Professional Mud and Red Dust Decontamination Guide

Never wash a vehicle that is hot to the touch. In 40°C heat, chemicals will flash-dry instantly, causing permanent etching. Move the vehicle to a shaded area or under a carport. If no shade is available, work in the early morning (before 9 AM) or late evening. Use an infrared thermometer if available; surface temps should be below 30°C.

Before adding water, use a soft-bristled brush or low-pressure compressed air to remove loose, dry red dust from window seals, door jambs, and fuel filler caps. Adding water to heavy concentrations of dust can create a 'sludge' that migrates deeper into sensitive areas.

Prepare your solutions based on soil level. For heavy mud, mix your alkaline snow foam at a 1:10 ratio in the cannon. Prepare a bucket of pH-neutral car wash soap (e.g., Bowden’s Own Nanolicious) using 30ml of product per 10L of water. Having these ready prevents delays during the wash.

Apply a heavy-duty degreaser to the wheel arches and tyres while they are dry. Dry surfaces allow the chemical to penetrate the mud better than a surface already saturated with water. Let it dwell for 3-5 minutes, ensuring it does not dry out.

Start from the bottom. Use an angled wand or underbody broom to flush the chassis rails, suspension components, and the back of the wheels. Continue until the water running out from under the car is clear. This removes salt spray and heavy mud that could contaminate your wash area later.

Rinse the exterior paint starting from the bottom and working up. This may seem counter-intuitive, but it prevents clean water from running down and diluting the cleaning power of the water hitting the heaviest mud on the lower sills. Use a 40-degree nozzle tip held 30cm from the surface.

Apply a thick layer of alkaline snow foam to the entire vehicle. The alkalinity helps break down the acidic nature of organic mud and bird droppings. Let it dwell for 5-8 minutes. In summer, you may need to 'mist' the foam with a fine water spray to keep it wet. The goal is to see the foam pulling dirt off as it slides down.

While the foam dwells, use a soft detailing brush to agitate badges, grilles, window rubbers, and fuel caps. This dislodges 'baked-in' red dust that a pressure washer cannot reach. Do not use the brush on flat paint panels.

Rinse the foam thoroughly, this time working from the roof down. Pay special attention to panel gaps and light clusters where red dust likes to hide. Ensure all chemical residue is removed from the ground to prevent 'tracking' back onto the tyres.

Spray an iron remover specifically on the lower halves of the doors, the tailgate, and the wheels. Red dust is iron-heavy and bonds to paint. Wait 2-3 minutes for the chemical to turn purple (indicating a reaction). Rinse extremely thoroughly. Do not let this product dry on the paint.

Using your pre-mixed buckets, dip your mitt into the soapy water, wash a panel (starting at the roof), then rinse the mitt in the 'rinse' bucket before taking more soap. Use straight-line motions only. For a 4x4, use a separate mitt for the area below the door handles.

Remove the nozzle from your hose and use a steady stream of low-pressure water to 'flood' the panels. This creates a sheeting effect, which carries away 80% of the surface water, making the drying process much safer and faster.

Spray a quick detailer or drying aid (like NV Boost) on the wet panel. Lay your large microfibre towel across the panel and pull it towards you. The drying aid adds lubrication, preventing any missed microscopic grit from scratching the paint as you dry.

Open all doors and the boot. Use a damp microfibre to wipe the inner sills and rubber seals where red dust accumulates. If left, this dust acts like sandpaper against the door frames every time the vehicle vibrates during driving.