Cleaning Your UTV

After riding dirt tracks and handling tough tasks, UTVs tend to get pretty dirty. When the fun of tearing through muddy terrain and crashing through puddles with ease is over, you’ve got to give your side by side a good scrub.

At Richmond Equipment, we know that taking care of your vehicle will make it last longer and run more smoothly. We’ve prepared this guide to help you clean your UTV properly. To get more tips or to buy/upgrade a UTV, come to our dealership in Richmond, Texas.

Location

First things first: find a place to wash your side by side. Cleaning it in your yard introduces the risk of planting new weeds and grass in your lawn when they fall off your machine. If you clean it in your driveway, wash off the sidewalk so that the grime goes down the drain and not into your neighbor’s yard.

Scrape & Soak

If your machine is heavily caked with mud, consider scraping the mud off before applying any soap. You can use a plastic mud scraper that will let you remove the mud without leaving scratches on your UTV’s paint or finish. You can soak the mud if it’s dry or just hose it a few times to remove the first layer of grime.

Pressure Wash

For stubborn grime, a pressure washer can help you blast off the filth that didn’t get hosed off. UTVs are sturdy enough to handle the full blast of the hose and shouldn’t get damaged. A gas pressure washer is a more powerful option than an electric pressure washer. If you don't want to spend too much money, a hose and nozzle can also get the job done pretty well. The more dirt you remove from your side by side in these two steps, the less work you’ll have to do manually.

Soap & Scrub

Once you’ve rinsed your UTV, use a wash mitt or a sponge with automotive detergent or bike soap to lather up the entire surface of your machine. Scrub the plastics, the seats, the frame, and the wheels. If you’ve got dirt jammed in nooks and crannies, use a stiff brush to help you drag it out. A degreaser can help you clean the oil areas; just spritz it and wait, then scrub or rinse it off to remove the oil. 

Dry Thoroughly

The next step is to make sure you dry your UTV completely. If it’s a hot, sunny day, you can just let your machine dry in the sun while you relax a bit after your hard work. If you’d like, get a lint-free towel and towel down your UTV. Since side by sides have hard-to-reach areas, one of the best ways to dry them out is by using an air compressor. The blast dries out every crevice and your UTV is dry in no time, preventing future rusting.

Polishing

The final step to a good UTV clean-up is polishing your machine. A plastic polish that you can spritz on and wipe down will give it a wonderful sheen and make it look like new. Avoid getting any polish on the seating or steering wheel or you’ll have a hard time staying in place the next time you take your UTV out for a spin.

Now step back and admire your handiwork before you head out to dirty up your vehicle once again. If your UTV is in need of maintenance and repairs, come to Richmond Equipment and let our expert staff whip it into great shape for you! We proudly serve the greater Houston, Texas, metro area.