Car washing tips from me the detail guy

[WaTaGuMp]

Just thought I would share this with you guys, if you try it you can thank me later. First thing is you want to spend a little money on some things that will make this easier and MUCH faster, along with better quality.

Things to buy ( not super exspensive ).

1: Microfiber towels ( just search for them many sites sell these ) 20x40 is the size I use

2: Electric blower

I wet the car soap it up and wash it like most do so thats not the secret. The secret is after rinsing the soap off is to use the blower to remove most of the water. Get the car fairly dry then grab your Microfiber towels to dry the car. The reason for these towels over a shamoise is the fact they soak up water better do not need rinsing and provide a better finished surface over the shamoise. You will need a few towels but for the most part no more then 3 towels total including one for the windows.

The blower rules also cause it will remove water from the cracks so when you drive off later you dont have water running out all over your just cleaned car. I use this method on a daily basis and ever since I switched to this combo my clients cars look better then any wash you will see The towels are VERY soft and just blow away the shamoise for drying cars. The blower I use is a Toro 200 mph blower. Home depot etc sell these about 60 bucks.

The towels run about 8 bucks online so for under 100 bucks you can use this method and really save some time and increase the quality. I use blue towels and then use beige for windows. Surgical towels also can do well for windows but for me its microfiber all the way. You dont have to have different colors but I do it just to make sure I keep drying towels seperate from window towels. Microfiber towels are good for 500 washes according to the people that make them so they will last for a very long time. Just wash them without the use of any fabric softeners etc etc ( this will clog the towel and affect the way it works ).

Hope you guys try this and let me know what you think.

 

[Crazymofo]

With the microfiber towels you dont even need windex for the windows... just some water and they wipe clean everytime!

 

[bernse]

Well, I use great big soft bath towels for drying my car instead of chamois or other "microfibre" towels. Super soft, machine washable and hence reusable.

I have a compressor w/air tank. I'll put a nozzle on it to blow air out if need be. I'm not so sure if I like your Toro blower idea as you'd be stirring the dust up in your garage at the same time as it's such a large volume of air.

 

[WaTaGuMp]

Originally posted by: bernse
Well, I use great big soft bath towels for drying my car instead of chamois or other "microfibre" towels. Super soft, machine washable and hence reusable.

I have a compressor w/air tank. I'll put a nozzle on it to blow air out if need be. I'm not so sure if I like your Toro blower idea as you'd be stirring the dust up in your garage at the same time as it's such a large volume of air.

Well any air is good but I dont use the garages for my clients cars so the Toro works fine out in the field. Just dont point it to the ground is all I can say. I havent had a problem with dust in my years doing this, but thats outside like I said. if people want they can blow it off outside then pull it in the garage. Not everyone has an air tank but a blower thats easy to get and use.

 

[OutHouse]

i havent washed my car in about a year. I have other things to worry about besides blowdrying my car. Plus i live on a dirt road...

 

[WaTaGuMp]

Originally posted by: Crazymofo
With the microfiber towels you dont even need windex for the windows... just some water and they wipe clean everytime!

I use window cleaner just use non ammonia base for tinted windows, just using water wont remove grease from fingerprints as well as the cleaner will. You also want to have cleaner to remove the film that builds up on the front windshield from heat.

 

[SammyBoy]

wow that was the least in depth tips i could have ever imagined from someone who dubs themselves the "anything" guy.

the secret is to dry your car with towels!

anyhow, i dont know jack about detailing cars properly but i suggest you register over at autotopia.com

PREPARE TO BE HUMBLED!

 

[iamme]

what do you guys use to get the inside of your windows clean?

i've tried windex, but it won't seem to get them really clean

 

[dquan97]

Is there a Meguiar equivalent for the Clay Bar? I like it a lot, but it takes a LOT of elbow grease

 

[WaTaGuMp]

Originally posted by: dquan97
Is there a Meguiar equivalent for the Clay Bar? I like it a lot, but it takes a LOT of elbow grease

Clay in general takes time to use, I dont use retail deatailing products so I cant really say a different clay for you to choose. I use professional grade products so the bars I have access to are for sale to the industry. I can say this they all work about the same they just come in different agressive levels for different kinds of paint problems.

 

[Shockwave]

1) Cold wash car. Essentially a towel and hose
2) Hot wash car. Hot soapy water + another towel
3) Apply pre wax
4) Apply wax
5) Buff
6) Repeat 4 and 5
7) Vaccum
8) Armor All all interior panels
9) Q-Tip all seams and vents
10) Armor All Window Cleaner all windows, inside and out
11) Warm clean water to damp cloth, clean leather seats
12) Apply Leather Conditioner to leather

Thats my average guide to cleaning my car. Takes around 5 to 6 hours start to finish, little longer if wax doesnt set up and dry fast.
Keep in mind, thats my average. The Delux involves Clay bar, rim cleaner, RainX and a few other goodies.

 

[KK]

So how much does it run to get a vehicle washed and waxed. I need to spice up the ole windstar but too lazy to do it. Would that run $100?

KK

 

[Electric Amish]

Originally posted by: Shockwave
1) Cold wash car. Essentially a towel and hose
2) Hot wash car. Hot soapy water + another towel
3) Apply pre wax
4) Apply wax
5) Buff
6) Repeat 4 and 5
7) Vaccum
8) Armor All all interior panels
9) Q-Tip all seams and vents
10) Armor All Window Cleaner all windows, inside and out
11) Warm clean water to damp cloth, clean leather seats
12) Apply Leather Conditioner to leather

Thats my average guide to cleaning my car. Takes around 5 to 6 hours start to finish, little longer if wax doesnt set up and dry fast.
Keep in mind, thats my average. The Delux involves Clay bar, rim cleaner, RainX and a few other goodies.

