Wash without scratching

[toby1]

What's the panel's view on the best way to wash the car without scratching it? I ask because mine hasn't been cleaned since we had that sandy rain earlier in the year.

 

[nokia]

If the car has not been washed for a while, I would put a bucket of hot soapy water over it, allow shampoo to work for a few minutes, then rinse off before even touching any panel. Snowfoaming the car is also good fun.

I have a couple of these. Its so deep that it allows all the dirt from your wash mitt to fall to the bottom.

http://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-Plas...|7531858372|&gclid=CKi5i7jc1r8CFXDKtAodyW8ANQ

 

[Chrishazle]

I'd take it one step further - I always hose the car down thoroughly first, before I think about soap and water. In this case, I'd contemplate snow foam - although I do not own a foam lance, I can approximate to it with the dispenser attachment that came with my pressure washer, and a 50/50 mix of AG car shampoo and water. Let it soak for a while before rinsing off.

Then the 2 bucket method with merino wash mitt for the top half, microfibre wash mitt for the lower 1/2 and wheels, hot water and decent car shampoo. Rinse well, then dry with a microfibre drying towel.

 

[nokia]

I havn't got a snowfoam attachment either (yet) but I use this:

http://www.diy.com/nav/garden/garde...ed-Ready-to-Use-Hose-End-Lawn-Feed-1L-9436485

Obviously I empty out the contents, wash out fully and fill with shampoo. Not quite the same a snowfoam but does work well getting the dirt off.

 

[nokia]

or you can get this from clean your car without the contents

http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/washing-and-drying/super-spray-hose-end-sprayer/prod_335.html

 

[Naraic]

I power wash it, them sponge it (with just the one bucket). The most difficult part is trying to stop the loose rust getting into the sponge and scratching the pristine bodywork!

 

[tode]

I power wash it, them sponge it (with just the one bucket). The most difficult part is trying to stop the loose rust getting into the sponge and scratching the pristine bodywork!

Try putting a magnet in the bottom of the bucket

 

[Naraic]

Try putting a magnet in the bottom of the bucket

Great idea...until the magnet stays on the sponge!!

 

[Developer]

I like the way you sponge it with a bucket...

 

[MarcE]

If you want an absolutely perfect car there is a way to ensure its never marked.
Some may think iy extreme but it depends how much you value your paintwork.
Some cars like Porshce solid black, Audi is another that the solid paint is so soft its almost impossible to keep swirl free.
Reverse osmosis systems can be installed in the garage for around £100 and provide zero tis reading water. Without teaching people to suck eggs (incase they dont know about this) its water in its purest form.
A 4 stage system removes imperfections from the water pushed through.
The first stage is a filter to remove large contamination like sand etc, the second is normally a carbon/charcoal filter to remove deposits and chlorine, fluoride etc, this pushes totally dissolved solids readings down to about 300ppm before its forced though a semi permeable membrane to squeeze out everything else which leaves us around the 10 - 50 ppm.
The final section for the water to pass through is the di resin which draws out +&- ions and anything left in the water.
What this leaves is zero ppm water, the ability to wash a car gently with a wool mitt, final rise the car off and then pour over zero ppm water and allow to dry even in full sunlight with no negative affects or water spotting on the car.
You can then use something like an Aeolus TD901 to dry the cracks and crevices so its a totally touch free dry as the lubrication part of the wash will never mark badly but the frictional part of drying always will.
I have some customers with classic Fraser Nash's that will not allow me to wash their cars any other way.

 

[Arzaam]

use a grit guard at the bottom of the bucket its specifically designed for the job, it wont let debris and dirt get into your was mitt again and you can rub the washout on top of the grit guard every time you rinse the washout it will be clean again

if you dont have a pressure washer then use these garden spray bottles, you pump the handle and make pressure and it sprays a constant spritz with pressure, great for instead of first rinsing with water you can have shampoo in this and allow it to work then rinse and then follow up with two bucket method.

i use the small one for paint, and the large one for undercarriage degreasing, they also have large capacityy so you don't have to refill and have markings on them so that you can get shampoo dilution ratios perfect

IMG_1258 by Detailing Dreams, on Flickr

IMG_1765 by Detailing Dreams, on Flickr

it has variety of attachments some short some long
IMG_1766 by Detailing Dreams, on Flickr

IMG_1767 by Detailing Dreams, on Flickr

also these bottles are better to use then the small ones as mentioned above but sometimes if its a small job i too use a simple spray bottle and have this handy tiny kiev to that when i pour the shampoo it doesnt spill

IMG_1264 by Detailing Dreams, on Flickr

 

[BernardB]

If you want an absolutely perfect car there is a way to ensure its never marked.
Some may think iy extreme but it depends how much you value your paintwork.
Some cars like Porshce solid black, Audi is another that the solid paint is so soft its almost impossible to keep swirl free.
Reverse osmosis systems can be installed in the garage for around £100 and provide zero tis reading water. Without teaching people to suck eggs (incase they dont know about this) its water in its purest form.
A 4 stage system removes imperfections from the water pushed through.
The first stage is a filter to remove large contamination like sand etc, the second is normally a carbon/charcoal filter to remove deposits and chlorine, fluoride etc, this pushes totally dissolved solids readings down to about 300ppm before its forced though a semi permeable membrane to squeeze out everything else which leaves us around the 10 - 50 ppm.
The final section for the water to pass through is the di resin which draws out +&- ions and anything left in the water.
What this leaves is zero ppm water, the ability to wash a car gently with a wool mitt, final rise the car off and then pour over zero ppm water and allow to dry even in full sunlight with no negative affects or water spotting on the car.
You can then use something like an Aeolus TD901 to dry the cracks and crevices so its a totally touch free dry as the lubrication part of the wash will never mark badly but the frictional part of drying always will.
I have some customers with classic Fraser Nash's that will not allow me to wash their cars any other way.

You can get the same effect without the expense by using rainwater to wash your car, assuming you have something like a water butt to store it. Best to run it through a filter.

I would never use a pressure washer as unless it's handled with the utmost care there's a risk of grinding the dirt into the paintwork.

 

[television]

I would never wash the car with a pressure washer, you could point it all day long on a panel, and the dirt is still there. It fine for the wheels, but by the time you have have got the washer out, and put it away again then quicker by hand.

 

[MarcE]

You can get the same effect without the expense by using rainwater to wash your car, assuming you have something like a water butt to store it. Best to run it through a filter.

I would never use a pressure washer as unless it's handled with the utmost care there's a risk of grinding the dirt into the paintwork.

True to some extent but the reason you get water spotting with sand residue is because thats how its dropped when collected from source. Ive tested 3 or 4 filtration system,s from DI Resin units to 3 and 4 stage RO systems and AquaGleams and as you say standard collection. I would say rainwater is better than nothing but not as effective as RO but through a filter def worth it.

Lets remember we are only talking £100 for a good RO system so not expensive.