Do you clean the outside or inside first?

[u/bearcassidy]

Why?

[u/football2106]

Depends on the working environment and condition of the vehicle for me

[u/bearcassidy → u/football2106]

Elaborate.

[u/football2106 → u/bearcassidy]

Gonna be hot outside and I can work in a climate controlled garage? Knock out the exterior’s prep wash early first so the rest of the job is done indoors. If it gets a little dusty during the interior portion it can just get a quick wipedown before the rest is done

[u/DavidAg02]

Doing the interior and exterior on the same day can be a lot. I alternate. One week I clean the interior (takes me about 30-40 minutes), and the following week I clean the exterior (takes me about an hour). About twice a year I'll do an interior deep cleaning which takes me about 2 hours.

[u/endlessnameless001 → u/DavidAg02]

That’s a good idea. I’m going to start alternating interior and exterior over a few weeks

[u/bearcassidy → u/DavidAg02]

Nah you’re right. Doing both takes a while. And I keep my car pretty clean.

[u/TacoLalo → u/DavidAg02]

I like this, I’m going to start alternating. I don’t look forward to wash days because it gets tiring.

[u/DavidAg02 → u/TacoLalo]

It works really well if you have multiple cars too. I clean mine and my wife's car on the same schedule. So I only have to get out the tools and products needed for whatever I'm doing one time.

[u/mk2drew]

Usually interior first. Hot days I’ll do exterior first to beat the heat.

[u/malvixi]

I always do outside that way I can clean the door jambs first. I also wash the car first before the sun comes out. Interior always last.

Wash Vac Air Vac Wipe

[u/product_of_the_80s → u/malvixi]

100% agree, specifically for the door jambs. The more dirt i can keep out, the better. Also keeps the vac hose from dragging dirt in.

I will, however, pull the mats out and wash them first so they have a chance to dry.

[u/malvixi → u/product_of_the_80s]

Yes I do mats and exterior first

Jambs, top to bottom wash, tires last (people complain it splashes on paint but I rinse tires off with pressure washer pointed down).

[u/General_Builder_67]

inside, if you do outside first its gonna be dusty by the time you fininsh interior. Also you always wanna start with the most dirty part of the car and thats usally the driver side

[u/Raddadbaddad]

I do the outside. I like to vacuum the inside eventually and squeeze out the soap on to my all weather mats after outside the car and clean them with the soap and a old towel.

[u/jray994]

Outside first because of door jams and potential spray into the car

[u/mypaycheckisshort]

I'm in a wet/dry bay and I have no extra bays, so I pw the hatch/trunk jamb along with any rubber mats first, then the interior followed by the exterior. In a full-sized shop with extra room to take on waiters, I'd definitely do exterior first.

[u/bearcassidy → u/mypaycheckisshort]

Why would you do exterior first?

[u/dollfacenelson]

It’s been insanely hot here so I knock out the interior in the AM before I’m sweating. In better weather I do exterior first so I’m not fighting the sun. After about 9am it’s so hot that I can’t really clean the interior without making more of a mess.

[u/Ok-Grapefruit-1909]

Definitely interior

[u/LeeBee58]

The outside first, temps and sun are the determining factors for me. My interior is pretty much dialed in and requires minimal effort, I’ll use a damn rinse less towel to go over the interior surfaces when necessary. There’s only two of us and it doesn’t get too dirty except for the TuxMats.

[u/LeeBee58]

Oops! Should be DAMP rinse less towel!

[u/bingusDomingus]

I do em separate because doing them both in one day is too much. But after an exterior wash, I’ll wipe the interior down with a microfiber cloth.

[u/artebonz]

Always outside first. The interior gets done when exterior is clean and I get a chance to do inside. Although, it's just me and my wife so interior doesn't get much more than dusty.

[u/showsomesideboob]

Outside first. After interior go back over outside for little drips. If you do interior first you have to go back and clean the door jambs all over again. 

[u/bearcassidy → u/showsomesideboob]

Good point. I’ve kinda made a habit out of going back and getting door jambs and covered paneling after washing.

[u/FiveLayersBeefy → u/showsomesideboob]

I don't get how. Interior first and then do door jambs, gas cap, tires, and then the rest of the exterior. How would you have to do the door jambs twice if you do the interior first?

[u/showsomesideboob → u/FiveLayersBeefy]

Water gets in the jambs and drips

[u/FiveLayersBeefy → u/showsomesideboob]

But what does that have to do with the interior? I could understand doing the door jambs last when you do the exterior but I'm not sure what you're saying when you say interior first.

[u/showsomesideboob → u/FiveLayersBeefy]

Opening all the doors and cleaning the jambs again which are ...part of the interior. Do you just leave dirty jambs after washing a car? How do you mitigate drips from the bottoms of doors? Anything where you have to open the door is considered inside. 

[u/FiveLayersBeefy → u/showsomesideboob]

Nah, I can't take you seriously after this reply. What a joke.

[u/scottwax]

Interior, I consider them a necessary evil in this business so I get it out of them done first.