I use a combination of the California blade for the big areas and an "absorber" for the rest. One thing about the absorber is, if you wash it in a clothes washer don't use to much soap, or there may be residue soap left over and never-ever add softener in the wash. How do I know this....... the hard way of course.



1991 300E 4Matic. Black of course.

 

i love the absorber! i discovered it at a car wash my club had when someone brought over their carwash stuff from home. great stuff.

I drive a black 91 300E, its my baby. last weekend i washed it with meguiars soap (dont recall which one it is, its pink..) then used rubbing compound, swirl remover, and finished it off with a layer or mother's wax. (i didnt buy any of this stuff, its sitting around at my parents house). any suggestions on improvement?

It looks great for a while, but when i park it at my apartment (not garaged) it gets so dusty in just 2 days. Is there any way i can prevent this?

 

If you wash your car at home you should do it on the lawn. Washing the car in the driveway so all the soap enters directly into the storm drain is very bad for the environment. Car wash soaps have high levels of surfactants to strip oils etc. When this goes directly to a storm drain this water is not treated in any way and is released directly into rivers and streams. These surfactants strip fish of their natural coatings making them die. A concentration of 10 ppm will kill a fish and 5 ppm will kill the eggs.

 

hey, that picture is definitely out of control?

email me a hi res copy.... nah, my wife will kill me!

Greg

 

the Absorber or Shamwow works like a charm. but you want to machine wash them periodically with just hot water and no laundry detergent so you can get all the old water out of the Absorber or Shamwow which can leave streak or water spots. these things don't shrink so no worries about the hot water and you can put the thing back into the container straight from the washing machine because they remain a little damp after the cycle.

 

I have been using the same absorber for about 16 years now and it still works great. The key is storing it damped in it's container and not let it dry out...if it does simply soak it in water again.
I was thinking about trying the microfiber towels..but sounds like you need to wash it often...which is more of a hassle..requiring water,soap and electricty to wash the towels separately.

 

My trusty and THICK microfiber mitt holds so much more water and soap than my wool other mitts. I've even taken brand new mf terry cloths out the bag and use those. I notice they tend to "slide" over the paint and grab that dirt and don't "hang up" like my wool mitts do. it's weird and hard to explain but it cuts my elbow grease time in half.

I also recommend people use mf terry cloths on their wheels too. as regular towels can leave scuff marks and sponges are just not practical in reaching tight spaces of the wheels.

 

No Way. all that grass gets on the wheels and paint and your shoes and hands. that's crazy. but to each his own. and nevermind the car wash chemicals in the storm drain which are mostly harmless as dish soap, that's why we have water treatment plants. our tax dollars is already taking care of that.

 

Lots of great and detailed -- no pun intended -- information in this thread. I'm going to try some of the products mentioned here.

 

Geez, I guess I better not drive in the rain from now on
If at all, it should be the brake rotors one should be more worried about. It is not recommended for you to drive the car for a long time and then shortly after splash a good amount of water on the rotors when cleaning wheels.

 

i wish mom had a garage.

currently moved here in san antonio from seattle for a year to save some money and wife attending school, i went from washing car every week to every month due to how dirty it gets days after i wash it..

i just went out there and told myself "what the f happend?"

so im going to wash her now, very helpful thread!

 

Great write up!
Ive been using Mothers California gold carwash and Meguiars gold class shampoo with good results.

 

I like using the low pressure high volume water coming out of the hose to dry sheet the car before picking up the few remaining dribbles with a chamos.

Problem is that I had a Rain Bird hose end nozzel that that a position on the nozzel for just the right amount of water. You could also change the setting for a more forceful setting. Unfortunately I ran over it moving the car one day and now I found that they quit making them and it seems that nobody has them.

Does anyone know of a hose end nozzle (pistol grip style) that has a good flood of water setting?

 

I washed my car today, didnt read this before and i stupidly scratched some of my paint while scrubbing a bug off....how should i remove my scratch!?

 

Best to make sure that you pour your dirty bucket water into the toilet. That way, the water gets treated. Driveway runoff is not treated.

 

Weekly Detail Routine (Car has had professional 3-stage paint correction and sealed with OptiCoat): 5-bucket method using 4 buckets with grit guards. Use warm water and Detailer's Xtreme Foam Formula Auto Shampoo. Three dedicated MF wash mitts.

1 - Power wash car to remove lose surface dirt and grit.

