Engine bay cleaning!
 

Cleaning your engine bay as never been this easy.
Link to full article: http://www.stayfreshcarcare.com/#!detailing-guide/c1ip2

SF Team,

Wow, that's awesome.

Would it work if I didn't have a high pressure sprayer and I had some painted engine components that I didn't want to get chipped away and used a hose with a trigger sprayer attachment? I could do this before I show my car.

-RyanG

Ryan,

Yes the gunk and grease easily comes up by just wiping away if you do not have a high pressure sprayer. :)

We like to keep our hands fresh here :happyanim:

Is there anything we would need to cover up or protect on our cars? Im afraid to ruin electronics or something with a pressure washer

While you're at it, when using the two bucket method for washing your car's exterior, use distilled water for the wash and the rinse. The stuff costs under a buck a gallon at Wal-Mart or the local grocery store and having no impurities prevents water spots. I work in a medical testing lab and I BELIEVE in its use. Tap water has all kinds of chemicals, added and otherwise, that can leave deposits on your car.

Really, it's a buck a gallon. Why not do it? I mean, you don't have to go crazy and get deionized lab water or anything like that.

Just don't directly spray down senitive areas, like the ECM/Wiring, alternator, fuse box, battery, etc. Lightly pass those areas. Just be smart about it and you shouldn't have to cover anything.

I actually already do this, put distilled water in a pump sprayer and rinse the tap water off car. However, I still have to dry the car. Otherwise, the distilled water collects dust from the air, and leaves spots on the car once dry. There isn't much difference between drying tap water or distilled water, so I've stopped doing this to save a couple bucks a month.

Yes it would totally defeat the purpose in buying the water, since you are going to be washing with the hose. (Unless you are some how washing it with the paid water)

I'm not suggesting you don't have to dry the car! I was suggesting that using distilled water in the soap solution and the 2nd rinse bucket for the washing sponge will reduce deposits on the car's finish from impurities in the water. If you live in a place like Austin, where the water has so much lime in it that you can sculpt the dried residue, it's a good idea. Also, I suspect that chlorine in the water attacks the wax/finish a little and probably dulls it a bit. Of course, that part doesn't matter if you are planning to rewax, but trapping impurities beneath the wax could be an issue, depending on the water itself. Softer water, less of a problem, since the soap works better.

nice

i actually just cleaned the bay today, i used some degreaser but still have to give it a nice scrub.. first major bath since winter is over!

You're right, and there's always going to be places that water reaches that you can't dry where deposits will build up. A cheaper alternative to distilled water might be to use ONR (Optimum No-Rinse) to soften your tap water. A $20 bottle of ONR can make you 64 gallons of soft water, but how effective it is against very hard water is questionable. I think distilled water would be better.

Actually, if the water is really a problem, a deionizer or water softener might be a good idea if you have some money for it.

First, start with a meter to detect dissolved solids:

TDS Meter

Then buy an inline or portable water softener or deionizer:

Portable Water Deionizer

In-Line Water Softener

We have a water softener. All it does is reduce the pH of the water so that soap works better. It doesn't remove any of the minerals at all. For that you need a filter or a distiller.

Also 300 bucks will buy you over 300 gallons of distilled water at Wal-Mart. At 1/2 a gallon a car wash using the twin bucket method, that's 300 car washes minimum. At once a week that's about 6 years worth of car washes. Once every two weeks, and you're likely to sell and/or wreck the car before you reach 300 dollars.

Let me guess; you work for or own Griot's Garage...

Nope, and don't be such a jerk. Griots garage is just where I could find the information and products.