How To Wash Your UTV

Your utility terrain vehicle (UTV or side-by-side) is designed to provide you with fun and reliable transport for both work and recreational riding purposes. Whether you’re towing heavy payloads in a trailer or taking a trip on a nature trail with the kids, your UTV is there to take you over the most difficult terrain.

Of course, after several rides, your UTV is going to be pretty muddy and dirty. Leaving that dirt on can lead to engine trouble and reduced performance if any grime works its way into your motor. It’s also unsightly and makes your side-by-side look less inviting.

A quick yet thorough wash is all that’s necessary to get your vehicle clean and ready to use once more, though! As your local UTV dealer, Peak Powersports LLC is here to provide you with the steps needed to take your UTV from its current mud-encrusted state to a like-new shine.

Get Everything Ready

Park your UTV in an area with good drainage that isn’t over a lawn, like a driveway or gravel lot. You don’t want soap suds or foreign debris to ruin your well-kept grass, after all. Remove all of your cargo from the vehicle so it isn’t damaged while you clean, including helmets, tools, weapons and safety gear.

Gather up the supplies you’ll need for cleaning, including a bucket, a source of fresh water (a garden hose will do fine, but a pressure washer can speed up the process), a powersports-friendly soap like a motorcycle soap, a mud scraper, sponges, chamois cloths, a stiff brush and a good powersports-friendly plastics polish.

Pre-Soak & Remove Mud

The dried-up mud on your UTV will first need to be soaked before it will come off in some places. You may wish to remove your canopy if you have one and clean it separately. Also, remember to open up doors to allow you to hose off the flooring. Run the hose over your entire vehicle and allow the water to loosen up clumps of dirt and mud. If you so desire, you can use a pressure washer here to blast away mud and get things done more quickly. Otherwise, you’ll want to take a mud scraper to the stubborn patches and scrape them off. Getting as much mud off as you can now will make the rest of the process go by more quickly.

Soap It Up

Once your side-by-side has been thoroughly rinsed, you can fill a bucket with clean water and some suds, grab a sponge and start to wash the vehicle from top to bottom. Carefully work over the plastics, the frame and the wheels, and make sure that the flooring and cargo bins are scrubbed clean of debris. Wipe down seats and the dashboard with a wet rag. You can use a stiff brush in difficult-to-reach spaces to work out more dirt.

Rinse & Dry

Now it’s time to rinse everything off again, just as you would rinse down your car or truck. Run the hose or pressure washer over the vehicle to get out all the soap and leftover dirt. If your UTV has a windshield, now is the time to apply glass cleaner and clean it separately to remove water spots and bug splatters.

If it’s nice out, you can allow your vehicle to dry in the sun. You may want to towel out the inside to make sure the seats, dash and cargo areas are dry. An air compressor can blast out excess water and speed up the drying process, too, to help prevent rust.

Apply Polish

Finally, if you want, you can apply an automotive or powersports polish to your vehicle’s exterior and buff it to a shine. Make sure you don’t get this substance on seats or anywhere on the interior. You can also apply a tire shine to the wheels if you want them to gleam in the light!

Now that you’re finished, you can stand back and admire your handiwork before you begin planning your next side-by-side adventure. Searching for UTVs for sale near you? Visit our Sheridan dealership today to check out our full stock of new and used UTVs for sale. Take advantage of our financing options to supplement your budget! Peak Powersports LLC serves the city of Buffalo, Wyoming.