with a low-pressure hose to help the water sheet off. This makes drying a billion times easier.

Use a huge microfiber towel to pat dry. Don't rub. Use your leaf blower to get water out of the lights, mirrors, and fuel cap. This prevents those annoying drips later.

Clean the windows with a good glass cleaner. For the black plastic trims that the sun has likely cooked, apply a UV-protectant dressing so they don't turn grey and chalky.