Best prewash method for prewashing a car smoothered in brick dust?

[Submariner1]

just got back to find the neighbours tilers have spent the morning angle grinding those cement tiles, enough To surround 10 Velux windows in a loft conversion.
They were cutting the tiles at first floor level, with the wind blowing clouds of brick dust all over the car!

As they started at 7.00 am, the dust settled on the damp car and baked itself onto the double polished Collonite ...

It now looks totally Matte!
And seems or feels like sandpaper.

To be honest I am so ****ed off they didnt use dust control, or cut at ground level, or at least asked me to move the car!
I feel like getting Carl over and sending them the bill.

My initial thoughts, some sort of snow foam wash ... er I dont have a snow foam gun. Then spray that off with hot water in the Karcher (I have a hot water outside tap ).

Or would it rinse off with just spraying with fairly strong Autoglyms body wash leaving 10 minutes, and hot wash Karchering it?
Maybe do it 3 times.

Note normally I pre wash with this industrial Karcher 600L ph, at say 2 meters, that leaves a sort of cloudy look one needs to sponge / microfibre glove wash off.

But any residue left this time would be very fine, highly abbrasive, diamond cutter dust and cement tile dust mixed together.

P*ssed off is not the word!

 

[JBell]

Just jet wash it or Snowfoam

 

[John Laidlaw]

I’d suggest my normal routine:-
Power wash (NOT on full power though, the force might send the dust across the surface too forcefully)
Snow Foam application is really necessary next, sorry. I picked up a cheap Karcher one from Halfords as a back up for £12. It’s not great, no parts can be changed but it will work a few times
Dwell as long as you can bear , a good thick consistency provided it’s not too windy or direct sunshine
Was car as normal. I don’t think there is any need for hot water jet (Carl is lurking the forum at the moment and may have a different view
Rinse then check for any solids by running hand over
Repeat as necessary if there are
Microfibre towel dry
Apply any stuff you normally do after....

 

[Naraic]

Just hose it off...so much drama for an everyday problem.

 

[Submariner1]

I’d suggest my normal routine:-
Power wash (NOT on full power though, the force might send the dust across the surface too forcefully)
Snow Foam application is really necessary next, sorry. I picked up a cheap Karcher one from Halfords as a back up for £12. It’s not great, no parts can be changed but it will work a few times
Dwell as long as you can bear , a good thick consistency provided it’s not too windy or direct sunshine
Was car as normal. I don’t think there is any need for hot water jet (Carl is lurking the forum at the moment and may have a different view
Rinse then check for any solids by running hand over
Repeat as necessary if there are
Microfibre towel dry
Apply any stuff you normally do after....

Thanks John
Sadly the Professional Karchers have a totally different fitting ... just enquired their Pro Snow foam attachement is £108 well over my budget .

But like your regime.

 

[A.J.]

I had the very same thing about 5 years ago when my neighbour had a new wall at the front of her house. I had it pressure washed as I daren't touch it. No help from the neighbour the miserable old 'B'.

 

[Submariner1]

Just hose it off...so much drama for an everyday problem.

Actually I did try rinsing the wing with a hose before posting ... literally no effect!
Still felt like fine sandpaper to the touch.

Having cut sandstone 20 mm honed tiles , they eat diamond cutters ... I used a dust control shroud.
And very glad I hired an industrial vac, as the motors changed sound very quickly ... that stuff is highly abraisive.

I would like to get it off before washing with a sponge as I reckon it would leave juicy swirl marks

 

[JBell]

I would like to get it off before washing with a sponge as I reckon it would leave juicy swirl marks

Washing with a Sponge!!!!!!

 

[Submariner1]

I had the very same thing about 5 years ago when my neighbour had a new wall at the front of her house. I had it pressure washed as I daren't touch it. No help from the neighbour the miserable old 'B'.

Yep know the feeling, especially as I let the builders use my double driveway 4 times, when they had big lorries dump the steels and wood and plaster board. Saved them a good 30 meter walk as they could use the hydraulic hoist to place the stuff smak in his driveway.

Nice reward eh.
Luckily the neighbour and builder are nice, ... just the pig ignorant roof tiler.

 

[John Laidlaw]

Washing with a Sponge!!!!!!

Aaaaarghhhh

 

[John Laidlaw]

Thanks John
Sadly the Professional Karchers have a totally different fitting ... just enquired their Pro Snow foam attachement is £108 well over my budget .

But like your regime.

