JustinTRW

(Tortuga posted these wonderful car washing instructions over at the C32Life message board, and I thought they were pretty darn good for any newbies arriving here. I hope he does not mind me posting them. It does not cover every little nuance you could possibly ever want to know, but it stands as a great place to start. I wish I had these when I began. It starts with describing how to remove tar that a gentleman had on his vehicle...my comments are in italics.)

I recommend 3M's General purpose adhesive cleaner. It will help you safely remove the tar. Scrubbing tar spots is NOT recommended. You'll end up removing some tar and putting it on your wash mit. Then this tar will be rubbed back and forth over your paint causing an even bigger problem.

I highly recommend washing your car yourself. Here are some tips:

Wash the wheels, tires, and wheel wells first. You'll probably need two 100% cotton chenille wash mits to accomplish this. Do the wheels first so that when you rise them off, you're not splatering dirty water all over clean body panels. Do NOT use these wash mits on the rest of the car! I do not recommend any "spray on" wheel cleaners. (If you can wash your vehicle enough, you can render spray on cleaners useless because the less harsh car wash solution will do the trick.)

Buy some Pinnacle microfiber wash mits from AutoGeek. You can do the car with one, but I recommend using three (one for the top surfaces, one for the front and one side, and one for the rear and the other side). I actually own several because I often wash both cars and I don't re-use the mits until I wash them in the washing machine. These mits will minimize the amount of dirt that is swept across the surface of the paint, creating scratches. The web site to buy them from is:
http://www.autogeek.net/pinmicmit.html

Use a good quality car wash that does not strip wax. (Car wash will strip wax if you use enough, even if it is of the highest quality. Make sure to dillute it properly with water.)

Use three buckets. Fill the first with plain water to rinse off the dirty mit. Fill the next one with soapy water to wash the dirty mit. Fill the third with soapy water to prime the mit for the next usage.

Wash your car in the shade.

When you wash, use motions from the front to the back (and vice versa). Do not use circular or side to side motions. Do not wipe the same surface over again. This only drags the dirt picked up by the mit over the surface again.

After you clean half a panel, turn the mit over and clean the other half. After each panel, go through the three buckets to completely clean and re-prime the mit. Rinse immediately after each panel so the soap does not dry on your car.

If any spots are left over after you wipe them (such as a dead bug), leave them there. After you dry the car, clean these spots separately with some quick detailer and a microfiber cloth. (This perhaps I don't agree with. To me, the washing environment is more safe because you are using lots of soap suds and water. There is less chance of scratching, especially if you use some water pressure.)

Wash the lowest surfaces on the car last (such as below the facia, under the bumper, and under the side skirts). These are usually filty and fill the mit with dirt that could scratch more visible places on your car. (A lot of people use a completely different mitt because of the dirt)

Use the "perfect drying technique" described on the Autopia website.
http://www.autopia.org/forums/showth...&threadid=5120

Some use a high-powered leaf blower to move most of the water off the car. This works well, but you need to be careful not to over use it and create water spots. A California water blade can also be used to help you safely remove most of the left over water. (debated, so use at your own risk, good for windows)

Use waffle-weave microfiber towels to dry the remaining water off the car. JT International (888-989-4584) sells great microfiber towels and they're really inexpensive. Blot, do not wipe, the remaining beads of water off the car. Blotting is more effective and helps insure that any dust that has settled on the car isn't wiped across the surface. An air compressor will help you blow out any remaining water in hard to reach areas (such as side mirrors, trim, license plates, door jams, behind chrome lettering, etc.)

I want to reiterate the imporance of using microfiber towels, wash mits, and applicators. I won't let anything else touch my car.

Also, waxing your car frequently will help prevent dirt sticking to your car and ease the removal of rinse water. (Some waxes actually attract dirt, more so than others, but it does make it easier to remove)


There is so much to discuss concerning simply washing your vehicle, so if newbies have any questions, please go ahead and post them here after conducting a search. Go get 'em.

Kar don

That is one of the best techniques I have seen. In fact I use a very similar method on all of our cars. Except I wash my mitt off with the hose too. I feel it gets cleaner that way. And those microfiber mitts are my FAVORITE! I also like the big blue drying towel that classic motoring accessories sells @ www.properautocare.com. I have made this thread a sticky because this is one of the most important steps in proper car care.

