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Car Washing: advice and suggestions

23K views 45 replies 21 participants last post by  Littlewig 
#1 ·
Stimulated! said:
I would also be interested.

As someone who has always washed my cars with a $1 bucket and a $2 sponge, I haven't actually dared clean the F-Pace yet as I don't want to make any mistakes!
So here is the advice for beginners. Doing this won't take you into the 'Detailers' Club' but it will ensure you don't damage your new car while washing it.....

Contrary to what we believe, washing a car without following a few basic rules causes more harm than good. The single biggest cause of scratching to the paintwork is poor washing technique because you pick up grit from the bodywork and then swirl it around under your sponge on other parts of the car. Your sponge becomes sandpaper!

So first rule. Ditch the sponge and get a noodle hand mitt or better still, a lambs wool mitt. Sponges are for washing old bangers not. Jaguar F-Pace.

Second rule. Buy two buckets of a different colour. This is called the 'two bucket wash method'. It's simple. Shampoo in one bucket and plain water in the other. Take nice clean dry mitt, dip in shampoo bucket, wash bodywork and then rinse out in the other bucket before starting the cycle again. That way the grit settles in your second bucket and the water you apply with your next wash is grit-free.

Third rule. Hose or power wash the car down to get as much grit off of it first before using your mitt. Getting the grit off the bodywork at the start helps reduce the sandpaper effect.

Fourth rule. Don't use a chamois leather, it's not 1977 anymore. Use a proper, big drying towel. They will dry your car if you pat it in one foul swoop. The chamois leather will also scratch your paint work.

As you can see, it's all about avoiding the sandpaper effect when washing. This is the biggest leap of progress a beginner can make, it doesn't cost much and doesn't add much time to the process. Beyond that you start to become obsessive, bit by bit. So decide where you want to stop - the 80/20 rule applies.

Finally, just use a quality shampoo. Never, ever use washing up liquid as it contains abrasive salt and will strip your car of its protective finishes.

If my cars are dirty but the weather is so poor that I cannot do this basic routine or I don't have time - they stay dirty. Better that than ruin the paintwork with a bodged cleaning routine.

The forgoing is particularly relevant if you have a dark coloured car as those scratchy swirly marks will show up faster.

There is much more to car detailing but this is my top tip for beginners who want to do the basic car wash without causing damage.

And of course, enjoy it!

Arianne.

PS. Needless to say, I wouldn't recommend car wash machines. Either roller or where you do the work - those cleaning brushes are probably full of grit from where the last person dropped the brush on the ground!
 
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#27 ·
If using snow foam - make sure you get a PH neutral variant. Should help keep any surface protection you have in place where it should be!
 
#28 ·
Arianne said:
PS. IMHO, once you have perused and then invested in a water de-ioniser / purifier for your car you probably have OCD. Go carefully out there fellow forum members.

PPS. No, I don't own a water purifier!
That's me frigged then, as I do :lol:
 
#29 ·
I can't see that this has been covered here but has anyone got any tips or product recommendations for removing some light scratching caused by driving too close to a hedge down a country road - the scratches are pretty light and in the old days on less cherished cars would likely have taken some t-cut to it. My beloved F-Pace is black. All help gratefully received.
 
#30 ·
bensales said:
Good advice so far. I'd add something else...

A third bucket/mitt just for the wheels. Or always make sure they're done last.
I don't know about bensales, you should change your name to bucketsales, you could make a fortune. ;)
 
#31 ·
Beany1 said:
I can't see that this has been covered here but has anyone got any tips or product recommendations for removing some light scratching caused by driving too close to a hedge down a country road - the scratches are pretty light and in the old days on less cherished cars would likely have taken some t-cut to it. My beloved F-Pace is black. All help gratefully received.
You will need a polish. Polish strips off the top layer ever so lightly. Polish and scratch remover comes in various grades so you should take a look at the products and see which one matches the severity of your paintwork blemish.

I don't have anything special. I have some Blackfire Polish but this really is only for removing the residue of a six month old wax treatment before starting with fresh protection. I have an old bottle of Tcut for metallic finishes and, used carefully on a microfibre cloth, it has served me well. The metallic variety is gentler than the original Tcut.

Once you have gently removed the blemish and, using a fresh microfibre cloth removed the residue, you must immediately apply a protection such as a wax coating. The scratch remover doesn't just remove your scratch, it removes your paint protection too. Remember that by doing this you are effectively lifting a very thin layer of paint off of your car so only apply sufficient pressure to remove the scratch and don't go 'hell for leather'.

A final point worth making. This approach works very well if, when you run your fingers across the scratch, it is just a surface imperfection. If it's more serious and deeper then this approach will make it less noticeable but won't remove it altogether.

Worth a try. Doesn't take long. You just need some chemicals in two bottles (polish and wax) and some decent microfibre cloths. It happens, it's happened to me and this almost always works.

Best wishes,

Arianne

PS. Other folk may have more modern, fancy scratch remover products. I know AutoExpress magazine did a review of them a few years back and you can search for that article on line under Product Tests. I would be interested in any newer products folk have used because I just have that old bottle of metallic Tcut on my shelf and I haven't been bothered to invest in anything newer since I had my metallic Ford Galaxy in 2003-2006.
 
#32 ·
You might also find it worth getting a quote from a reputable SMART repair company local to you. For something minor and relatively cheap you could get it professionally done
 
#33 ·
I would definitely recommend speaking to a local professional "detailer" to ask for an assessment and see what they quote you. They may give some tips if you fancy doing the work yourself.
 
