Have few deals ongoing in automotive section re wash, wax, microfiber etc so as wondering about these things.
How do you wash car? Bucket/Soap or?
Which wash/wax liquid?
What do you use to dry?
How do you wash car? Which wash/wax liquid ? What do you use to dry?
sunrise12345 on 15/10/2020 - 22:32
Comments
All you need to know: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFXfSBR5Q9w
Interior: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pctzq_pT2MU
Watch out for: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ef_-SNSnByg
I squirt the cheapest detergent, then pray to the clouds… you know, the OzBargain way.
Nah going to the car wash is soooo much easier, a buck for 2 minutes is decent, and less than $2 if you're speedy gonzales.
Don't need a hose/pressure washer
Don't need to buy soap
Don't need to buy a brushI mean, unless its outside of restrictions then listen to other suggestions.
Not the best for your paint as it can do alot of damage, esp when using the brush attachment.
I don't use them anymore, but when I did I would always check brush before inserting coin
and yeah, $2 is enough; $1 soapy brush (2nd lap done after timer goes off), $1 rinse/wax
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I use a pressure washer feeding some Supercheap detergent (diluted) at low pressure and high pressure with clean water. Then hand wash with the same detergent and a sponge to remove dirt/grime (two buckets: one for the detergent+water and another to squeeze the dirty sponge into). Then wash it down again and give it a partial wipe with a cheapo chamois (leave a bit of water on) and then a final pass with an older (more absorbent) chamois.
Every few months I'll wax with Meguiar's wet look after washing (gives a beautiful shine).
Probably takes ~30 mins for the wash/dry but I find it to be worth it.
Autoglym Polar Blast through my snow foam lance, rinse off. The Autoglym UHD Shampoo with a glove and 2 bucket method, and rinse again. Dry with chamois.
- Pressure rinse. Iron decon on wheels. Rinse.
- Snow foam pre decon whole car. Let sit for a few mind. Then rinse off.
- 2 bucket wash. Start with wheels. Use mit with loose finger weave for wash. Rinse with a separate shaggy mit. I use separate mits for lower sections of car where more dirty. All done during cool day. Best under shade.
- Wash in vertical down strokes not round. Do in sections. Rinse with pressure hose.
- Use my Metrovac blaster revolution to dry whole car.
- Give it a quick wax with car detailer.
- Tyre gel
- Brake repellent on wheels with Armorall brake repellent.
9.Polish any chrome items or touch up black bumper bits with rejuvinator.
Grab a beer afterwards and then go back to look at all the work. Good time to yourself well spent.
which pressure washer?
I just upgraded to one for a deal on this site earlier in the year. Gerni. Grabbed an extra car wash attachment and use a Meguiars foam cannin with Bowdens snow job, bit any good cannon and foam would work. The Gerni did come with a cannon, but didn't even bother using it. Has a smaller container. What you don't use can be used next time. Also suggest some good tyre brushes. Foam gun also good for general cleaning
Meguiars Gold Class wash for 2 bucket clean.
For a quick wash and if the car isn't too dirty you should try PureWax waterless. It's literally spray on wipe off and there's no mess.
For the buckets you need 2, as one will be for the shampoo/car wash soap and the other to rinse your mitt. A good quality mitt is a good idea too as it will be gentle on the paint, otherwise it may leave swirls and scratches. Also you need to thoroughly rinse of all the existing dirt before using the mitts, otherwise you will be dragging specs of dirt onto the paint and damaging it.
The wash I use is Meguir's Gold Class and I highly rate it, but any decent wash will do to be honest. DO NOT USE DISHWASHING LIQUID haha.
As someone mentioned above, the drying towels from Bowden's such as the Big Green Sucker are really good imo, and get the job done pretty quickly due to their size.
Hope this helped :)
Rain
Nil
Sun.;)
Occasionally: bucket, sponge and whatever car wash stuff was cheap last time I needed some. Hose it off and air dry.
I'll wash the car when it is visibly dirty two to four times a year using a variation of the Garry Dean method. Pick a cloudy but dry day to wash the car.
