Safest Car Wash Procedure

[SOP]

Detailing subforum is dead, so hope you guys won't mind this post here.

I'd like this to be a place where we can discuss best car wash practices.

Some tips and what I personally do:

This assumes you have a shaded area to wash your car. Pressure washer is recommended. For black car owners, and serious detail enthusiasts, I suggest using a Deionized water system to up your game. Assumes you wash regularly and it's not an abomination of filth whenever you decide to finally wash your car.

1. Wash your wheels first. Foam cannon/spray wheel cleaner or what else you prefer. Rinse clean. Use dedicated bucket/brush/towels for this. Never use these things for car paint.

2. Foam Cannon on dry car. Let it dwell a few minutes and do it's job of softening, and lifting dirt off your paint. (If you rinse before this, the water left on the car will dilute the snow foam, reducing it's cleaning power)

3. Rinse off car thoroughly. (Most of the dirt/debris should be safely off your car now. All you should have left is really a light film of grime that will be taken care of with the next couple of steps)

4. Foam cannon again.(Optional step, but ensures each panel of the car never gets cleaned without maximum lubrication. Lubricity is what will help prevent marring/swirls)

5. 2 Bucket method with grit guards on both. I've personally switched to 1 bucket: car shampoo solution + 6-7 wash mitts. Once the mitt is used on both sides, it gets tossed to the dirty bin not to be used again. Wash from top down, leaving the bottom 1/3 half of your car for a later wash mitt.

6. Rinse with pressure washer.

7. Drying:

A) Assuming your car is properly waxed, you can use an open hose with water flowing out about medium strength and a steady flow, angled parallel as much as possible and water should sheet off your car.

B) Use a high powered leaf blower like an Ego, or dedicated one like Metro Air Blaster to blow off all the water as much as you can. This method will also clear most of the crevices where water can stay, and fly back onto your clean paint when you take it on the road. Think the drips from your door handles, mirrors, lights, etc. Pretty much a necessity to dry your wheels.

C) if you use a Deionized water system, you can just walk away and it'll dry itself without water spots. This assumes the filtration is working at 100%, your resin hasn't been depleted, and it's at zero PPM using a TDS meter. Best for black cars as this reduces physical contact with your paint.

D) Previous methods can and will use physical drying with high quality microfiber towels(god fucking help your paint if you still use old bath towels you neanderthal).

1. Optional: Lay down a light mist of quick detailer like McKees N-914 or the tried and
true Optimum no rinse and shine diluted to the proper ratio. This is to help lubricate the surface as you physically dry your car.

Final notes and thought: I usually finish with a final step like P&S Dream maker, or some kind of quick spray wax that you can spray on and wipe off to enhance gloss. I'm personally using CarPro products like ph-neutral Reset car shampoo. Microfiber towels are from The Rag Company. Also using those cheap yellow microfiber towels from Costco for door jambs, interior, wheels and engine bay work.

My current and future vehicles are and will be graphene coated with Glassparency. I also purchased a commercial-grade DI system from PureTec in preparation for the incoming Blackwing. Look into them if you're on the west coast and have them nearby. Cost savings will become significant if you planned on getting CR Spotless.

Keeping my cars looking perfect is a labor of love, and it's something I really enjoy doing.

 

[DecadenceFTW]

I will admit, I'm new to "proper" care on cars. Usually I just soap it up, let it sit, rinse, and then dry with microfiber. My question is, do you still have to do all this if you've fully ppf'd and ceramic coated your car?

 

[SOP]

I will admit, I'm new to "proper" care on cars. Usually I just soap it up, let it sit, rinse, and then dry with microfiber. My question is, do you still have to do all this if you've fully ppf'd and ceramic coated your car?

You don't have to get so serious with it if your car is completely PPF'd, as no matter what you do, you won't harm your actual paint. However to keep your car looking 100%, it at least needs a contact wash. With ceramic coated cars, itll stay cleaner for longer. What that basically means is instead of weekly washes, you can get away with monthly. Just depends on the level of dirtiness that you're comfortable with.

Remember there will always be a light film of grime on your car if you don't have a contact wash. Your car may be PPF'd, but your ceramic coating will take a beating if you dry your car without properly washing it.