#34 ·
I echo the warnings on power washers, a load of years ago I damaged the radiator on my XJ by turning my power wash on full to remove some crud that had been picked up and stuck to the radiator. After blasting with the power wash it had flattened and crushed quite a few of the fine cooling fins/vanes on the front of the radiator. I then had the expense of replacing the radiator a short time later. I didn't even think about what I was doing, until after the event :(

On full power the washer does rip the top surface and algae of my decking and paving slabs a treat though :D
 
#35 ·
Thanks Arianne and the other contributors to this thread.

When "Detailing" got its own forum I thought "oh great at least it's now easy for me to ignore all those posts". I haven't washed my own car in something like 10 years. It's not because I don't have the time or inclination but I guess I've never really seen the point and especially living in London and parking in the street (often not directly outside my own house and frequently bumper to bumper) it just seemed like a huge faff when the local Eastern European Car Wash gang do a pretty good job. It's taken me a few years to train them not to pick up the rag when they drop it on the ground and carry on using it!

Anyhow curiosity got the better of me yesterday and I sat down with a cup of tea and read all the posts in the new forum. What I read really appealed to me. So newly educated in the ways of proper car washing I went up into the loft at home where I knew I'd collected many different wash and detail kits from various car purchases over the years and I found a veritable treasure trove of detailing paraphernalia. All untouched. Two Supagaurd kits. Two Autoglym kits and the recent Williams kit from the Ceramic coat to the current FP. I opened each kit inspecting the contents and decided on the Autoglym products (nicer looking bottle!!). I disposed of all the chamois leather and sponges (well relegated them to other household cleaning duties) and went out and bought myself a wool mitt, a huge microfibre drying cloth and a smaller double sided microfibre polishing cloth.

Then using Arianne's very clear method I set to work. The car hadn't been washed since I collected it 6 weeks ago so it was quite grimy but not filthy. I used the power washer on its lowest setting carefully to remove the worst crud then the two bucket method. By this point neighbours were starting to appear at windows and even a few offered me words of encouragement like "you can do mine next". One neighbour even took a photograph!

Well the dirt seemed to just fall off. Well done Williams Ceramic coat. Apart from it being a bit of a stretch to the middle of the roof I found the whole thing very easy and enjoyable. My favourite bit was placing the huge drying cloth on the bonnet and drying it in two strokes. Genius. I haven't worked out how I was able to dry a large car in no time at all and the cloth getting no more than mildly damp. Let's call it magic. I enjoyed detailing around all the nooks and crannies and the wheels etc. Quick wipe of tyre blackener and we were done! 45 minutes total and looks like it did the day I collected it. Well of course it does. It's only 6 weeks old.

Car Wheel Tire Land vehicle Vehicle
 

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#36 ·
JLR#5.2 is there not a nice chap running a detailing business in your area?

I use my local guy (who initially detailed my car) and every 6-8 weeks I give him £30, he tells me off for rubbing the excessive muck of and making his life harder and gives me my car back after a couple of hours all nice and sparkly inside and out :D
 
#37 ·
Hi Jim

I've searched and searched and can't find anyone who looks like they know how to do a proper maintenance clean on a detailed car. When you look at their schedule they say things like "chamois off" and "polish dash" or "hang scented tree"!!!

I'd happily take recommendations if anyone knows a good mobile valeter that covers SW19. However now I've tackled it myself with good guidance it's nowhere near as much of a chore as I thought!
 
#38 ·
JLR 5 I stand on top of the rear wheels to clean the middle of my roof, can't quite reach the front of the pano roof, but use a long handle soft brush that only does the roof so doesn't get contaminated. Less risky than a bashing a step ladder next to the car or damaging the finish by stepping on the door tread plates. Also use a wiper blade to finish roof !!!
And full marks for giving Mrs JLR your hand me down sponges.... you really spoil that lady!!!

Regards,
 
#39 ·
I find something weirdly therapeutic almost about cleaning my car properly.

Plus I have all the gear to hand so it'd be kind of rude to not do it myself!
 
#40 ·
Big Pimp said:
I find something weirdly therapeutic almost about cleaning my car properly.
I know what you mean, it's a bit like it enables you to 'bond' properly with your car, going over it very carefully and in detail.
It's a nice way to relax and enjoy some mild physical activity too.

For me, it's a bit similar to grooming the dog . . you both end up feeling better as a result . . win-win! :)
 
#41 ·
Great thread, which I thought I'd add to having read it through. Regarding grit guards mentioned earlier in the thread, I agree that they don't substitute for the two bucket approach - That's why I use two buckets, each with a grit guard in them. It really helps.

Secondly, I have found Meguairs ultimate compound is the best stuff to get rid of 'hedge scratches' raised by Beany1. If you can stretch to buying a DA polisher, this is even more effective and less work!!
 
#42 ·
What you don't want to do is this.

I bought a Hozelock car washing brush with clever shampoo applicator and proceeded to wash the car.

It's now covered in scratches as the hosepipe picked up grit from the road and damaged numerous panels as it rubbed across the surfaces :eek: :roll:

Luckily I bought scratch insurance with ALA so might give them a call.
 

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#44 ·
Yes would definitely be worth trying to polish these out first, unless you have genuinely gone down to the metal. as I say, Megs Ultimate Compound works well by hand, and works even better if applied using a dual action polisher with either white or green Chemical guys hex-logic foam pad! Good luck! :)
 
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