2 - Wheels, tires & wheel wells: Pre-spray wheels with Sonax Wheel Cleaner. In first bucket of Detailer's Xtreme Foam, use Daytona Speed Master PRO Wheel Brush to clean spokes and wheel rims. First MF mitt to clean wheel face. Tire bush to clean both sides of tire. Handle brush to scrub wheel well. Rinse.

3 - The dirt belt (area from the side trim down): Pre-spray area to be cleaned with foam cannon filled with Detailer's Xtreme foam, using second MF mitt and two buckets of Detailer's Xtreme foam and grit guards (one for pre-rinse, one soap) work from side trim down - never move from dirty back to clean but from clean to dirty. Rinse.

4 - Wash entire vehicle from top down: Pre-spray area to be cleaned with foam cannon filled with Detailer's Xtreme foam, using third MF mitt and two clean buckets of Detailer's Xtreme foam and grit guards (one for pre-rinse, one soap) work from top down - never move from dirty back to clean but from clean to dirty. Rinse.

5 - Drying: OptiCoat is a highly hydrophobic coating, and you can dry the vehicle by simply sheeting a stream of water and "pulling" it down the car. Perfectly dry with no water spots. Dedicated leaf blower on low to blow water from trim and crevices, followed by Wolfgang's Detailer Spritz and MF towels dedicated to exterior drying only.

Takes about 90 minutes to complete. Absolutely no risk of introducing scratches or swirls, and your car will look showroom perfect. It may be a bit OCD - but if you've spent $100K on your car why trust it with a $20 wash??

 

OCD? Perhaps...Will my car look showroom clean in 3 yrs? If you say it will, I'll put in the time & money!

 

Hey Mirroredimages, don't know if you're new to high end car maintenance or not. What I describe above is normal for guys who obsess over their cars - and like to show them off at weekend rallies. For your average guy any "hand" car wash, or simply a bucket and some soap will do. If you take your car to a professional AND knowledgeable paint correction guy he can show you the halos and swirls in your clear coat as a result of paint poor washing technique.

I can't guarantee that in three years it'll look showroom perfect because I don't know the conditions on the road you drive, or if you have the patience to do everything it takes to keep your car looking its best.

I use mine as a daily driver, and after two years looks as good as the day it rolled out of Speedfreak's detail shop. I use Brian Lewis (aka Speedfreak) in Sterling, Virginia. One of the best in the business. Google his page, give him a call and discuss it with him. He's a good guy, glad to discuss car care, and will give you the straight gouge.

For my money I'd say go for it. I've done it with both my Benzos, and they constantly get compliments from people passing by. By the way - I'm out the door right now to give Gladys her weekly wash!

Cheers,

Greg

 

Hey, Greg...this is my 1st MB but if you consider Lincoln, Yukon Denali Hybrid & Expedition Limited luxury, then I'm not new to it. Unless I join a local club here in Miami, I won't be showing it but I really just want to take as best care of it as possible. I want the Porcelain leather to look good as new in 3 yrs when I'm ready to trade it in & I'd love for the wheels & paint to look pristine also. It'll be a daily driver & we travel all over the country for work so I want to come up with a routine that is thorough but not too difficult so I follow through. I'll definitely look into your guy in GA. Thank you much. Gladys, huh? I hadn't even considered naming the new car.

 

Mirroredimages, More info (much the same) at the following link: https://mbworld.org/forums/s-class-w...50-2011-a.html

Brian Lewis (aka Speedfreak) is in Sterling, Virginia. But do give him a call, and tell him Greg with the CLK55 recommended.

Here's the deal, the OptiCoat is way tougher than your clear coat so it will preserve your clear coat, and makes the car far easier to clean - nice for x-country/DD. The 3M clear bra, while not bullet proof is FAR better than nothing.

Once you get your system down you can wash the car and have it dry in about 90 minutes. Additional time if you want to do anything extra.

Bottom line - well worth the investment. In the end your car will definitely look better with than without.

Let me know if you have any questions!

Greg

 

Thanks for the info. I'll give him a ring tomorrow. Our GL550 arrives yesterday & it is a beauty! We love it!

 

Congrats & enjoy!

 

I called him on Saturday or Sunday...got voicemail...left a detailed message & still have no return call.

 

Just spoke with him on the phone. He fell down a flight of stairs holding his 1yr old, and in an attempt to protect his kid tore the ligaments in his ankle. Out of battery and on heavy meds right now. I'm going out to see him this weekend and will mention your call.

 

Damn! How's his child? I hope ok!