School Me on Washing Cars

"Future Heap Owner" (aperiodic) 03/15/2019 at 20:20 • Filed to: I don’t even know who I am any more

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A lright Oppo, now that I have a car that I somewhat care about the aesthetics of (I am more shocked than anyone), I should learn something about how to svend it. And I know some people here know a lot. Teach me, please!

So, assume I know absolutely nothing, because I do. What are the basics? What starter equipment should I pick up? Is it a bad idea to wash without waxing? How hard is waxing? What the heck is a clay bar for?

chaozbandit > Future Heap Owner 03/15/2019 at 20:31

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Tristan > Future Heap Owner 03/15/2019 at 20:34

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I’m trying to remember the last time I had time to wash one of my cars... It was my Studebaker about a year and a half ago, and I used a blue Scotch Brite pad and Barkeeper’s Friend powdered cleanser...

Maybe I'll let Svend address this.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Future Heap Owner 03/15/2019 at 20:59

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Two buckets, lots of soap. A soft wash glove , detailing spray (mothers), spray wax (mothers) and a claybar are basically my go to kit.

I use a clay cloth rather than clay bar, easier to clean.

For a new to me car, I would wash it like crazy. Then, while it is still wet, claybar it.

Once clay’d. I would take mothers compound and scratch remover and touch up any marrs.

Then, wash again.

Then, dry, wax, detail trim and tires.

Captain of the Enterprise > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 03/15/2019 at 21:00

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Beat me to posting Larry lol

facw > Future Heap Owner 03/15/2019 at 21:10

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If you do it like this Svend will be upset with you:

If you do it like this, he’ll mainly be disappointed:

facw > Tristan 03/15/2019 at 21:11

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Hmm, yeah Barkeeper’s friend is great, but probably not great for most cars that aren’t DeL oreans.

gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee > Future Heap Owner 03/15/2019 at 21:15

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Pressure wash with soap, then straight water to rinse.  All you’re really trying to do is get the salt and bigger clumps of mud off, right?

Future Heap Owner > gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee 03/15/2019 at 21:17

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I don’t have a pressure washer and I’m probably not getting one for this.

There’s stuff caked on in a few places that I’d like to get off

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Future Heap Owner 03/15/2019 at 21:20

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Also, buy a cabinet and start stocking up!

Future Heap Owner > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 03/15/2019 at 21:37

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I wish I had room for such a cabinet

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > Future Heap Owner 03/15/2019 at 21:56

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I usually wait until it rains and call it good 

vicali > Future Heap Owner 03/15/2019 at 22:10

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Start at the top, work your way down. Don’t use dishsoap..

There,  you are 10 years ahead of where I started..

Future Heap Owner > vicali 03/15/2019 at 22:34

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lol! Thanks

Future Heap Owner > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 03/15/2019 at 22:51

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That was  my MO with my prior vehicles

vicali > Future Heap Owner 03/15/2019 at 22:54

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Two buckets and a wash mitt will get you 98% there. Get some microfibre cloths for drying.

I use a brush (gasp!) but I also enjoy polishing a few times a year to get the swirls back out.

Tristan > facw 03/15/2019 at 23:04

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It works great on chalky 60+ year old paint!

I wouldn’t use it on anything shiny, though.

Svend > Future Heap Owner 03/15/2019 at 23:06

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It all depends on how far you want to go with it.

((You say you don’t have a pressure washer, or want one, but these can be greatly advantageous as most of the damage inflicted to a cars paintwork such as swirls and micromarring are actually inflicted during the wash and drying process)).

The very least you’ll need two buckets (one for your shampoo/water mix and the second for plain water to rinse your wash mitt (this bucket is advantageous to have a grit guard to further reduce reintroducing dirt back to the vehicle)), a wool or microfibre wash mitt, a good car shampoo, a standalone sealant that can be used as a drying aid (especially if you don’t want to go the waxing route. Also a degreaser for doing door shuts and cleaning around panel gaps. A glass cleaner with no colours or scent will leave you windows cleaner and smear free more and faster than ones that do.

Some say the two bucket method is a waste of time and effort. But below are pictures from a clean last year, the car had been pressure rinsed, sprayed down with degreaser and pressure rinsed. This was from washing the two bucket method, using grit guards in both buckets.

wash bucket with shampoo

rinse bucket with trapped dirt

Depending how far you want to go you could end up like me, I’m still not any where near what many are in the detailing world, these are what works for me.

Also a wet’dry vacuum will pay dividends in the car and around the house.

Future Heap Owner > Svend 03/15/2019 at 23:48

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The man himself!

The two-bucket procedure makes a lotta sense to me. And buckets are cheap.