Yeah of course! That’s not useful then.
My regime by the way is just the abbreviated part....haven’t mentioned the wheels, tyres and shuts...

 

[AMGeed]

I would like to get it off before washing with a sponge as I reckon it would leave juicy swirl marks

Use a washmitt, never ever a sponge unless you like swirl marks.

 

[Submariner1]

Shame Carl is abroad.
The building site manager just knocked on my door.


He had seen the car polished before, and noticed it was covered in brick dust today.

And asked if his workmen had just done that today!

I said yes, and he immediately said get a good professional valeter in and send me the bill.
That unprompted kindness is unusual today, so I will just do it myself.

But what a pleasant surprise

 

[Submariner1]

Use a washmitt, never ever a sponge unless you like swirl marks.

Yes I really must get one, I spend far to much time prewashing it.

Any links to good ones welcome

 

[AMGeed]

^The ones sold in Halfords and B&Q are both decent quality.
If you use B&Q check out their microfibre towels while you are there.

 

[C350Carl]

I used to use these and properly looked after they will last you years. May seem expensive at £23 but you get two and they will last. I still have mine after 5yrs, although they are both in storage.

http://www.sheepskinshop.co.uk/product/lambswool-wash-polish-mitt-pack-of-2/

 

[C350Carl]

I’d suggest my normal routine:-
Power wash (NOT on full power though, the force might send the dust across the surface too forcefully)
Snow Foam application is really necessary next, sorry. I picked up a cheap Karcher one from Halfords as a back up for £12. It’s not great, no parts can be changed but it will work a few times
Dwell as long as you can bear , a good thick consistency provided it’s not too windy or direct sunshine
Was car as normal. I don’t think there is any need for hot water jet (Carl is lurking the forum at the moment and may have a different view
Rinse then check for any solids by running hand over
Repeat as necessary if there are
Microfibre towel dry
Apply any stuff you normally do after....

Not far off what i would do John. This is what I would do in this instance from how the car is described. May change once i saw it as can never really tell until you physically see the car.

Pressure washer rinse.
Snowfoam (with Traffic Film Remover and All Purpose Cleaner added) and leave to dwell for 20mins assuming not in direct sunlight
PW Rinse again
Spray the car with Iron-X whilst still wet and let dwell for 5 mins
PW Rinse
Iron-X again whilst still wet to see how last application did. Dwell no longer than 5 mins
PW Rinse
Snowfoam (only) again and leave to dwell for 5-10 mins to ensure no Iron-X remains.
Wash using a lambs wool mitt
PW Rinse, dry off and wipe the whole car down with IPA (isopropyl alcohol not the beer! )

If that didn’t remove it then next step would be to clay the car. But that would introduce micromarring so as wouldn’t be machine polishing would try and avoid.

Once happy then reapply protection of choice. AG SRP would useful if you clay the car as it is full of fillers so would hide the micromarring.

Regards the power level of the pressure washer. When rinsing the car I always use full power. I never get closer than a couple of feet to the car so wouldn't make any differnce. Anything loose/lifted will be caught up in the water until it gets outside the spray area. After that it doesn't matter what setting you're using as it's going to run along/down the paintwork anyway.

Something i forgot to mention Peter is rinse from the top down. Only because anything that is falling down the paintwork is falling along the other crud on there so will negate any minimal damage it could potentially cause. It also helps you see what has/hasn't been done.

 

[John Laidlaw]

I used to use these and properly looked after they will last you years. May seem expensive at £23 but you get two and they will last. I still have mine after 5yrs, although they are both in storage.

http://www.sheepskinshop.co.uk/product/lambswool-wash-polish-mitt-pack-of-2/

Actually for what they are not expensive at all Carl- Polished Bliss where I get my Gyeon stuff from charge £18 for 1!!

 

[L John]

Just hose it off...so much drama for an everyday problem.

I've had my car a good few years now and not had this problem even once, do you live near a brick manufacturing plant
If my car had brick dust that got wet and dried onto the car I think I'd be asking on the forum for advice too.
Hopefully the fact the paint had some protection will be a big help in getting it off without leaving swirls.

Oh and sponge???? Not even with regular car washing, ever!

 

[C350Carl]

Actually for what they are not expensive at all Carl- Polished Bliss where I get my Gyeon stuff from charge £18 for 1!!

It's horses for courses really. Some last better than others as have better chemical resistance. But unless you're using uber harsh shampoo then they should last.