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

Never wash a hot car. If the metal is hot to the touch, your chemicals will dry too fast and leave stains that are a nightmare to polish out. Wait for the arvo or do it early morning.

Take off the recovery boards, the spare tyre cover, and any easy-to-remove gear. Dirt hides behind these things and will bleed out later.

Let the engine cool down completely. Spraying cold water on a hot turbo or manifold is a great way to crack metal. (No dramas, just give it 30 mins).

Before you get the outside wet, use a vacuum or air compressor to blow the loose dust out of the cabin. Trust me, it's easier to do this while everything is bone dry.

Do a quick walk-around. Look for loose trim, cracked CV boots, or deep gouges in the paint. Better to know now than when you're hitting it with 2000 PSI.

If you've got heaps of dry mud, give the chassis a few taps with a rubber mallet and use a leaf blower to get the loose stuff out before wetting it. Wet mud is heavier and harder to move.

Chuck your underbody cleaner on. Use a salt neutralising solution if you've been on the sand. Spend at least 20 minutes just on the chassis. Get the hose inside the rail holes until the water runs clear.

Use a heavy-duty degreaser in the arches. Scrub the tyre sidewalls with a stiff brush to get the brown 'blooming' off. Use an iron remover on the rims to dissolve brake dust.

Cover the alternator and air intake with plastic bags. Mist a dedicated engine cleaner over the bay, let it sit for 5 mins, then rinse with low pressure. Don't use a high-pressure jet here; you'll force water into electrical plugs.

Rinse the whole body from the top down. You're trying to move the big chunks of grit. Don't use your hands yet!

Coat the whole car in a thick layer of snow foam. I like Bowden's Snow Job for this. Let it dwell for 5-8 minutes. It'll turn from white to pink/brown as it pulls the dust off.

While the foam is on, use your small brushes to agitate the window seals, fuel cap, and grille. This is where red dust loves to live for years if you don't touch it.

Rinse the foam off thoroughly. By now, 90% of the dirt should be gone without you even touching the paint with a mitt.

Now you actually wash it. Dip your mitt in the soapy bucket, wash a panel, then rinse the mitt in the plain water bucket. This keeps your wash water clean.

If the paint feels rough, use a clay mitt with plenty of soapy water as lubricant. This pulls out the tiny metal shards and sap that a wash leaves behind.

A final flood rinse. I like to take the nozzle off the hose and just let the water 'sheet' off the paint. It makes drying much faster.

Use your big microfiber towel. Don't rub like you're polishing a shoe; just lay it flat and pull it towards you. Use the leaf blower for the mirrors and door handles.

Clean the glass inside and out. Use a rubber protectant on your door seals so they don't dry out and crack in the Aussie sun.

Wipe all hard surfaces with a damp cloth. Use an interior detailer with UV protection, essential for our summers so your dash doesn't crack.

Don't forget the door sills and the area around the tailgate hinges. Red dust settles here and acts like sandpaper on your hinges.