I think you're clinically insane.

 

[Shockwave]

Originally posted by: KK
So how much does it run to get a vehicle washed and waxed. I need to spice up the ole windstar but too lazy to do it. Would that run $100?

KK

I think 30 to 50 at a Turtle Wax. I'll never ever ever go there, but they do a decent job.
Only reason I wouldnt go there, I have much better wax, and its MY car, so I take a bit of pride in it.

 

[iamme]

Originally posted by: Electric Amish

Originally posted by: Shockwave
1) Cold wash car. Essentially a towel and hose
2) Hot wash car. Hot soapy water + another towel
3) Apply pre wax
4) Apply wax
5) Buff
6) Repeat 4 and 5
7) Vaccum
8) Armor All all interior panels
9) Q-Tip all seams and vents
10) Armor All Window Cleaner all windows, inside and out
11) Warm clean water to damp cloth, clean leather seats
12) Apply Leather Conditioner to leather

Thats my average guide to cleaning my car. Takes around 5 to 6 hours start to finish, little longer if wax doesnt set up and dry fast.
Keep in mind, thats my average. The Delux involves Clay bar, rim cleaner, RainX and a few other goodies.

I think you're clinically insane.

i concur.

how often do you do this "average" treatment?

 

[Descartes]

I personally will not use a blower on my car for various reasons. I use a California Water Blade followed by a waffle-weave Microfiber. I BLOT the surface of the car with the waffle-weave. The California Water Blade gets rid of probably 90% of the water. The other trick is to remove the nozzle from the hose and let the water sheet off the car, but my house is older so the lines are a bit dirty so I don't do this.

Anyone who uses bath towels to dry their car should remove themselves of their vehicle

 

[Descartes]

Btw, here's the method (roughly) I use on my cars:

- Clean wheels and wheel-wells inside and out with a non-acidic cleaner using a sheepskin wash mit. I've cut my hands too many times to do it by hand or with a brush.
- Clean the tires if necessary using a non-acidic cleaner
- Wash the car using three buckets (clean water, two with car shampoo) and two sheepskin wash mitts
- Clay bar. This isn't always needed of course, but I use a Pinnacle clay bar when it is along with their lubrication.
- Polish using my Porter Cable 7336. I have about 10 different polishes I use depending on the scratches/swirlmarks. I don't always polish either, of course.
- Apply some paint cleaner like: P21S GEPC, Klasse AIO, etc. I usually apply it with my Porter Cable
- Apply a sealant like Klasse SG
- Top it with a nice carnauba like P21S/S100, Souveran, Blitz Wax, etc.
- Apply tire dressing if necessary
- Do the interior if necessary. My favorite is 303.

Ok, so I got lazy with the details on the final steps. It takes me generally all day, but my "maintenance" wash (once a week) is about 2 hours.

 

[Electric Amish]

Ok, so I got lazy with the details on the final steps. It takes me generally all day, but my "maintenance" wash (once a week) is about 2 hours.

You wash your car once a week?

I just can't bring myself to care about it that much.

 

[WaTaGuMp]

Originally posted by: Electric Amish

Ok, so I got lazy with the details on the final steps. It takes me generally all day, but my "maintenance" wash (once a week) is about 2 hours.

You wash your car once a week?

I just can't bring myself to care about it that much.

I USE to wash my car and WAX it once a week, everytime it got washed it got waxed period. Black car of course and it looked amazing till it got crunched. I gave up on it after that, but I would challenge any car out there for factory paint for how old it was.

 

[Descartes]

Originally posted by: Electric Amish

Ok, so I got lazy with the details on the final steps. It takes me generally all day, but my "maintenance" wash (once a week) is about 2 hours.

You wash your car once a week?

I just can't bring myself to care about it that much.

Once a week if not more depending on the weather. I also keep a bottle of Meguiar's Final Intensity and a microfiber for those interim details You never know when a bird will declare war on your car.

 

[vi edit]

Any suggestions on what to do with hard water? The water in my area is horrid. Even toweling it off will still leave a left over white crust on the paint. Is there some type of cleaner that I can apply afterwards or along with the water from the hose to help prevent the water spots?

 

[Krassus]

Several questions:

1. What kind of soap do you use?
2. How do you soap the car up? (one of those hose attachments?)
3. What do you use to clean it? (i tried a special brush from home depot and it sucked)

 

[WaTaGuMp]

Originally posted by: vi_edit
Any suggestions on what to do with hard water? The water in my area is horrid. Even toweling it off will still leave a left over white crust on the paint. Is there some type of cleaner that I can apply afterwards or along with the water from the hose to help prevent the water spots?

Hard water is a problem, they have special chemicals to remove hard water spots but as for a final finish waxing it should help to remove the film. If the water is that bad I reccomend using the coin op places they have spot free rinse. I buy special water for my company its reverse osomosis water, I can dry a car in 100 degree weather with the microfiber towels and that water and you would be amazed.

You could rent deionized water tanks to hook up but thats not cheap.

 

[Krassus]

Originally posted by: Electric Amish

Ok, so I got lazy with the details on the final steps. It takes me generally all day, but my "maintenance" wash (once a week) is about 2 hours.

You wash your car once a week? I just can't bring myself to care about it that much.

That's because you drive a sh1tbox

 

[WaTaGuMp]

Originally posted by: Krassus
Several questions:

1. What kind of soap do you use?
2. How do you soap the car up? (one of those hose attachments?)
3. What do you use to clean it? (i tried a special brush from home depot and it sucked)

I use Pollys for my business just dont use dishwasher soap get soap for specifically washing cars, they all work the same some just break wax down faster.

I apply soap to my wash mit then spray the mit soap and wash the car, I dont use a bucket at all.

I use a wash no brushes for paint.