How Do You Wash Your Car?

[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!

[CU2MIKE]

Originally Posted by Guff

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!

Shammies will put all kinds of swirl marks in the paint though. If the leaf blower doesn't work well for you. I'd recommend using these:

http://www.microfibertech.com/25-x-3...ack_p_253.html

Two of these should be more than enough to dry the car.

Microfiber needs it's own detergent as well so you'd need this:

http://www.microfibertech.com/Micro-...ent-_p_61.html

[ducks]

as a final rinse, try sheeting the water off with water running freely from the hose. most of the water should flow off together and leave you with a lot less work.

[WingsofWar]

Originally Posted by CU2MIKE

Shammies will put all kinds of swirl marks in the paint though.

yes and no, many make the mistake of dragging a shammie (especially a dry shammie) across paint to get water out. In reality anything that touches paint can create scratchs or swirls. Anything that absorbs water, also absorbs dirt, and you have to inspect the surface of any cloth before going to dry the next section.

There are wet poly shammies that absorb tons of water or microfiber waffle weave that provide a good ultra-soft surface texture for drying but are not cost effective. Either way, you still need to know how to dry a car with technique if not using forced air to dry.

Some pro detailers iv seen use wet poly/cotton drying cloth/shammy to dry a car. Then a wipedown with a MF towel. and absolutely no scratches or swirls.

[CU2MIKE]

Originally Posted by WingsofWar

yes and no, many make the mistake of dragging a shammie (especially a dry shammie) across paint to get water out. In reality anything that touches paint can create scratchs or swirls. Anything that absorbs water, also absorbs dirt, and you have to inspect the surface of any cloth before going to dry the next section.

There are wet poly shammies that absorb tons of water or microfiber waffle weave that provide a good ultra-soft surface texture for drying but are not cost effective. Either way, you still need to know how to dry a car with technique if not using forced air to dry.

Some pro detailers iv seen use wet poly/cotton drying cloth/shammy to dry a car. Then a wipedown with a MF towel. and absolutely no scratches or swirls.

Unfortunately most people don't know how to use one correctly. So it's easier to use a waffle weave to dab dry, while using a QD to aid drying. The easiest way I've found is to use a leaf blower to get majority of the water off. Either a WW or a plush mf to dab drying while using QD to increase lubricity of the surface so it doesn't mar or put swirls back in.

[michaelahess]

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?

Try doing this to a Dodge MegaCab, this car will be so small, washing it'll take me 10 minutes!