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Intend to take a couple week long or so road trips and so curious what everyone does, what they take and store in their car to clean it up if it gets dirty, rained on etc. There will be two of us plus suitcases so what "equipment" can you take and store in the car, and then do you use a do it yourself car wash and just use the "plain" water feature or what? Won't have access to anyone's home "hose" as we aren't planning to see any friends or relatives. Open to all suggestions!! Thanks a lot, Dave
You'll want to have microfiber cloths, a California duster, and some ceramic detail spray. I would also have some glass cleaner, and some wipes for the interior.
EDIT: Never take your car to an automatic car wash (even if it is touchless). It will ruin your paint, and it terrible for your top if you have a convertible.
Last edited by MWWarlord; May 21, 2021 at 04:40 PM.
Wash it when you get home when you have access to all your cleaning supplies and water. Don't use automatic washes and I wouldn't use the do-it-yourself washes. The brushes in the self serve washes have all kinds of dirt and debris that will scratch your car finish all up. It's a car. It'll be fine dirty for a week or two. Just my .02 cents.
When I made my cross-country trip last month, I carried a dozen or so microfiber towels, my detailing sprayer and my bottle of rinseless wash (which I mix 40:1 with water as my detailing spray -- that is, 10 ml with 400 ml water). I got a car duster after getting a load of yellow pollen in front of my folks' place in Marietta, GA; this works well for a quick sweep-off if the car is dusty or pollen-y.
Unfortunately, I spent the last three days "playing tag" with a late winter storm front, from Denver to western Maryland. Picked up a [lot of road salt -- and since I don't have a good hose-tap in my townhouse, I went to a "touchless" (spray-wand, no brush for me!) self-serve car wash and hit it with a little soap and a lot of rinse.
I concur with 81Delorean, to a point -- DON'T use a car-wash brush. And don't spray into the rear-view mirrors -- spray the front, that's fine, but don't spray the mirrors themselves.
Thanks for all of the above. No, I would not use an auto or touchless wash, just wondering if a "wand" with just plain water @ a do-it-yourself-would be ok. Okay, never mirrors also. Yes it is a Vert. Dave
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I have used a self serve wand type car wash and have never seen any damage to the surface of the car. If your car gets so dirty you cannot stand it, just run it to a self serve car wash, wash it to get the bugs/dirt off and then use your normal detailing supplies (microfiber towels, glass cleaner, derail spray, etc.) to finish it up.
That’s how I do it and it works well for me. But you have to be comfortable with whatever direction you decide to go.
I take my car to DIY car washes all the time. I don't see anything wrong with it.
My car is daily driver, not a garage queen. I'm not spending an hour every week doing a huge production 2 bucket wash and detail, when the car will look dirty again in a week. I put 5 bucks in the machine. Use the high pressure rinse, then spray on soap, then rinse again, then use the spot free rinse, and then use the air dryer to get most of the water off before going on 5-10 minute freeway drive and the car looks pristine.
On a road trip, a bottle of quick detailer and some microfiber towels would be convenient.
To be honest I would just let my car be a little dirty for a couple weeks. I usually have a couple microfiber towels and spray detailer in the car in case something that might damage the paint gets on it but I wouldn’t take the time to clean the car.
enjoy your road trip and don’t worry about what passerby’s think about you having a car with some dust and dirt on it.
I have used a self serve wand type car wash and have never seen any damage to the surface of the car. If your car gets so dirty you cannot stand it, just run it to a self serve car wash, wash it to get the bugs/dirt off and then use your normal detailing supplies (microfiber towels, glass cleaner, derail spray, etc.) to finish it up.
That’s how I do it and it works well for me. But you have to be comfortable with whatever direction you decide to go.
If the car is really dirty, I would wash it off at one of those self serve car washes (the one you used to feed with quarters to use a wand) DO NOT use the brush they provide.
If the car is just a little dirty, I use some really thick microfiber towels and this:
It's good stuff and be purchased at Walmart for less than $10
If the car is really dirty, I would wash it off at one of those self serve car washes (the one you used to feed with quarters to use a wand) DO NOT use the brush they provide.
If the car is just a little dirty, I use some really thick microfiber towels and this:
It's good stuff and be purchased at Walmart for less than $10
My first of three tours of the lower 48 (with a Mustang) I was **** with the "keep it clean!" attitude. For months I wrestled that gorilla!... Looking for a wand every village I drove through... Finally, realizing my **** essence, I just plane quit that monkey-business kinda thinking and drove the car with an "adjusted attitude" about clean car while traveling and underway.... Besides, 😎 the rain is everywhere in the country, so, travel with the badge of a road trip spattered Corvette is kinda sexy!.. How many of those dose one see?
My first of three tours of the lower 48 (with a Mustang) I was **** with the "keep it clean!" attitude. For months I wrestled that gorilla!... Looking for a wand every village I drove through... Finally, realizing my **** essence, I just plane quit that monkey-business kinda thinking and drove the car with an "adjusted attitude" about clean car while traveling and underway.... Besides, 😎 the rain is everywhere in the country, so, travel with the badge of a road trip spattered Corvette is kinda sexy!.. How many of those dose one see?
Road grime is tolerable what I have issues with is bug guts. Where we live if you don’t get them off that day and they dry and harden it can be so tough you scratch the paint removing them. Chemicals like bug and tar remover aren’t effective on the most dried bugs here. Only thing I found effective is to remove what easily comes off and just leave the rest until I get home to remove with a Steam wand and get all the crap stuck in the light bezels and emblems at the same time
I carry one of these, folds flat and takes very little room. Comes in handy clean wheels/tires and anything that's low. After two knee replacements sure saves the knees!
I’m not sure why a no touch car wash is so bad for our cars. For the first 4 years I only hand washed and used my foam cannon % pressure washer at home and much care with microfiber absorbent cloths. This year I occasionally go to automatic no touch car washes and then finish drying with quality cloths. I don’t see much difference.
I take my car to DIY car washes all the time. I don't see anything wrong with it.
My car is daily driver, not a garage queen. I'm not spending an hour every week doing a huge production 2 bucket wash and detail, when the car will look dirty again in a week. I put 5 bucks in the machine. Use the high pressure rinse, then spray on soap, then rinse again, then use the spot free rinse, and then use the air dryer to get most of the water off before going on 5-10 minute freeway drive and the car looks pristine.
On a road trip, a bottle of quick detailer and some microfiber towels would be convenient.
totally agree. Live in condo where you cannot wash your car. Just don’t use the wand brush.
Road Trip Wash Kit?
