How Do You Wash Your Car?

[Chenslee]

I use this:


It's a fertilizer siphon. The black hose goes in a bucket of soapy water and gets sucked up into the water stream. I use an OXO brush and douse the area I'm cleaning. Dirt removed by the brush is immediately washed away by a deluge of soapy water eliminating the chance of dragging dirt across with sponges, rags, or a brush alone. I've had good results using this system on a red Civic Si. If you work quickly, it doesn't use too much water.

[engee]

Anyone ever use a foam gun? Any thoughts, reviews, or recommendations?

[PrimeMotoring]

We have a cam spray we use for details. Works great

[naticedog04]

two bucket, one filled with soap and other filled with just water
i rinse all sponges, towels, and brushes prior to using
rinse car down from top to bottom, make sure all loose dirt falls off
start with hood, wash all windows, rinse, wash front side, rinse, was left side or right side and rinse, wash rear and rinse,
change sponges; wash rims with sponge only and use tire brush for tire only
was around edges of and fenders, bumpers, and exhaust tips...
dry windows first with squeegee, then i use a "sponge towel" to dry car...
details interior such as, removing floor mats and dusting off, vacuum car, wipe interior down with armoral cleaning wipes, wipe windows with invisible glass and microfiber towel
use turtle wax foam for tires, not too big on the "super shinny" wheels... i just like them to look new..
i have yet to see swirls on my wife's white 2011 corolla... i have not clay barred or waxed since purchase in may 2011... looking forward to doing it soon, hopefully its not too late. =/
couple of side notes: try to wash within two weeks, never take it to the car wash unless they hand wash it... and even then its a little sketchy...
Motto: if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself
Bonus: wash your woman's car and it will only make things better...

[2000]

Originally Posted by engee

Anyone ever use a foam gun? Any thoughts, reviews, or recommendations?

I have a Gilmour 75QGFMR foam gun. It attaches to the hose and works fairly well, but it doesn't make fine foam like a foam cannon, which uses a pressure washer, does. I like using it for the initial soaping.

It is also quite good for cleaning wheels. Spray the wheel, clean with a wheel brush, and then rinse.

[NRGBalanced]

Originally Posted by Dr.Science

I would stay away from Windex on your car windows if you have a tint, because of the ammonia. Find a glass cleaner without ammonia to be safe.

I find Stoner Invisible Glass to be great on tinted windows. No ammonia.

[Jayde]

Subscribing to remind myself to read up this later tonight. This will be first new car, so I want it to look the best it for as long as I own it!

[russv]

During a late night musing of my week old FRS and moderate OCD (I've only washed and waxed the car twice in the first week of ownership) I came up with a brilliant foam gun hack, but admittedly a bit ghetto. Not wanting to spend inordinate amounts of money on a gun sprayer I took an unused Miracle Grow lawn feeder, put about 5 ounces of Meguiar's Ultimate Car wash, and sprayed it on the car after hosing it down. I then did my usual 2 microfiber mitt wash down. It worked great! And for only $10.

I can hear you total OCD types screaming from here!

[civicdrivr]

Hey, at least you wont have any weeds growing out of her.

[russv]

I have noticed that water tends to get between the rear tail lights and the seal. I've found that if I use a leaf blower (more good garden equipment) that it blows the water out. Any others notice this issue

[Dadhawk]

Originally Posted by russv

During a late night musing of my week old FRS and moderate OCD (I've only washed and waxed the car twice in the first week of ownership) I came up with a brilliant foam gun hack, but admittedly a bit ghetto. Not wanting to spend inordinate amounts of money on a gun sprayer I took an unused Miracle Grow lawn feeder, put about 5 ounces of Meguiar's Ultimate Car wash, and sprayed it on the car after hosing it down. I then did my usual 2 microfiber mitt wash down. It worked great! And for only $10.

I can hear you total OCD types screaming from here!

Excellent idea! I love ghetto stuff that works! I'm going to have to try this myself.

[NYC BRZ]

I used to use the Armorall Wash Gel and it was awesome since you never needed a bucket. Then they discontinued it. My G8 went through the autowash a lot and the paint looks like crap. Cleaning and detailing it is like cleaning/detailing a yacht. Its huge. I want to get back into the proper method. Any suggestions on products? Is Griots good or overrated?

[civicdrivr]

Originally Posted by NYC BRZ

I used to use the Armorall Wash Gel and it was awesome since you never needed a bucket. Then they discontinued it. My G8 went through the autowash a lot and the paint looks like crap. Cleaning and detailing it is like cleaning/detailing a yacht. Its huge. I want to get back into the proper method. Any suggestions on products? Is Griots good or overrated?