Pressure wash the car to remove loose dirt.
Gold class in a bucket of warm water with 10 woolen mitts and one wookie.
Start by cleaning the roof with one side of the wookie and then the bonnet with the other side. Long strokes, non-overlapping.
Use one mitt per panel, starting from the top and using horizontal strokes going down towards the bottom. Put the spent mitt in an empty bag. Take another mitt from the wash bucket for the next panel.
Pressure rinse the car.
Drive it into the garage and use a drying towel or two. Dab the car with the towel.
The less you touch it, the less chance there is of introducing swirls.
I tried touchless washing (snow foam and rinse) but the stuck on dirt won't come off without agitation. Maybe the pressure washer I'm using isn't up to the task.
Washing on a rainy and windy day is not a good idea.
The car was ceramic coated by a detailer (not at the dealer) when it was new and is kept in a garage.
When the car is getting serviced, ask the dealer not to wash the car.
Below is what I would recommend to a newcomer as a starting point or someone who isn't interested in getting super OCD about detailing.
I would purchase:
* Wash detergent: eg Bowdens Nanolicious
* Wheel cleaner: eg Bowdens Wheely Clean
* Good quality wash mit - I use Bowdens Muffy Sponge but its often personal preference. Make sure its a good quality microfibre mit
* Separate brush/mit for wheels - I found a Turtlewax 'glove' that has been pretty good. I haven't had much success with brushes, but ymmv
* I use a bug spray (Bowdens Bugger Off) as I do a lot of country driving. Better to use a product to break them down than scrubbing away with your wash mit as that's how you'll get swirls. Similar deal if you've copped bitumen specks down your car - get a tar remover.
* Drying cloth x2 (1 for wheels, 1 for body… I use a Bowdens Big Green Sucker for body, and a cheap chamois for wheels)
* 3 buckets - one with wash detergent, one with fresh water to rinse your body mit, and one with wash detergent for your wheelsProcess:
* Park car in shade - late afternoon is usually best, as late as you can
* Rinse car thoroughly with water
* Apply wheel cleaner, let work, then clean with wheel brush/mit. I usually do two wheels at a time. Rinse off, then do other two.
* If you have headlight protectors, take them off and clean them separately - pet peeve is when people don't take them off! Dry them off straight away and put to the side.
* Start from the top down. Do a panel at a time - wash with mit, rinse product off panel. Rinse mit in the 'water' bucket, dip mit into product bucket, and move to next panel. You want to keep your mit as clean as possible to minimise inflicting swirls.
* When you are doing the side of your car, work your way down the panel, as they're usually dirtier at the bottom than the top.
* Glass is fairly hardy so you can do all your windows at once (if they aren't too dirty of course)
* Keep your car wet the whole time as if tap water dries, it'll potentially etch your glass and paint. When I rinse a panel off I'll usually spray a bit of water over the rest of the car.
* When you're finished, take any attachment off your hose, put the water pressure to low, and sheet the water off the car. This'll reduce the amount of water you need to dry off.
* Then dry it. I usually slam each door open and closed to get water out of the handles and crevices. If you move your car when you're done, you'll want to go around again and dry off any other water that's come out.I'm not knocking pressure washers, snow cannons etc but imo they are far from essential. Regardless of whether you use a pressure washer or not, you still need good washing technique, as that's how you're going to inflict swirls and marring. If you want to get serious about detailing, then definitely look into it, but don't feel that you have to.
Bowdens Own also have a lot of easy to follow guides on their website that are worth a read.
I use a bucket and a sponge and this wash & wax - https://www.supercheapauto.com.au/p/armor-all-armor-all-wash…
I wash the car when it is not too hot, you don't want the soap to dry before you hose the soap off, do it late in the day, or in the shadeI wash the car in sections, from the top down. You wet the car first, just to loosen junk from the car and under the guards
If you have a pressure washer, you can use that if you get a litre bottle to use to spread the mixture after you blast the dirt offTo dry the car, I let it dry by itself; don't forget to wash the mirrors.
Take it to the car wash.