Cleaning Your ATV After an Off-Road Experience – Here’s How!

If you’re an off-road driving enthusiast like us, then you are no stranger to how dirty your ATV gets after an adrenaline-filled off-road adventure.

However, when it comes to cleaning your ATV, that’s where all the fun and excitement stops and the work begins.

That said, at Avalanche Adventure, we’ve washed our fair share of ATVs a bazillion times and in doing so, we’ve mastered a couple of cleaning tricks that help us keep our vehicles squeaky clean for races to follow. 

Today, we’ll be sharing some of our tips to help make your ATV cleaning process a whole lot easier.

Let’s dive in and see how you can turn this “boring cleaning time” into “fun quality time” with your ATV.

1. Begin With Pre-soaking Your Vehicle

This has to be your first step while washing your ATV, especially if it is covered from bonnet to boot in dirt, resulting in the original paint job colour to be a mystery.

All you need to do is spray your vehicle with water and let it soak and settle within every nook and cranny of your ATV.

Once your machine is thoroughly soaked, repeat the same process all over again. You need to do this because at times really hard and stubborn mud requires a few more rounds before the water soaks all the way through.

Remember – only when the water is completely soaked through should you move onto the next step.

2. Blast the Mud and Dirt Off

Now that you’ve pre-soaked your ATV and the caked-on mud has loosened, it’s time to blast the dirt off of your vehicle.

One of the easiest, and funnest, ways to do this is by using a pressure washer. While a gas-powered washer is the most powerful, electric ones work better when compared to a nozzle and hose. Having said that, if you don’t have a pressure washer, you can stick to using a hose – ensure that it’s powerful enough to wash the mud off.

At this stage, make sure you’re cleaning your ATV properly and getting rid of as much dirt as possible before moving onto the 3rd step. The more debris and mud you’re able to get rid of, the easier it becomes to carry on with the remaining steps.

3. Scrub the Surface With Soap and a Sponge

While most of the time pressure washing your ATV enables you to leave out this step entirely, it’s still good practice to scrub the surface using a sponge and an automotive detergent.

During this step, focus mainly on your vehicle’s frame, seat, tyres and wheels and the a-arms – these parts usually tend to have dirt residues.

When it comes to other parts of your ATV that are hard or rough to clean with a sponge, consider using a hard brush; it can work wonders in helping you get rid of the embedded dirt. 

The automotive soap will help you break up the oil residue, if any, making the cleaning process easier.

While you’re at it, clean up the tough oil residue off the swing-arm using a degreaser. Simply spray it on and leave it for a couple of minutes, then get back to washing or scrubbing it off.

If you aren’t sure which ATV cleaner and degreaser you should be using for your vehicle, speak with a professional before purchasing one.

4. Dry it Off

This is the step where different people use different techniques to dry off their ATV, based on what’s available to them.

That said, if you’re starting this process while your vehicle is still a bit wet and the water spots haven’t settled in, then a lint free towel and the sun can work well. Nonetheless, if you’ve got an air compressor, drying the water off like this is the best way to go about it. This not only helps you dry off your ATV but also get rid of water from the smallest recesses.

Bear in mind that drying is the most crucial part when it comes to cleaning your ATV, as it tremendously reduces the potential of rust build up.

To learn more about how you can maintain your off-road vehicle, click here!

5. Polish It Up

While this is the last step, a lot of people leave it out.

However, if you want your ATV to look brand new, or at least wish to cover up those faded areas and scuffed up plastics, then you can’t afford to skip this step.

That said, once your vehicle is completely dry and spot free, spray its frame using a plastic polish. Since it’s designed to improve your ATV’s look, you can easily spray and wipe the polish off. While polishing your vehicle, all you need to make sure you avoid spraying the seats – this will only make your next adventure a slippery one!

Call Avalanche Adventure to Book Your Slots for Off-Roading Driving

If you’re not a big fan of cleaning your ATV or, for that matter, don’t have an off-road vehicle of your own, then Avalanche Adventure has got you covered!

At our activity centre, our off-roading driving experience is tailor made for adrenaline junkies like you. We not only offer the best trainers to teach you how to ride an ATV but also make your safety our top priority.

If you’re all set to participate in an adrenaline-filled experience and zoom around our muddy terrain, book your slots in advance.

You could either contact us on 01858 880 613 or book your slots here!