Bondojohn

Moderator Note: 7 year old thread.

There's a lot of controversy as to what is the best way to wash our cars. My understanding is any type of wash needs a power water spray to remove all of the dirt particles first. So even a hand wash will scratch the car unless it's power washed prior to soaping. Also the automatic car washes could potentially be better because the water pressure prior to washing should blow most of the dirt away then the strips (if they're soft cloth like most new car washes have)should remove the dirt without scratching. A potential problem could be the strong soap solution they use. Opinions?

4thC4at60

The two bucket system is by far the best way to wash any car... either that or one of he "miracle" waterless (a misnomer) washes.... my Ferrari - no matter HOW dirty gets "waterless washed".... that or the two bucket method - when using the two bucket method use distilled water, a true car wash soap, and white vinegar - a cup of vinegar per gallon is sufficient.

I do spray off the C7 - as I have all of my Vettes - I'm on number 6 - (600K miles).... but with today's modern finishes I'm not quite as finicky over cleaning the C7.....

But, the "waterless wash" or two-bucket system remains the best....

And kudos to Gary Dean's products...

Babaron

The very safest wash is a Rinseless wash such as Optimum NO-Rinse. Using the proper technique, and washing frequently, so that the dirt build-up between washes is minimal, the car stays swirl-free. The only problem comes when the car is heavily soiled, in which case this method would produce swirls.

The next best method, and one that works better for heavily-soiled cars, is a presoak with a foam gun followed by a "2-bucket" wash system, a wash bucket and a rinse bucket. This also uses two separate wash sponges, one for the upper part of the car and one for the lower.

For a good intro into these techniques, visit adamspolishes.com and check out their videos.

DucMan 888

I think AMMO NYC has some very good You Tube videos on washing and detailing cars.

Glen e

Two bucket/grit guard is dead except for filthy cars, rinseless -not waterless - is the way to go these days. The best procedure is the "Garry Dean rinseless" method. Google it. Use whatever rinseless product is your fav.

dvilin

Great products also.

kstine98

One of the guys in our club washes his car with distilled water only, and his always looks great. I am going to try that this spring.

Curahee

I'm one of those finicky types that never lets his C7 get dirty enough to make that an issue. It gets hand washed about once every six months with regular tap water and Maguiars. Still looks like new.

4thC4at60

But... but.... I drive my cars....

joemessman

A two bucket method is best in my opinion and I have 8 wash mitts and don't rinse them out. I use one for the top with both sides of the mitt. Then one for the hood both sides, etc. They are inexpensive. I use the clear bucket to put then into and rub them out on the grate before I take them downstairs to the wash machine. If you don't, some of that grit will survive the washing.
As far as rinsing the car down before, yes indeed. But that just rinses big chunks of dirt and particles off that can do the most damage. Otherwise what would be the point of washing the car after doing that if it got everything off?
But in general I can't think of a better method than the two bucket, with minor variations of course. The main thing is not to rub to hard while washing.

W88fixer

While I have no doubt that these rinseless washes may be great, I think 98% of the people on this forum would say that my 2009 Pontiac G8GT looks almost showroom new using old school methods.

My "upgrade" my efforts though. Don

VY427

+1 (though I don't use the Gary Dean method)

If my car has visibly heavier grit or winter road salt on it, I just rinse it with the hose before rinseless washing it. Otherwise, I go right to rinseless washing. No issues. If I want to boost the rinseless wash solution's cleaning strength, I'll add a squirt or two of APC to it.

rcooper

I use the car wash method. Where I live it is against the law to wash your car in the driveway.
They don't care that you are only using 2-3 gallons of water. It is just against the law.
Before we had the drought here I did the same as most **** guys did. Rinseless car wash, great way to go, but do to restrictions and not wanting to get a ticket I use the car wash. Good for the local economy and, though old fashioned, the car looks good, it's faster also.

Sandyman

I don't use automatic washes; used the "classical" bucket and soapy mitt approach forever. About 6 months ago, learned of the rinseless hand wash technique on this forum (probably influenced by Glen_e as I recall). Started using rinseless pretty much exclusively. Really like it. Saves time so I keep my car cleaner. I cycle through 5-6 small, clean microfiber towels doing the wash, plus a couple for drying; those go through clothes washer. Only product I have used so far is "No Rinse Wash and Shine". I've been happy.

meyerweb

The two bucket method is better than rinsing your cleaning cloth / mitt in the wash water, but still has the same problem. You're reusing a cloth that has picked up dirt and you risk that dirt scratching the paint as you continue to use it. No matter how hard you try, you'll never rinse the cloth 100% clean, and you're trying to rinse it in dirty water that gets dirtier as you go.