RJC

I've always washed the rims last, this is especially important if the car was driven in the last 30-45 mins, and the brakes are still very hot as a strong dose of cold water sprayed right into the wheels could lead to warped rotors. I agree, never needed any wheel cleaners as the car wash soap works great and does not strip the wax off my rims. Leaf blowers could cause fine sand dirt etc to accidentally get blown onto the surface of the car and when performing the final hand towel drying could scratch the paint. When finished washing and rinsing with the high pressure hose noozle I then remove the nozzle and let the water from the hose pour on the car from the roof down as this takes away the water beads that the spray will make and make drying much easier. I also pop the trunk and hood before drying to let excess water run off.

RJC

JustinTRW

RJC,

Sheeting the water off without the nozzle on the hose is one of the greatest tricks to aid in drying the car. It REALLY helps. You are also absolutely correct about hot rotors. The advantage of washing the wheels first (if everything is cool) is that if they are especially dirty, you do not want any dirty debris to splash on freshly washed paint. A final rinse works too, so it doesn't really matter.

Great tips.

RJC

Justintrw,
You're a lucky guy as it sounds like you love washing/waxing your own car as do I and you live in San Diego where it hardly rains and the humidity is low which is perfect for detailing . I live in South Florida and during the summer it rains somewhere almost every day with very high humidity. I've been out to San Diego and I love it there.

All the best.

RJC

bmms8

well they are builind thousands of houses right now It is great over here....no wind no nothing.

RJC

I'd be out there in a second but for my parents...mom is not in good health and dad is getting old, Enjoy the best climate in the states!

RJC

bmms8

oo, sorry to hear that....but there are a lot of problems....gas is expensive, all houses are very expensive....over populated...it goes back and forth

RJC

Know what you mean ,here in S Fl real estate epecially on the coast is going crazy, lots of congestion during rush hrs and the humidity makes it all worse...at least there's no snow and I can drive my MBZ every day. Still I'd really love to be in S. Cali.

All the best

RJC

ScreaminYeloSLK

There are a few good reasons to wash your wheels last. First, the way gravity works here in Colorado, dirty water and dirt tends to fall down to the ground. Thats why you should start washing the top first. To begin with, you should always rinse the whole car from top to bottom (to knock off any sand or grit that might scratch the car) making sure to rinse the wheels off too PRIOR to washing the car with soap.

Then make sure that the surface that you are going to wash with your mitt is wet with water before you apply the soapy mitt. Rinse every surface you wash THOUOUGHLY prior to washing the next panel and work from the top down to make sure the soap is always rinsed off well.

After you have finished all body panels, you move to the wheels which have already been rinsed in the initial rinse to remove most of the hard core dirt that could splatter onto another panel. Use the same car shampoo to wash the wheels and rinse each prior to washing the next. The wheels are invariably the dirtiest part of the car (next to the wheel wells) so your mitt will get dirtiest last and not touch any other part of the car. Always rinse your mitt if you wash a gritty panel, drop the mitt or when finished. If you live in a sandy environment, you may want to hose off the mitt betwen panels.

The splatter that comes off the dirty fender onto the driveway will ALWAYS make the wheels dirty so washing them first means you will have to wash them last as well. This also as mentined above gines them a chance to cool down without damaging your rotors. I have only been washing cars for 40 years so I may be wrong. Try it for yourself. Hope this helps.

JustinTRW

Go to see that you have your own method.

Typically I have a separate wash mitt for my wheels and paint. I do the wheels first, then wash the car from top to bottom.

02Impressor

--- not a joke --

Question: Which dish soap is best for washing the car?

-- not a joke --

JustinTRW

Typically you only want to use dish soap to help remove wax and oils before applying a sealant such as Zaino. If you want to remove a fresh layer of wax, there are better methods.

The original blue Dawn liquid seems to be prefered because of its simplicity. However, any dish washing liquid works just as well.

JustinTRW

Amrias, here is my response to your questions.

I have either the 12" x 12" or the 15" x 15", I'm not sure Either way, I fold the towel twice, which splits it into fourths. This creates eight different sides to use, so I just turn the towel when the current side is saturated. You can get the large ones if you'd like. I like towels that I can use in one hand when folded, so it's up to you.