Griots is good but overpriced.

I use Meguires car wash soap if the car is really dirty. Otherwise I use Optimum No-Rinse wash:

http://www.autogeek.net/optimum-no-rinse.html

It has many uses (as shown in that link) and saves water too since you dont have to rinse the car off. Its great in the winter, just use warm water. I bought the 1 gallon bottle of it over a year ago and still haven't used all of it. I love the stuff. But if the car is really dirty (ie, not washed in over a week), a full car wash soap is better.

[Prime Motoring]

Cam Spray Pressure Washer, foaming attachment, Optimum Car Wash diluted 4:1

[Brett]

Originally Posted by NRGBalanced

I find Stoner Invisible Glass to be great on tinted windows. No ammonia.

Great stuff. Sell it at Lowes even. I think it leaves fewer streaks and evaporates faster thn Windex too.

Brett

[EmilGH]

Originally Posted by Xiao

Do any of you guys enjoy taking the time to wash your own cars?

I give the guy in my garage $20. The next time I go to drive, the car is clean. It's a good system.

[CU2MIKE]

I use Mr. Clean magic eraser and dawn dish soap........ NAH just kidding.

I spray the rims with iron deposit removers to remove brake dust, take 2 different brushes to clean the caliper, in the lug nuts, the rims, and the inner barrels.
Spray degreaser on the wheel well liners and scrub with another brush, and spray the same degreaser and use the brush to clean the tires.
Then I foam the car down with a pressure washer and a foam cannon, while the foam dwells I use a swissvax detailing brush to clean all the cracks and crevices, including the grills and beneath the gas door.
Then I rinse the remainder of the foam off, fill one bucket with soap and the other with clean water, both of grit guards in them, then I foam the car down one more time while washing the car via 2 bucket method with a natrural wool mitt.
Dry the car via a leaf blower, then dab dry the remainder of the water off with a waffle weave towel.
Clean the windows with ammonia free window cleaner.
Then I clean behind the doors and under the trunk.
Last but not least apply tire dressing.
It's approximately a 2 to 3 hours process, lol.

[Guff]

I tried using a leaf blower to dry my Supra once and it took so dang long that the water on the other side had dried and made a bunch of water spots... Is there a specific way you have to dry it or does my leaf blower just suck?

[WingsofWar]

Originally Posted by Guff

I tried using a leaf blower to dry my Supra once and it took so dang long that the water on the other side had dried and made a bunch of water spots... Is there a specific way you have to dry it or does my leaf blower just suck?

good shammy and shammy techniques to get 80-90% of the rinse water off..and a microfiber or terry cloth for a wipe down. Even The surface will not be completely dry, but the remaining water will evap quick. Compressed air with high pressure nozzles works much better IMO vs leaf blower to get rinse off. But id still do a final wipedown with a microfiber drying towel.

[Guff]

Originally Posted by WingsofWar

good shammy and shammy techniques to get 80-90% of the rinse water off..and a microfiber or terry cloth for a wipe down. Even The surface will not be completely dry, but the remaining water will evap quick. Compressed air with high pressure nozzles works much better IMO vs leaf blower to get rinse off. But id still do a final wipedown with a microfiber drying towel.

I usually do use a shammy and it always works well for me! I might try to find a nice attachment for my Air Compressor though, one that might get water off more efficiently than a leaf blower...

[CU2MIKE]

Originally Posted by Guff

I tried using a leaf blower to dry my Supra once and it took so dang long that the water on the other side had dried and made a bunch of water spots... Is there a specific way you have to dry it or does my leaf blower just suck?

I have no idea which leaf blower you have,so no comment on the leaf blower.
I use a 6 speed toro leaf blower that blows a maximum of 235mph, and it gets the water off pretty quickly. I tend to start early in the morning, and with where I live (southern California), I've never had that problem. But then again my car always has a coat of durable wax on it, and it's easier to blow water off when it just beads.

[Guff]

Originally Posted by CU2MIKE

I have no idea which leaf blower you have,so no comment on the leaf blower.
I use a 6 speed toro leaf blower that blows a maximum of 235mph, and it gets the water off pretty quickly. I tend to start early in the morning, and with where I live (southern California), I've never had that problem. But then again my car always has a coat of durable wax on it, and it's easier to blow water off when it just beads.

That sounds fancy. I don't think my blower is nearly as powerful, which explains why the water doesn't come off as well.

I think I'll stick with shammies!