How do your wash your car ?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2019
Posts: 892
Likes: 232
There is special soap. But - regular soap works also albeit not as well. I like MTM foam cannon.
https://www.obsessedgarage.com/pages/store is a good resource for "vetted" products and great video content for comparisons, reviews and how too's.
www.Ammonyc.com is another good one that sells their own stuff. Solid products.
https://www.detailersdomain.com is another well liked site.
https://www.autogeek.net is somewhat of a superstore with everything.
The top 2 are a little higher end although the bottom have their share of high end and overlap, just not as targeted.
https://www.obsessedgarage.com/pages/store is a good resource for "vetted" products and great video content for comparisons, reviews and how too's.
www.Ammonyc.com is another good one that sells their own stuff. Solid products.
https://www.detailersdomain.com is another well liked site.
https://www.autogeek.net is somewhat of a superstore with everything.
The top 2 are a little higher end although the bottom have their share of high end and overlap, just not as targeted.
Rennlist Member
Joined: Nov 2018
Posts: 1,352
Likes: 641
From: MTL, Canada
Personally I don't let anyone else hand wash the car but me. If the car is full of bugs and bird poop and I don't have the time I'll just pop in a toucheless to remove the major grime, then wash it myself a few days later when I have time. The guys at the car wash do so many cars in a day, they drop their mitt and rags on the floor and don't really care, if you wanna minimize swirls (especially if you have a dark car) avoid manual car wash.
when you wash:
use 2 buckets
rinse the whole car off make sure it's very damp and try to remove as much dust and crap from that first rinse
then soak it with soap if you have a soap gun.
make sure you use clean mitt and don't put too much pressure, let it do the work.
wash from top to bottom
I usually do the wheels last, but some people prefer cleaning them first (I use a dedicated mitt for the wheels as well as a wheel brush for the smaller branches)
if your car is nano coated (I highly recommend it), you can dry it very easy with a leaf blower and avoids you touching the paint. plus it gets all the drops out of the cracks.
This will minimize swirls.
use the clean microfibre to finish off little drops here and there
it takes time but it's worth the effort in the long run.
when you wash:
use 2 buckets
rinse the whole car off make sure it's very damp and try to remove as much dust and crap from that first rinse
then soak it with soap if you have a soap gun.
make sure you use clean mitt and don't put too much pressure, let it do the work.
wash from top to bottom
I usually do the wheels last, but some people prefer cleaning them first (I use a dedicated mitt for the wheels as well as a wheel brush for the smaller branches)
if your car is nano coated (I highly recommend it), you can dry it very easy with a leaf blower and avoids you touching the paint. plus it gets all the drops out of the cracks.
This will minimize swirls.
use the clean microfibre to finish off little drops here and there
it takes time but it's worth the effort in the long run.
Pro
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 593
Likes: 53
i'm sure it has been mentioned here before but it's very important NOT to wash your car in the sun. wait until an overcast day or better yet do it during a time of day when your car is in the shade.
for me i do a water rinse, then work on the wheels (takes about 30 minutes minimum) with wheel cleaner first then mild soap.
foam gun to agitate tough spots
two buckets of car shampoo (i love the p21s) and clean water
two mits, one filled every now and then with the shampoo
rinse and dry with the master blaster
detail spray with microfiber as needed.
if insects/sap are an issue, nextzett insect/tar remover works wonders.
for me i do a water rinse, then work on the wheels (takes about 30 minutes minimum) with wheel cleaner first then mild soap.
foam gun to agitate tough spots
two buckets of car shampoo (i love the p21s) and clean water
two mits, one filled every now and then with the shampoo
rinse and dry with the master blaster
detail spray with microfiber as needed.
if insects/sap are an issue, nextzett insect/tar remover works wonders.
Three Wheelin'
Joined: Aug 2017
Posts: 1,873
Likes: 553
From: Calgary, AB
Against bylaw to wash your car in your driveway here, so I don't do it too often. My regular wash routine is easy - go to my favourite drive-in car wash, park in a bay - high-pressure rinse and then de-ionized low-pressure rinse. Wipe it down with soft microfibre and it looks perfect. I only use soap sparingly as the cheap car wash soaps ruin the hydrophobic properties of ceramic a lot faster. The ceramic coating on the painted surfaces and clear film makes bugs come off super easy.
Without ceramic, you have to hand wash if you really want to get all the grime off, and that just invites more chances for swirls in the paint.
When I do wash at home I use my pressure washer as the soap nozzle is almost like a foam cannon. I use Carpro Reload and Reset. I do a quick lap of my cul-de-sac to do a few brake applications and then pull into the garage to finish drying and applying Carpro spray.
Without ceramic, you have to hand wash if you really want to get all the grime off, and that just invites more chances for swirls in the paint.
When I do wash at home I use my pressure washer as the soap nozzle is almost like a foam cannon. I use Carpro Reload and Reset. I do a quick lap of my cul-de-sac to do a few brake applications and then pull into the garage to finish drying and applying Carpro spray.