Personally, I'd be fine with a quality spray wax on top of PPF. I've had ceramic over PPF before, it's near redundant if you don't mind throwing spray wax on it once in a few months.

 

[RDATLTE]

Detailing subforum is dead, so hope you guys won't mind this post here.

I'd like this to be a place where we can discuss best car wash practices.

Some tips and what I personally do:

This assumes you have a shaded area to wash your car. Pressure washer is recommended. For black car owners, and serious detail enthusiasts, I suggest using a Deionized water system to up your game. Assumes you wash regularly and it's not an abomination of filth whenever you decide to finally wash your car.

1. Wash your wheels first. Foam cannon/spray wheel cleaner or what else you prefer. Rinse clean.

2. Foam Cannon on dry car. Let it dwell a few minutes and do it's job of softening, and lifting dirt off your paint. (If you rinse before this, the water left on the car will dilute the snow foam, reducing it's cleaning power)

3. Rinse off car thoroughly. (Most of the dirt/debris should be safely off your car now. All you should have left is really a light film of grime that will be taken care of with the next couple of steps)

4. Foam cannon again.(Optional step, but ensures each panel of the car never gets cleaned without maximum lubrication. Lubricity is what will help prevent marring/swirls)

5. 2 Bucket method with grit guards on both. I've personally switched to 1 bucket: car shampoo solution + 6-7 wash mitts. Once the mitt is used on both sides, it gets tossed to the dirty bin not to be used again. Wash from top down, leaving the bottom 1/3 half of your car for a later wash mitt.

6. Rinse with pressure washer.

7. Drying:

A) Assuming your car is properly waxed, you can use an open hose with water flowing out about medium strength and a steady flow, angled parallel as much as possible and water should sheet off your car.

B) Use a high powered leaf blower like an Ego, or dedicated one like Metro Air Blaster to blow off all the water as much as you can. This method will also clear most of the crevices where water can stay, and fly back onto your clean paint when you take it on the road. Think the drips from your door handles, mirrors, lights, etc. Pretty much a necessity to dry your wheels.

C) if you use a Deionized water system, you can just walk away and it'll dry itself without water spots. This assumes the filtration is working at 100%, your resin hasn't been depleted, and it's at zero PPM using a TDS meter. Best for black cars as this reduces physical contact with your paint.

D) Previous methods can and will use physical drying with high quality microfiber towels(god fucking help your paint if you still use old bath towels you neanderthal).

1. Optional: Lay down a light mist of quick detailer like McKees N-914 or the tried and
true Optimum no rinse and shine diluted to the proper ratio. This is to help lubricate the surface as you physically dry your car.

Final notes and thought: I usually finish with a final step like P&S Dream maker, or some kind of quick spray wax that you can spray on and wipe off to enhance gloss. I'm personally using CarPro products like ph-neutral Reset car shampoo. Microfiber towels are from The Rag Company. Also using those cheap yellow microfiber towels from Costco for door jambs, interior, wheels and engine bay work.

My current and future vehicles are and will be graphene coated with Glassparency. I also purchased a commercial-grade DI system from PureTec in preparation for the incoming Blackwing. Look into them if you're on the west coast and have them nearby. Cost savings will become significant if you planned on getting CR Spotless.

Keeping my cars looking perfect is a labor of love, and it's something I really enjoy doing.

I still find a high speed run necessary after 7. B) to really get rid of all of the hidden water. While I still use a leaf blower, I understand that the dedicated car blowers like the one mentioned are much better as they have a heating element that heats the air thereby evaporating the water rather than just moving it around like the leaf blower does.

 

[DecadenceFTW]

You don't have to get so serious with it if your car is completely PPF'd, as no matter what you do, you won't harm your actual paint. However to keep your car looking 100%, it at least needs a contact wash. With ceramic coated cars, itll stay cleaner for longer. What that basically means is instead of weekly washes, you can get away with monthly. Just depends on the level of dirtiness that you're comfortable with.

Remember there will always be a light film of grime on your car if you don't have a contact wash. Your car may be PPF'd, but your ceramic coating will take a beating if you dry your car without properly washing it.