Waxing doesn’t seem like it’ll be too hard, so I’ll probably do that, especially since it seems like that provides protection to the paint. My main goals are to keep it looking nice from a dozen feet and try to slow down the damage to the clear coat.

Svend > Future Heap Owner 03/16/2019 at 00:36

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Waxing can be as hard or as easy as you want it to be from easy to hard to apply, soft to hard waxes, basic to hybrid , fast to slow curing, etc... there are many out there. If you want an easy to apply hybrid wax then there is * Dodo Juice Supernatural Hybrid Wax or Supernatural Nano Hybrid Wax or Soft99 Kiwami Extreme Gloss Hybrid Wax . * They do a small sample pot that’ll do three or four coats on a vehicle.

https://www.theultimatefinish.co.uk/dodo-juice/supernatural-hybrid-wax-30ml.aspx?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=shopping&utm_campaign=MerchantCentre&variant=1354&gclid=CjwKCAjwmq3kBRB_EiwAJkNDpyS0Wo2ekWuqN_qEQz18pShdIVVbtwboMNfie8IOiaP5QAXiumU1QhoCVvkQAvD_BwE

https://www.polishedbliss.co.uk/soft99-kiwami-extreme-gloss-wax

While I’m not a waxer myself, wax will add a high glo ss and a great depth of shine to the paintwork while do as the vast majority or waxes and sealants do, offer UV protection to the paint.

What you gain is gloss over sealants you lose in durability and vice versa, well that’s what used to be the case, a hybrid wax offers the best of both while the likes of Adam’s H2O Guard & Gloss is a sealant with some great effects of a wax.

https://www.prestigecarcareshop.com/products/adams-h2o-guard-gloss

Dogsatemypants > Future Heap Owner 03/16/2019 at 01:31

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Br illo pad with so me comet, for more stubborn stains steel wool and bronzo.

Future Heap Owner > Svend 03/16/2019 at 01:54

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Ah, I do care more about durability (i.e. not washing as often) than shine, so I’ll look into sealants over waxes. Thanks!

Svend > Future Heap Owner 03/16/2019 at 02:12

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Well that’s the thing with the items I posted, they all have the benefits of each other of the items I posted. Your not giving up one over the other.

As I say I’m not a waxer and have tried the Adam’s sealant and found it works great on red paint.

Adam’s is an American company and easy for you to come across.

Though if you want to try the Dodo Juice Supernatural Nano Hybrid, let me know and I’ll post a pot out to you (gratis of course). 

Future Heap Owner > Svend 03/16/2019 at 03:35

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Oh neat. I n my experience this sort of “combo” product tends to not be as good as either standalone version , but I definitely trust your opinion in this area. I’ll check out the Adam’s stuff.

T hank you for the kind offer to mail me some wax across an ocean and continent, but having no experience yet, I have plenty of stuff available over here to try.

Svend > Future Heap Owner 03/16/2019 at 04:02

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No worries.

I’ve used the Adam’s H2O for four years and the Dodo Juice Supernatural has been around for a while and the Japanese Soft99 Kiwami has been out a while.

There is so much stuff coming out all the time from.

  3M ,

  Ammo NYC,

  Artdeshine ,

  Auto Finesse ,

  AutoGlanz ,

  Autosmart ,

  Autoglym ,

  Bouncers ,

  Britemax ,

  Bilt Hamber ,

  Car Chem ,

  Carplan ,

  CarPro-Cquartz ,

  ColourLock ,

  Dr Leather ,

  DetailedOnline ,

  Dodo Juice ,

  Dooka ,

  Furniture Clinic ,

  G3 Pro ,

  Gtechniq ,

  Gyeon ,

  #Labocosmetica ,

  Mayvinci ,

  MER Auto Shine ,

  Mitchell & King ,

  Nanolex ,

  O.C.D Waxes ,

  ODK Wax ,

  Prestige Car Care Shop ,

  Racoon Cleaner ,

  Race Glaze ,

  Rupes ,

  Soft99 ,

  Sam’s Detailing ,

  ValetPRO ,

  Wax Planet ,

  XVC Car Care ,

  Zaino

That’s about 70% of them.

The offer still stands though mate.  

i86hotdogs > Future Heap Owner 03/16/2019 at 12:16

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Like everyone’s saying: two bucket method is a game changer.

I have a question about these foaming kits that I see are the craze now. It attaches to your hosing and apparently you just cover the car in this foam, then rinse it away. Are they worth it? I have no intention of doing a thorough wax of Jan Van. Jut something to kee p it clean. I usually just grab a bottle of the car wash formula off the shelf at autozone and microfiber sponge it, then micr ofiber towel it dry.