first wash help
 

I've never really spent much time detailing my cars before .. but on this car i feel like i need/want to keep this clean as possible. I've been doing some research here and there. i def want to do the opti-coat but don't have the funds at the moment to go all out. with that being said, what would you guys recommend i do?

simple wash and wax do the job? maybe sealant? best bang for the buck?

You can take care of the paint yourself, but it takes the right behaviors.

If you can swing it, have a detailer give the car a complete correction and wax. If not, set a weekend aside and get your car started right. This is the "Auto-Parts Store Method".

For your regular kit I recommend:
3 5gal buckets
5 microfiber towels (minimum)
1 Lambswool mitt
Tire shine applicator
Paper towels
Meguiar's Gold Class wash soap
Turtle Wax Wax N' Dry spray
Meguiar's Ultimate Quick Wax
Tire shine of your choice (prefer bottle or tube, not spray)
Stoner's Invisible Glass

Label your buckets Soap, Rinse, and Wheel. Anything used in the Wheel bucket should never go into the Soap or Rinse buckets.

A regular wash should go like this:

Start with the wheels. Put soap in the wheel bucket and fill it. Use a microfiber towel wrapped around your hand so you can use your fingers to get into the nooks and crannies of your wheel. Spray a wheel, clean it, then rinse it before going to the next. If your spokes are far enough apart get in and wipe the calipers also. Do all four wheels, then scrub the sidewalls.

Next is the paint. Put a good dose of soap in the soap bucket and fill it and the rise bucket with water. If you can get warm water, all the better.

Soak the car down. (If you can swing a foam gun, get one, but you can do this without) Then start at the highest point and work you way down, one section at a time. I like to go top to bottom, cleanest to dirtiest. So Roof and pillars, Hood, Trunk, One side (Fender, door, fender), Other side, Rear, Front. Remember you can't rinse your mitt too often or use too much soapy water. Always rinse your mitt in the rinse bucket, using your other hand to work the fibers, before re-dipping it in the soap bucket.

When you're done cleaning the car it's time to dry it. This is a modification of a method I saw in a detailing video. Use your hose on medium-low to carefully sheet as much water from your paint as possible. Take two microfiber towels. Keep one dry and soak the other. Wring it out and fold both in quarters. Spray the damp one with the TurtleWax Wax-N-Dry. Doing one section at a time again, use the damp one to pick up the bulk of the water still on the car. Then go over the section with the dry towel to get the remaining streaks. Wring and re-spray the damp one between each section. Do the wheels last and finally swipe the sidewalls. This method should keep swirls to an absolute minimum.

Now that the paint is dry, it's time to wax it. The method above won't apply an even layer. Use the Quick Wax to lay a fresh coat of wax on the paint. Keep your applicator towel and followup towel separate. Again, one section at a time, wheels last.

Now that all the sprays, drips, and stuff is done, you can finish by cleaning the glass. Use the Invisible Glass and paper towels. Use a two-towel method just like the drying and waxing steps and cycle through new towels often.

To complete the job, apply the tire shine. Use about half what you think you might need and use the applicator to work it into the sidewall. Only add more if you absolutely can't get it even.



Now for the first wash if you're doing it yourself there are a couple changes. Wash the car as above, but use a strong dishwashing soap to get any wax and oils off the paint. Drying should be done without the Wax-N-Dry. With the paint cleaned, use a clay kit to get as much of the solid contaminates off the paint as possible. Wash the car again, drying without the wax. Then, depending on your ambition, you can finish with a cleaner wax or use a polishing compound and finish with a sealer wax.

Once you have the car clean, you need to learn a couple behaviors. First, never touch the paint if you can avoid it. When there's dirt on the paint touching the paint can grind it in and cause swirls. Second, close the doors by using two fingers on the rubber trim at the base of the window. It seems kind of silly to do at first, but after a while it becomes second nature.

Take care of your paint and it'll look good for a long time to come. And once you get the basics, you can start to expand your kit with a foam gun, barrell brush, and grit guards.

Autogeek.net check out the forum you think there is alot to read here just wait till you get on there


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i picked up this

http://www.autogeek.net/forfavkit.html

Research the two bucket wash, get the proper wash and dry products, and put aside A LOT of time! Im doing mine this weekend.

3 bucket wash ftw.

Done above btw. I probably missed something, but I think I got all the important points.

:clap:

I thought I was the only person who was so concerned about this. Every time someone touches my paint to get in my car (which is 100% of the time) I feel like they might as well be scratching their nails down a chalkboard.

I didnt think there was such a process to wash ur car...i know i will be anal w this car so i might have to do this myself. I want it to stay lookin sexy! ;)

Great info Rex! If I can add some of my own ideas to your list....

