The car doesn't want to get clean!
 

I did a car wash with a pressure washer, then foam cannon, let the soap sit for 5-6 minutes and then washed it... Afterwards, left the car inside the garage without drying it. Though with time water evaporated and it dried (I don't care about water spots)

Haven't touched the car until today (its been 1 week)

I also washed my other car, and only using the pressure washer... not even soap it was clean. My other car was staying outside, never went inside the garage

How is that possible? Is it because I park in the garage and the dirt dries up and stick firmly on the paint?

Then again today, I went to a touch-less car wash.... Every car came out clean from there... but mine.

I have meguair NXT wax 2.0 applied 2 month a go.. I had 2-3 layers.... applied....

My car is just not simply getting cleaned.

Your garage is prob dusty. Wax monthly and wipe down using a detail spray and a microfiber towel when that happens. And you should really dry the car... Waterspots will etch into the clear.

What do you mean water spots will etch into the clear. This is not true, if it was true... Then it would be bad for all the cars out there that leave their car outside and it rains :).

Actually my garage isn't dusty... :/ I'm really confused since it's as if the dirt is stuck under the clear coat (though it's not)

My guess is that the wax is trapping the dirt and since the dirt isn't fresh.. It's dried onto the wax which is dried onto the paint?!

thanks for the help I appreciate the care

Wash -> clay bar -> wax. See if that helps

If you live in an area where your tap water contains alot of minerals, if you let your car air dry without wiping down, calcium and other elements will stay on the paint and form deposits that are hard to remove, Try wiping the car down with some vinegar ( i havent done this before on a car, but I have done it for non car related stuff and it works well, so i dont know how good it is going to be for the paint), then do a foam wash and then a wax

I normally use a gas pressure washer, foam cannon and APC. I have opti coat pro on my car and still always have an issue with grime after. (touchless) wash. i tend to wash my car twice: rinse down, apc foam cannon, let sit for 3 minutes, clean bottom to top, rinse, apc foam cannon, mitt it, rinse and finally dry. If i skip the Mitt step, it always leaves a thin layer of grime BUT it still looks clean.

you're not the only one bro! i know the feeeeeellls.

That's because rain doesn't have mineral deposits like tap water does, smart guy. Depending where you live, only acid rain is more likely to harm your paint.

All about waterspots:

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/...-type-iii.html

What are you using to wash the car? Microfiber mitt or such? Just rinsing it with a pressure washer and letting soap sit on it won't do anything.

Please read my thread carefully, thanks for the help... I washed 2 car the same day, same method.... one got cleaned. One didn't. Why?

What I'm getting out of this is that you foamed the car, let it sit for a little while, then rinsed the car.:iono:

Unless you washed using a mitt too I wouldn't expect one car to get clean like that.

Your other vehicle, however, may've been easier to clean because of the wax(es) on there that may have worn off the 86 in which case refer to above sentence.

OP, you will need to do a full cleaning process on the car at this point. If it is not getting clean, you have contaminants in the paint.

1) Wash with car wash soap designed to strip off wax. Use a microfiber mit to loosen up the dried dirt on top of the paint.

2) Dry COMPLETELY. This is extremely important. You need to get all standing water off the car before going further.

3) Move the car in to the shade (garage). Spray detailer with a clay bar. Clay bar every inch of the paint on the car. This will help get off all surface contaminants which are embedded in to the clear coat. This is all the dirt you are seeing still on the car after a wash. Clay bar half of your hood, wipe completely dry, then compare with the other half by rubbing your hand across both sides. The clay bar side should feel smooth as glass, while the other half feels and sounds like you're rubbing sand paper.

4) Polish every inch of the car. Follow manufacturers application instructions. You do need to use some force to "buff out" the clear. If you do not see it doing much, you will need to use an actual buffer with cutting compound to "cut out" the contaminants from the clear coat. This will also get any swirls and micro scratches out. Once done, buff off the residue with a clean microfiber.

5) Use a quality non-liquid wax to seal your work. This will last a lot longer than liquid wax, usually only requiring you to re-wax the car every 4 to 6 months, where most liquid wax would need to be redone monthly to maintain protection. Let it dry to a haze, then buff off with a new clean microfiber.

6) Step back and enjoy your show room finish while you can, because tomorrow you'll have dirt all over it once again. All you'll need to do is take it to a car wash, rinse it off, then wipe dry with a quality drying cloth. Bam! Finish restored for another day.


Keeping a daily car clean is a non-stop task. You mention you skip drying the car, which is your biggest issue here. It is pretty important to dry your car every time you wash it, especially if it is sunny outside. If you don't then water spots will just ruin your finish again.

Good luck.

Maybe your method sucks/is inconsistent?

Seriously, it is unclear whether you actually physically wipe the filth off your car at any time, or you are just relying on touchless techniques. That won't cut it. During certain scenarios, it may look clean. But it's not really clean.

-Z

why wouldnt you dry the car? o_O

can you post pictures of the "dirt" on your car???