Personally, I'd be fine with a quality spray wax on top of PPF. I've had ceramic over PPF before, it's near redundant if you don't mind throwing spray wax on it once in a few months.

Thank you so much for the info! Really appreciate it.

 

[SOP]

I still find a high speed run necessary after 7. B) to really get rid of all of the hidden water. While I still use a leaf blower, I understand that the dedicated car blowers like the one mentioned are much better as they have a heating element that heats the air thereby evaporating the water rather than just moving it around like the leaf blower does.

Unfortunately yes, a high speed run will really get the last %'s out. I always carry a quick detailer + microfiber towels to wipe off the "tears" after I arrive at my destination.

I've personally sold the metro air blaster(which needs a 20amp circuit for the full 8hp and heating) for a high powered battery blower. I found the heating part of it dried the water, which was troublesome because I was using hard water, and it caused spots. Basically lowers your working time of safely drying your car without water spots. Plus a pain in the ass to drag the machine around + heavy duty extension cord that's needed to handle 20amps at length.

 

[MatthewAMEL]

Dangit...someone started a thread about my favorite obsession...

Washing wheels is a good first step. I think I take things a step further.

Use separate bucket and wash tools for your wheels. NEVER use the same bucket or mitt/tools for wheels and car. Brake dust is semi-metallic. So you would essentially be rubbing your paint with steel wool.

If you have a pressure washer, the foam cannon is absolutely the way to go. Use foam on a wet car, though. Spray the car off 1st with regular water, then foam. Let the foam dwell it's way down the car. It's working to pull a lot of chunky stuff off.

Rinse.

No need to foam again unless you see that your initial steps haven't gotten everything off.

Two bucket wash with grit guards in both buckets. You don't have to get 'wash buckets'. Home Depot or Firehouse Subs buckets work great.

Two wash mitts. One for 'above the belt' one for 'below the belt'. I always spend $ on good quality/material wash mitts. It's worth it. And worth it to keep them clean and debris free. Boars hair brushes are good also, but you have got to keep them clean and dry.

Rinse.

Drying also causes some controversy...

If you want to use a blower, there is only one acceptable way...use a blower with filtered air. NEVER use a leaf blower on a car you care about. Metro Blaster Sidekick is my personal favorite in combo with a drying towel and detail spray.

I would always use a light mist of the detail spray of your choice. It's prevents water spots and gives an instant shine and dust repellent property. To be clear...mist the still wet car with detail spray and then use the drying towel. You'll notice when you use the spray that it immediately breaks the surface tension of the water.

I recently added a Simple Chuck rinse system to my repertoire and it is as amazing as folks say. Especially if you have to leave your car outside. No water spots. Even in the direct Florida sunshine.

I have applied ceramic to all my vehicles. It's a labor of love, for sure. Some things to note about the care of ceramic...

It scratches (not swirls) easier than other finish types. Be extra careful when washing to clean your mitts/brushes. Pre-rinse the car (even if you don't have foam). Every so often (for me it's 3-6 months) use the manufacturers method for ceramic 'reload'.

Next, we should start posting pics of our detail setups!

 

[1Evil55]

Good thread. I had my 5 PPF'ed and ceramic with Gyeon. Went back yesterday for my first wash after my tint guy got her dirty. I was wondering if anyone has a foam cannon they suggest for home use?

 

[SOP]

Dangit...someone started a thread about my favorite obsession...

Washing wheels is a good first step. I think I take things a step further.

Use separate bucket and wash tools for your wheels. NEVER use the same bucket or mitt/tools for wheels and car. Brake dust is semi-metallic. So you would essentially be rubbing your paint with steel wool.

If you have a pressure washer, the foam cannon is absolutely the way to go. Use foam on a wet car, though. Spray the car off 1st with regular water, then foam. Let the foam dwell it's way down the car. It's working to pull a lot of chunky stuff off.

Rinse.

No need to foam again unless you see that your initial steps haven't gotten everything off.

Two bucket wash with grit guards in both buckets. You don't have to get 'wash buckets'. Home Depot or Firehouse Subs buckets work great.