-the MOST important part of the wash is the pre rinse. I don't care if you use 10 buckets, a $50 mitt and the worlds most expensive soap, if you don't remove all the grit from the paint before washing, you will leave swirls in the paint.
-when filling my bucket, I put 3-4 gallons of water in BEFORE adding soap. Most soaps will foam up quite well so this way I have lots of water as well. I like to use a very wet, sloppy mitt when washing my car. Every few panels I will foam up the bucket and add more water.
-as Rex said, when drying, you want to have as little water sitting on the car as possible. Remove the nozzle and let the water run freely out of the hose. Move the hose slowly over the car and you'll be surprised at how much water will sheet off the car, leaving it practically dry.
-using a drying aid like the Turtle Wax or most QDs ( do out of the sun to prevent streaking ) to help lift the water off the paint and add a nice shine.
-if your tire dressing is a spray ( all of mine are ), spray the tire dressing on a foam applicator, NOT onto the tire. You just spent a bunch of time cleaning your car. Why would you want to get the dressing all over your clean wheels and inner fenders. When applying dressing, make sure tires are dry. I like to just quickly drive the car around the block to get all the water out of the treads. ( HEY! It's not THAT OCD! ) Apply the dressing to your applicator and apply to the sidewall closest to the rim first and work your way out to the tread. Reason is, by the time you get to the treads, the applicator will be almost dry and you'll avoid filling the treads with tire dressing and the dreaded "sling" when you drive away.

dont forget grit guards for all your buckets! :thumbsup:

This is why a foam gun is a great thing to have. All those tiny bubbles help lift grit off the paint so your wash mitt can pick it up easier. It's also why the lambswool wash mitt is so important. Those long hairs lift grit off the paint and keep it between the fibers.

And that's why the 2/3 bucket method is so important. You want to get that grit out of your wash mitt, but you don't want that grit to go into your clean soap bucket to get redeposited on your paint.

It's a cascade effect of keeping the grit away from the paint.

Yup, don't wring the mitt off when you pull it out of the soap bucket. Leave it full of water and let that water pour over the area you're about to wash.

I'm going to assume you mean stopping when you get to the tread.

General advice: Do not tire-shine the tread of your tire! You will have no grip for stopping until it gets scrubbed off which is very dangerous! Only do the sidewalls.

Definitely a good thing. Along with the foam gun and barrel brush, they are great things to have in your wash kit.

I didn't include them in the list because my list was for the person starting their detailing kit who wanted to just walk into their local auto-parts store and walk out with what they need to do a good job. A foam gun, barrel brush, and grit guards are for taking the kit to the next level.

Which reminds me, I need to order those, myself. :confused0068:

Good list...don't let people screw with you either...it takes time...they can go pound sand if they think it should be quicker.

Haven't checked recently but there used to be some good "how-to" videos on both the Meguiar's and Mother's websites.

My wife and kids, and relatives, hate me because of this. It's mandatory for anyone that rides in my vehicles! :)

What if we don't have a foam gun or even spray hose available? How do you do a pre-rinse and soaping of the car?

You let people ride in your car?

If you don't have either, how are you washing it at all?

Have a hose and all, but could I just get a spray attachment for the soap?

If you have a hose, you can purchase a foam gun attachment for about $50 from autogeek.net (or other places I'm sure). It screws on to the hose just like any other hose attachment would and will do the trick for ya.

For the first wash, do you use dishwashing soap instead of the car wash soap or in addition to the carwash soap?

Thanks!

For the first wash or any wash where you will be applying a wax or sealant for protection, wash with dishwashing soap. Use a strong mixture but make sure to rinse very well to ensure all soap residue is removed.

1 oz of dawn per gallon of water, no car wash soap, pre rinse car first to remove as much grit as possible, then wash away :)

I've been using a powerwasher to pre-rinse my cars for decades. My wife's BLACK minivan is still in pristine condition and lasted 3 years before showing any wash induced marring. The key to washing it reducing your touching of the surface as much as possible. And when touching it, it should be as clean as possible. Powerwashing removes all the damaging abrasives so that hand washing is not evasive.

Secondly, a leaf blower will also reduce touching too. I'll dry the entire vehicle with it and then only need to use a spritz of QD as a floow up.

There's not actually. People go waaaay overboard with their washing etiquette. Keep is simple, not overcomplicated.

I totally agree and this is extremely valueable info.

It also lifts copious amounts of $$$$ from your wallet too. Car Care resellers love foam guns!! Remember, car wash soap is a cleaner. The more you allow it to dwell on your sealed up finish,the quicker it will stripe your wax/sealant. IMHO it is totally not needed and is more of a hinderance.

Do you use a powerwasher? If so, are you using heated water? Does it utilize a system that sprays soap though the wand while in use? If not, then you're leaving mitigation on the table. ;)

My point is, to what point are all these pre-cautions overkill?

You can pre-soak with foaming soap all day long, but it isn't going to release dirt like a powerwasher blast. The only thing that should remain after doing so will mostly be road oils which isn't *that* harmful when following up by hand.

Go to a coin operated / self serve car wash with a dirty car and do this test:

Wash 1/2 the car using their high pressure soap concentration through their wand.

Wash the other 1/2 using just the final rinse.

See which one comes cleaner....

The combo of heat, pressure & chemical will do wonders as a pre-rinse.

Is heat needed = NO
Is chemicals going thought the wand needed = NO
Is a pressure washed needed = HECK YEA!!

Will do. Thanks for the tip.

I'm having trouble deciding on on whether to wash my car myself or get it detailed. I found a good cheap place in my town for a basic $40 interior/exterior detail (without shampooing the interior). I've read a couple of these threads and found that the moral is "you get what you pay for," but I don't have any of the recommended items which seem a bit pricey in addition to time consuming.

Should I just go ahead and invest in doing the wash myself or go ahead and get it detailed.

Get it detailed at least once so you know you are working from a clean slate as far as the paint goes. Once the paint has been cleaned and corrected you can work on taking care of it yourself.

I'm in college station, about and hour and a half away from Houston. any recommendations?

I'll look into it for you.

Dust2glory is the closest I can think of, I'm about 3 hours away, but if you cant find anyone I can defiantly teach you how to wash and maintain your car.