Pro
Joined: Jul 2016
Posts: 546
Likes: 192
From: Bellevue, WA
Love washing the car, really dislike washing the wheels and dealing with brake dust. I also sometimes do the wheels the day before so I can enjoy the actual wash the following day. Also the wheels take more time, because have to wash, then drive to dry them, then spray on Outlast, then let that dry before can drive the car again.
Car is a DD, so am washing the car (carefully) every week. Do the wheels every other week fully, and just a quick rinse on alternate weeks.
Find the dust a real pain.
Car is a DD, so am washing the car (carefully) every week. Do the wheels every other week fully, and just a quick rinse on alternate weeks.
Find the dust a real pain.
Track Day
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 22
Likes: 1
From: Honolulu, Hawaii
Like others have stated Ceramic coating can vary! in price, quality, and even lasting time, meaning 1 yr to 10 yrs. From what I know "which is not much" the higher quality Ceramics harden the paint which is what you want so the harder the better i.e. the numbers on some of the coatings. Depending on where you live and how much paint correction needs to be done your looking at $500 to $2000 but there are so many variables hard to determine. I would do it and I recommend alot of people to doing it.
Oh and I forgot, after I wash the Black car I like to dry it off by driving down a gravel road. Makes things realistic.
Oh and I forgot, after I wash the Black car I like to dry it off by driving down a gravel road. Makes things realistic.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2018
Posts: 1,234
Likes: 431
From: San Diego
Love washing the car, really dislike washing the wheels and dealing with brake dust. I also sometimes do the wheels the day before so I can enjoy the actual wash the following day. Also the wheels take more time, because have to wash, then drive to dry them, then spray on Outlast, then let that dry before can drive the car again.
Car is a DD, so am washing the car (carefully) every week. Do the wheels every other week fully, and just a quick rinse on alternate weeks.
Find the dust a real pain.
Car is a DD, so am washing the car (carefully) every week. Do the wheels every other week fully, and just a quick rinse on alternate weeks.
Find the dust a real pain.
Car is a joy to wash, especially when it only needs a foam cannon vs full mitt wash. Hydro 02 for great shine on occasion and ONR in between full washes.
Rennlist Stories
The Best Porsche Posts for Porsche Enthusiasts
9 Vehicles Porsche Helped Engineer that Aren't Porsches
Verdad Gallardo
9 Features and Characteristics That Only Porsche People Understand
Verdad Gallardo
I've Written 500 Rennlist Articles: Here's How Porsche Has Changed Along the Way
Joe Kucinski
10 Most Unnecessary Porsches Ever Built (And Why We Love Them)
Verdad Gallardo
Porsche 911 GT3 S/C vs 718 Spyder RS: 10 Categories, One Winner
Joe Kucinski
This Builder Is Turning Heads With Its Slantnose 911 Creation
Verdad Gallardo
Porsche 911 GT3 Artisan Edition Pays Homage to Japanese Culture
Verdad Gallardo
Porsche Reveals Coupe Variant of the Electric Cayenne With a Fresh Look
Verdad Gallardo
10 Porsche Colors That Have More Personality Than Most People
Verdad Gallardo
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2018
Posts: 1,234
Likes: 431
From: San Diego
Depends how dirty your car is. I pressure wash, foam and master blaster jr it dry and sometimes that is all it needs. This weekend I need to give it the works as the crud on my car will laugh at foam only.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2019
Posts: 892
Likes: 232
Thank you. I ordered the foam cannon need to get that master blaster next. Drying with towels takes me a long time.
RL Community Team
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 3,796
Likes: 869
Having good quality cleaning products and methods is key to keep to car looking good over time. Ceramic coatings help with that tremendously. I wanted to start washing my cars my self. Since my buddy is now a Kranzle dealer and MTM Hydro dealer, I decided to see what they rage was all about. Now I know. Truly stout well built products. Maybe I would talk to him to offer a deal for RL members?
Rennlist Member
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 9,712
Likes: 3,870
I do wheels first. Separate bucket filled with soap. Wheel Woolies, the obsessed garage flexi pads mitt, ez detail brush for getting behind the calipers only, if flings everywhere so I don’t use it everywhere. Typically don’t need wheel cleaner since I wash every week to every other week. But Adams wheel cleaner when I do. Adams tire cleaner every wash for the tires. Then either soap, Adams all purpose cleaner or just some tire cleaner for the wheel wells.
For the paint, two buckets, soap, typically Adams or lusso oro, microfiber madness wash pad, then wash everything. Dry wheels with leaf blower, electric ryobi although I would like to get an ego at some point. Had a 4hp master blaster, not the 8, works amazing but since it involves a bit more effort getting it out I prefer the leaf blower. Dry door jambs at the end. Dress tires.
Typically after this I am now dirty, so I will shower and come back the next day to do the interior and other final touches as necessary.
For the paint, two buckets, soap, typically Adams or lusso oro, microfiber madness wash pad, then wash everything. Dry wheels with leaf blower, electric ryobi although I would like to get an ego at some point. Had a 4hp master blaster, not the 8, works amazing but since it involves a bit more effort getting it out I prefer the leaf blower. Dry door jambs at the end. Dress tires.
Typically after this I am now dirty, so I will shower and come back the next day to do the interior and other final touches as necessary.