Two wash mitts. One for 'above the belt' one for 'below the belt'. I always spend $ on good quality/material wash mitts. It's worth it. And worth it to keep them clean and debris free. Boars hair brushes are good also, but you have got to keep them clean and dry.

Rinse.

Drying also causes some controversy...

If you want to use a blower, there is only one acceptable way...use a blower with filtered air. NEVER use a leaf blower on a car you care about. Metro Blaster Sidekick is my personal favorite in combo with a drying towel and detail spray.

I would always use a light mist of the detail spray of your choice. It's prevents water spots and gives an instant shine and dust repellent property. To be clear...mist the still wet car with detail spray and then use the drying towel. You'll notice when you use the spray that it immediately breaks the surface tension of the water.

I recently added a Simple Chuck rinse system to my repertoire and it is as amazing as folks say. Especially if you have to leave your car outside. No water spots. Even in the direct Florida sunshine.

I have applied ceramic to all my vehicles. It's a labor of love, for sure. Some things to note about the care of ceramic...

It scratches (not swirls) easier than other finish types. Be extra careful when washing to clean your mitts/brushes. Pre-rinse the car (even if you don't have foam). Every so often (for me it's 3-6 months) use the manufacturers method for ceramic 'reload'.

Next, we should start posting pics of our detail setups!

You're right, I forgot to add dedicated bucket and wash stuff for wheels. I use the HD orange bucket for that, and white buckets for car paint.

Good thread. I had my 5 PPF'ed and ceramic with Gyeon. Went back yesterday for my first wash after my tint guy got her dirty. I was wondering if anyone has a foam cannon they suggest for home use?

The standard is the MTM foam cannon. Autogeek is also having a fantastic sale, 25% off + FS after $95. Sometimes you get a lower discount + FS, or 25% off without FS, so I tend to wait for a sale like the one going on now.

MTM Hydro PF22 Professional Foam Cannon with Standing Bottle

MTM Hydro PF22 Professional Foam Cannon with Standing Bottle - New standing bottle design makes storage and setting your cannon down to scrub worlds easier! MTM Hydro PF22 Professional Foam Cannon is a foaming lance designed to provides the ultimate ...

www.autogeek.net

You can definitely get away with cheaper ones in the 30-50$ range. For people not using the ideal 2GPM@1000PSI set up, and using a simple electric pressure washer like Ryobi, squeeze the foam cannon trigger a couple times before going full foam cannon. I don't know what it does, maybe aerates the mixture better, but without that step, you won't get great foam.

 

[MatthewAMEL]

Good thread. I had my 5 PPF'ed and ceramic with Gyeon. Went back yesterday for my first wash after my tint guy got her dirty. I was wondering if anyone has a foam cannon they suggest for home use?

You have a pressure washer? Or just a hose-based one?

Pressure Washer: There is nothing better than the MTM Hydro. PF22 is current model.

Hose: Foam Gun is what you are looking for. Griots, Adams, Autogeek all have 'house' models that work fine.

 

[DecadenceFTW]

I was wondering if anyone has a foam cannon they suggest for home use?

Oooh, this! I have seen a few "around"...but yea, if people have knowledge on what some of the better ones are, that'd be great.

 

[SOP]

Spray the car off 1st with regular water, then foam. Let the foam dwell it's way down the car. It's working to pull a lot of chunky stuff off.

Check out this eye opener from Forensic detailing. I also rinsed the car off first for many years until he came out with this vid a couple weeks ago:

Car detailing is one of my favorite genres to watch on YouTube, as I try to be up to date on the latest and greatest

 

[MatthewAMEL]

Check out this eye opener from Forensic detailing. I also rinsed the car off first for many years until he came out with this vid a couple weeks ago:

I saw that one and I understand his point.

One of the things I have discovered is where you wash matters...

In Colorado or Florida (where I spend most of my time), if the car has been outside for a while and the paint is hot, the 1st hit of foam almost immediately dries. If it's overcast, no biggie. If I pulled right out from garage or the temps were low and humidity high, I can see what he is talking about. Using a pre-rinse to lower surface temp is a real benefit.

