How to Clean a Pickup Truck

Last Updated: December 2, 2022

Pickup trucks can be used for towing, hauling different types of cargo, camping and for off-roading. Many of these activities expose them to more dirt than a regular car. Cleaning a pickup truck, particularly the truck bed, can be quite challenging, but with the right tools, you can get the job done without taking it to a carwash.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Cleaning the Main Exterior

1
Rinse the truck with water, from top to bottom. Don’t forget to also rinse the tire wells. Make sure to use a fender well brush. It will make the task easier and effective in reaching tight corners where hands or regular brush can’t reach. Leaving this part dirty and muddy, can accumulate rust over time, which can destroy the metal parts of your vehicle.
2
Shampoo the truck's exterior. Make use of a car shampoo that is mild and safe for all types of paint finish. It’s not a good idea to using a dish washing liquid as a substitute. Dish washing liquids tends to cuts grease and dirt, so once you apply this on a protected paint, the wax or sealant that is in your paint will be removed. For regular car wash maintenance, it's best to use a non-abrasive car shampoo.
- That being said, in some cases, using a dish washing soap can be good, if you are going to clay down or polish the paint after washing a vehicle.
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3
Wash the tire and wheels. Start from the wheels and tires before heading to the paint finish. The logic here is to avoid getting the dirt back to the paint and maintain the cleanliness in the whole process. Use an all-wheel cleaner, to save time and energy in removing stubborn dirt and dust from the brakes. It will also soften the dirt and grime. Make sure to use a soft bristle wheel brush, especially for delicate and expensive wheel finish. Gently brush the grime and rinse after the process.
4
Wash the truck from top to bottom. Make sure to use a micro fiber mitt in the process. Rinse the mitts every time you clean a new panel. Move the mitts in a straight forward direction to avoid scratching the paint finish. Start from the roof of the vehicle, going down to the pillars and stop at the windshield. Rinse the mitts and continue going down to the bonnet and trunk. Make sure to rinse again before cleaning the bottom part of the vehicle.
5
Rinse the entire truck with water. Make sure to adjust your garden hose pressure to low in order to produce a stable flow of water. This is called the sheeting method. It can help you dry the whole vehicle faster. To perform the process, start from the roof going down to the bonnet or to the trunk that goes the same with the windows and doors.
6
Dry the exterior. Drying is the most time consuming process in cleaning the truck. However, there are some ways to make the task faster, with the help of some tools. You can air dry the whole car by using a leaf blower or pressurized air. After air drying, you can use a microfiber towel to wipe the excess water.
7
Apply exterior protection. Applying either wax or sealant on the truck's paint to retain the shine and preserve the paint finish, would be the last step on of the process. You can choose either a pure wax or sealant or combination of both. Just be sure to use a non-abrasive wax or sealant. To make the application faster, make use of an orbital polisher in applying the protection of choice. Spread the wax or sealant residue using a soft microfiber towel. And don’t forget to all apply some of it on the wheels and some tire black for your tires for a sleek looking finish.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Cleaning the Truck Bed

1
Sweep the surface of the truck bed. Start by removing all objects stored in the truck bed. If the truck bed is outfitted with a detachable carpet or a plastic liner, remove that. Use a broom to sweep the dirt and debris. This is also applicable to trucks with unlined truck beds and those with spray-in bed liners. Sweep every nook and cranny.
2
Rinse it after. Use a pressure washer to remove any excess dirt that was not removed from sweeping. Spray the water to the direction of inside of the truck bed up to the tailgate. Don’t forget to spray the water side to side, across the truck bed and its corners.
3
Wash the bed the using a car shampoo. Use a car wash mitt to scrub the bed. Do not use a brush to clean the area because its bristles can scratch the truck bed’s surface. Again start scrubbing from innermost part of the truck bed to the tailgate.
4
Rinse again. Make use of a pressure washer to remove all the soap from the truck bed. Again, spray the water from the inside of the bed up to the tailgate, back and forth. Do it until the remaining lather washes off.
5
Dry the truck bed. Use a chamois to dry the entire bed. Wipe it until the entire area is dry. Apply a wax on the entire surface. Waxing it will keep it shiny just like the entire exterior of the pickup truck.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Cleaning the Interior

1
Dry the inner panels. Especially if you just washed the outside of the truck, it’s a good idea to also wipe dry the inner panels especially the doors cracks and crevices. To do this, open all doors and use a new set of microfiber towel to wipe it clean and dry.
2
Wipe the inner windows, too. Use a suede towel or a clean chamois to wipe them. Their fabric doesn’t leave any marks after wiping and drying.
3
Clean the truck's interior. Who wants to drive a shiny vehicle, but dusty or muddy in the inside? Vacuuming the seats and flooring will make the process faster and efficient. Start by removing the floor mats, you can either vacuum or wash it. Have it air dried if you choose to wash it. Vacuum the car seat's head rest, going down to the floor. In this way, you are assured that all dirt is removed. Reinstall the floor mats afterwards.
4
Apply interior protection. After you have cleaned the interior, you will surely want to keep it clean, right? Using an interior cleaner would be the best solution. Just make sure to choose the right product. Using a foam applicator pad can help spread the product evenly and effectively.

Warning

Cleaning the truck bed properly is important. It makes it less prone to damage from different elements in encounters while travelling and hauling. Keeping it dirty will lead to permanent paint damage on its surface.