How to wash a car

Easy right, no.

When I was small the first job I learned was how to wash a car from my grandpa who professionally painted and did body work.

He empathized on me washing the car from top to bottom that way I'm not getting dirt from the bottom and scratching the car with it.

Any other tips, tricks, techniques, products and tools you guys use?

 

Yes, top to bottom.

Shade is your friend.

Wet it first.
Lots of suds, and then more suds. Suds help lift and float off the grit.

Using bare hands, (wash them well to get them hydrated) to help loosen and remove dirt and grit is better than cloth/rags, as those become similar to sandpaper.

Get the water off before it dries, especially if you have hard water.

Use "soap" formulas for cars, it is not simply hyped. Proper wash additives help prevent spotting and spotting on glass, paint, and chrome can etch and be almost damaging to remove.

Never let cloth/rags that have been dropped on the ground, or used on wheels touch the body or glass.

And do not do this to your Buick.


It's fine for a Chevy, or MOPAR, or Ford product, and very well suited for those foreign jobs...

 

I have heard of the hand method before.thanks for your post Michael. I've heard of some people in debate over using a wash rag on paint in circular motion?

 

I picked up some wash/wax mix at autozone with "real" carnuba. What's with that?

 

It's not like that Chinese fake carnauba, made from bat's feet. If you use that, your car will get the Corolla virus. I think... I read it on the internet.

And the "hand washing", it is a thing I picked up from cleaning aircraft canopies. If it is a good method to avoid scratching polycarbonate, it will be just as good for glass, chrome, and paint.

And, washing aircraft is the same method your grandpa used.

With the cost of paint, chrome, and glass, a little bit of effort, elbow grease, and using the noggin' is money kept in yer pocket.

 

Jokes huh. You had me laughing so thanks, I appreciate your hand job advice! I thought I was an expert.

 

You had it right, I was just adding some flavor.

 

And after washing never put the car back in the garage without a drive to blow the water out of the crevices.
It goes in the garage dry, dry.

 

I use an electric blower when I'm finished drying. You'd be shocked about how much water is "trapped " under and around emblems, chrome strips, light bezels etc. Try it!

 

John you are correct i use a (master blaster) to blow the water out of all cracks trim handles etc its a great tool

 

Going for a drive is much a much more pleasurable pursuit I find,
Not that I own a leaf blower anyway

 

Now this is how its done !!!

 

Years ago I worked at an apt community doing maint. There was a guy living there that would wash his car with Comit cleanser. Im like , Really dude? He insisted it wouldnt hurt the finish and his car was always clean and smelled fresh. Personally I would not go that route.

 

I like foam cannons. Get a cheap electric power washer and it’s just like those 25-cent a second DIY car washes. I use a product called “The Last Soap” that’s made for cars, and my compressor to blow trapped fluid out from gaps, etc. I did some research into car buffing/detailing products, and was surprised to find out that there’s a difference between the towels you wash with and the ones you finish with. And never, ever wash your detailing cloths in household laundry detergent. The advice I read just might be a money grab, but I’m not gonna argue with results.

 

clay bar
(skip the first minute)

 

What brand do you use and how much did it cost. Are u using the hand held one or the big one

 

You bring out a good point, I own a cheap ryobi blower that couldn't blow 2 ants humping. I wonder if I could use the blower on those pesky crevices that turn a 15min wash and dry to 30min

 

OK take this for what it’s worth but this guy had one of the most beautiful daily driver paint jobs I have ever seen.

He absolutely would not use any form of soap as it is meant to cut through animal fat and removes the wax also and he said the wax would additionally get down into the paint & potential “close the pores on the paint”.

As a result he would get hot tub water(after spraying car down top to bottom) and that(hot water) was all he would use to clean his car and I mean to tell you he almost made a believer out of me but I still use car wash soap additives.
I still use wax also though & I apply & remove the wax by hand in the direction the wind goes over the car. Might be dumb but seems semi legit to keep dirt moving on its way through the wind instead of getting caught up in other machine produced circular patterns?

 

Using a blower to dry the car off might not be a great idea . If there is any type of particulate matter in the air you would actually be sandblasting your car with it as it is sucked into the blower and then accelerated out .