And he kinda makes the opposite point (by mistake, I think). When he talks about rinsing doesn't affect 'road film' and uses that as evidence not to rinse that doesn't really make his point. Rise, to knock off the 'big stuff', foam to dissolve the 'road film'.

He also is getting savaged in the comments.

 

[SOP]

I saw that one and I understand his point.

One of the things I have discovered is where you wash matters...

In Colorado or Florida (where I spend most of my time), if the car has been outside for a while and the paint is hot, the 1st hit of foam almost immediately dries. If it's overcast, no biggie. If I pulled right out from garage or the temps were low and humidity high, I can see what he is talking about. Using a pre-rinse to lower surface temp is a real benefit.

And he kinda makes the opposite point (by mistake, I think). When he talks about rinsing doesn't affect 'road film' and uses that as evidence not to rinse that doesn't really make his point. Rise, to knock off the 'big stuff', foam to dissolve the 'road film'.

He also is getting savaged in the comments.

Yea, I was assuming the best conditions. Car paint is cool and not caked in road salt/mud, washing under shade or early morning/late evening sun. If I had to cool a car down with water, it would have to be with DI water as to reduce the risk of water spots as the water might quickly boil off. Especially being careful with the mist generated from you hitting your desired panel landing on other panels.

 

[1Evil55]

I do have a crappy Ryobi electric power sprayer. The 199 one from Home Depot. It has the soap attachment but I think I tossed the pieces when original assuming I'd never use it. Honestly its a total POS until my water supply from the house is caught up. Usually takes about 10-15 minutes of use before then. Fine for cleaning the garage/driveway/porch/etc. Not exactly ideal for washing my car.

 

[SOP]

I do have a crappy Ryobi electric power sprayer. The 199 one from Home Depot. It has the soap attachment but I think I tossed the pieces when original assuming I'd never use it. Honestly its a total POS until my water supply from the house is caught up. Usually takes about 10-15 minutes of use before then. Fine for cleaning the garage/driveway/porch/etc. Not exactly ideal for washing my car.

Could you elaborate on what you mean by your water caught up?

Most $100 electric washers do fine, just do the trick I mentioned earlier to get great foam out of them using a decent aftermarket foam cannon from Amazon.

 

[1Evil55]

As in all of the plumb line pressurized. Air pockets throughout the cold water line waiting to be full with water I assume.

 

[SOP]

As in all of the plumb line pressurized. Air pockets throughout the cold water line waiting to be full with water I assume.

Hm, that's weird. The only place there would be air, is within your pressure washer. You're supposed to basically prime it by leaving it off, hooking up your garden hose to it, turning on the water until you see a steady stream of water coming out of the pressure gun, which takes about 20 secs to clear out the air. Remove the angled head so you can get the full stream of water. Once that's complete, then you turn on the pressure washer. At that point, it's ready to go. Are you doing this step or is it something else?

 

[MatthewAMEL]

I love washing/detailing threads. I usually learn something new and the discussion illustrates how 'passionate' people can be about taking care of their cars!

In the spirit of that...I present to you... Obsessed Garage | Home Of The Obsessed

Folks usually have very strong opinions about Matt Moreman and his approach. I have a mixed view. I have purchased equipment from him (I have a AR Blue setup), but a lot of OG's content strikes me as the pinnacle of FOMO.

His store does have some good stuff for sale, but I find his videos about detailing techniques to be 'questionable'.

 

[SOP]

I love washing/detailing threads. I usually learn something new and the discussion illustrates how 'passionate' people can be about taking care of their cars!

In the spirit of that...I present to you... Obsessed Garage | Home Of The Obsessed

Folks usually have very strong opinions about Matt Moreman and his approach. I have a mixed view. I have purchased equipment from him (I have a AR Blue setup), but a lot of OG's content strikes me as the pinnacle of FOMO.

His store does have some good stuff for sale, but I find his videos about detailing techniques to be 'questionable'.

I do love his content, but some of the stuff he sells is just... Insane. I mean if you literally want the absolute last % of comfort and convenience and I mean last %'s, sure get his stuff. But God damn his stuff is like a 50 cal to your wallet.