Try http://www.microfibertech.com. They have both the towels and the waffle weave. Make sure to get the Elite towel, and NOT the Ultra. I was intially a little negative on these towels, but they seem to be almost as good as neatitems. Plus you can get both the regular towels and the waffle weave from here. However, at $13, the waffle weave towel at premiumautocare is the best price I've seen. Compare the surface areas from site to site and see how much you are paying per square inch.

www.pinnaclewax.com is having free shipping over $50, and they have applicators and towels, but I do not know how much you are spending. The best bet would be to get the yellow foam applicators from a store like walmart. If autozone has Viking foam applicators, get them. Stay away from the terry applicators.

For washing technique, read the stick on washing. I only use two buckets and two mitts for the paint. I use another mitt for the wheels. This seems like a lot, but the sticky suggests three mitts for the paint and two for the wheels. I think that is excessive and just wastes resources.

For drying technique:
"low-pressure, high volume water is easiest and perfectly sufficient. Take the nozzle off the hose. Let it pour over the top. You will see the water sheet off. Move the hose down to "feed" the sheet as it flows down the car - this will keep the sheet wide and it will carry away more water that way. (i.e., feed the wet part, not the dry part.) This gets rid of about 90% of the water."

Then I follow with my waffle weave microfiber towel and stretch the towel out on the surface. I press it down gently and then lift it off. Presto, dry! You can also take the waffle weave and blot water off the sides. Regular microfiber towels get soaked really fast, but they are great for drying too. Most of the water spots should wipe off. You can use Z-6 spray sparingly for assistance. Spray the towel with a spritz and that should cover a good area. You can even spray it directly to the car for extra power (which is recommended if you don't mind using a little more Z-6).

Kassav

Thanks for all the advice. I am heading out now to wash my car.

02Impressor

Ok I was inspired to switch from dish soap to something more respectable... went to Kmart and bought TurboWax Carwash and some All Wheel Cleaner that their "[female] expert" recommended.... oh and stocked up on 5 brand new towels.

tj99e320

After using the same technique for washing cars for about 20 years now, I just tried this one with some variation.

I did the roof and upper sides first, then the bottom sides along with the front and rear, and the wheels last using the leftover suds.

What really pleased me most was sheeting the water off without the nozzle on the hose. I was pleasantly surprised at how little water was left on the car. If you haven't tried this, you owe it to yourself to give it a shot. It'll save you a lot of time.

Thanks for the tip.
TJ

Kar don

ok i updated the post, now the link to the perfect drying technique is functional .

stoneweed1

what is your opinion on using a pressure washer? mine generates approximately 2300 psi max, however if one used it safely (spraying the water as opposed to shooting the water in a thin line and standing 4 feet away) do u recommend it.

i feel that the extra boost helps in dislodged grime and really does well with the wheels.

jposhea3

when washing in winter indoors, be sure you have LOTS of light, so you can see if you are doing damage.

i just slightly straight-line swirled the hood of my new E-class, probably with a just-dirty-enough microfiber towel while trying to put some Z6 on after I RINSED, not *washed* the car - alternately, the hood still had grit on it and I should have gone full boat and *washed* it with shampoo.

I'll have to see how it looks in full daylight - i took it out by streetlight (it just got dark) and noticed the marks.

dumb dumb dumb

the rest of the car, where I wasn't trying to be clever and just blotted it dry with a bigBlueTowel, looks *not* to have the scratches, so it definitely was me trying out the Z6 that did it.

on the bright side, now I have something to look forward to at AlBoston's meet - learning how to handle these things.

electromethod

i know this sounds stupid, but what kind of soap do you guys think is good to use for the normal wash? i need to give her the first bath tonight and already have everything but the soap. Does it matter what kind as long as i dilute it enough?
Input appreciated.. thanks

Kar don

Meguiars Gold Class Wash
Mothers Showtime wash
Zaino Z7 car wash
Zymol Car wash

Anthony Orosco

Hi electro,

Just about any car wash which is clear coat safe and does not strip wax is OK to use.

AFTER you do your detail steps then you may want to invest in a better built car wash. Pinnacle Body Shampoo is a great maintaining car soap and then follow it up with a QD.

Anthony

CLKfanatic

What kind of wash mitts does everyone use? Can anyone recommend anything besides a MF mitt? TIA

Anthony Orosco

clk,

I use several different types.

A Lambs Wool wash mitt, a MF mitt and the ones that sees the most soap and water are my rock wool deep sea sponges.

Anthony