I recommend a one-bucket method. No, not your dad's one bucket method. Use a clean, soaking wet microfiber cloth on one small section of the car, then toss it aside and use a clean one on the next section. Repeat. Make sure the clothes are always wet. NEVER use the same cloth over and over. ALWAYS use a clean cloth on each section of the body. That way there's no chance of dirt contaminating your cloth / mitt and scratching the paint on the next section of paint.

If the car is really dirty, I'll spray it with a foamer and car shampoo and let it soak first, then rinse off the foam with a hard spray (from a hose, not a pressure washer) before using a rinseless wash with the one-bucket method.

Depending on how dirty my car is, I'll go through 8 to 10 small microfiber cloths.

As far as using a car wash, the touchless ones are OK, but know that all the water they use is filtered and reused. How well it's filtered will vary a lot from one car wash to another. If you run the wipers right after coming out of the car wash and let the car dry, you'll generally see a film on the part of the windshield that the wipers don't clear. That film is all over the rest of your car, too.

The "brushless" washes that use cloth strips have the same problem reusing a cloth at home does. They pick up dirt and they never get rinsed completely clean. Given that they're washing hundreds of cars per day, and using recycled water, they pick up a lot more dirt than your hand wash cloths will, and eventually that dirt gets rubbed into your paint at high speed.

Of course, if it's illegal to wash your car in your driveway, you don't have much choice. Get some good microfiber drying towels and wipe the car down after you come out of the touchless car wash.

Edit: I was asked in a PM if I use a rinseless wash product in my "one-bucket" method. The answer is yes. I've been using Duragloss, but may try Wolfgang Uber based on a recommendation in another forum post. If the car were really filthy, I would probably use a regular car wash product, like Meguires Gold, first.

meyerweb

apc?

Glen e

All purpose cleaner...(APC)

I personally would not do this....I'd up the rinseless....

nmvettec7

You will find many ideas, options, and opinions for washing a car. You should consider finding and determining a method that you personally feel comfortable with that will save time, but be effective.

We all seem to have different methods. There is no right or wrong. Those who claim their method is the "best" is because it is the best for them. There are literally hundreds of products available for washing a car from shampoo's, rinse-less, spotless washes etc. You could go nuts trying to decide what method to use, so I suggest you try a few.

For me, I strongly feel that a good base to the paint is important to detract dirt and debris from sticking to the surface.

All of my sports cars have been nano-skinned or clay barred once every 6 months. The nano-skin mitts are the easiest to use vs a clay bar. All of my sports cars have been polished then I have applied a nano ceramic painting coating which makes the paint surface excellent, smooth as glass, and very difficult for contaminants to stick. Doing this makes washing a car so easy.

As for the washing. I have a wand hooked to the hose that provides some high pressure to pre-rinse. I use a foam sprayer (cost about $25.00) to spray the car using a spotless car wash like Rain-X, Meguiars Crystal Spotless, Duragloss etc. 1 or 2 oz is used to fill the container and add water. Spray, let sit. I use a clean wash mitt and have several. I rotate the mitts and then dry. I also have a smaller 4HP Master Blaster Dyer to dry the car and blow out excess water from around the headlights, doors, rear hatch and rear diffuser, the lovers on the hood, and front grill. I then complete the drying process with high-quality microfiber towels. A synthetic chamois called the Absorber ($12.00 at Amazon) is alway at hand if needed.

I never wash any of sports cars in full sun.

Just my method, and it takes about 30 to 45 minutes to complete the entire process with 1 person. If my wife helps we are done in 30 minutes or less, which includes washing the car, doing the wheels and inside the door jams, drying under the hood, drying inside the rear hatch.

gurneyeagle

I just watched Garry's video for the first time. Thanks for your post; I've never heard of this method.


I've always done the two bucket method until Houston was hit with water restrictions in the summer of 2011. That's when I started using Griot's Waterless Car Wash.

http://www.griotsgarage.com/text/con...html/socw.html



http://www.griotsgarage.com/text/con...w_ferrari.html


I've been very happy with the results and have yet to create in swirl marks - including the black top on my MINI Cooper. Watching the way Garry used the wash cloth in his video, his method actually seems riskier than the waterless method.


My preference is still to use water when the car is really dirty. Sometimes, cold weather or other circumstance - out of town car show - precludes that option.


Like a religion and politics, everyone has an opinion on how to wash a car. I respect that, and certainly and am certainly open to new ideas.


As mentioned in another thread, to me, one of the biggest risks for scratching your car is the drying process. I purchased a Master Blaster a few years back and love it. Using an electric leaf blower will accomplish essentially the same thing - touchless drying.


Again, thanks for all the comments; it's always good to learn something new.

Curahee

Congratulations!! I drive mine also. On sunny dry days. I just try to keep it clean with detailing mist and Cal. Duster between washes.