Fastest way to Wash a vehicle?
- Thread starter Lazzman
- Start date
Ronkh
Wax Waster
rimccarty2000 ---
I look at the wash mitt every time I put it in the 5-gal bucket and every time I pull it out of the bucket..
If I see something that does not Match the color or texture of the Mitt, I look closer, and remove it..
I will watch carefully what I am washing and use just enough pressure and straight motions to remove what is on that panel..
Perhaps I use a type of Mitt that doesn't hold onto dirty stuff as much as others..
In any event, I have not scratched anything in this manner for decades..
I am safe, and never sorry..
Dan F
That makes too much sense. There has to be another way. -_-
GearHead_1
Long Time Member
Ahh... you found the version with sound. Very good.
Dogfather
New member
You need to let the brush presoak in the solution for a while.
That is, if you have the time.
Accumulator
Well-known member
Noting that nutty ol' Yours Truly considers anything under five hours to be a *very* fast maintenance wash...
Some sorta-random thoughts on BHBs follow:
-Like all such stuff, BHBs should be "tested the way you use them", i.e., wet with shampoo mix after soaking in it for at least a few minutes (doesn't take very long)
-Quality BHBs are so gentle that, *used properly* they're too gentle to get a very dirty vehicle perfectly clean
-Used with a foamgun (constant spraying of its output at the point of BHB-to-paint contact) and with sufficient water pressure, BHBs can "self-rinse" and thus do some *very* quick washing
So, my Rx for a very quick wash:
-Rinse with pressure washer
-Spray with foamgun output
-Go around car using BHB/foamgun combo
-Rinse with DI water using pressure washer
Done.
But of course that's ommitting the undercarriage, jambs, fuel-filler pocket, engine comartment, etc. etc. and it's pretty cursory for the wheels depending how dirty they are, so *IMO it's not a "real wash". Quick though, basically "how fast can you walk around the car"-quick.
BHBs need to be CD-tested regularly as the flagged bristle tips do whe
Some sorta-random thoughts on BHBs follow:
-Like all such stuff, BHBs should be "tested the way you use them", i.e., wet with shampoo mix after soaking in it for at least a few minutes (doesn't take very long)
-Quality BHBs are so gentle that, *used properly* they're too gentle to get a very dirty vehicle perfectly clean
-Used with a foamgun (constant spraying of its output at the point of BHB-to-paint contact) and with sufficient water pressure, BHBs can "self-rinse" and thus do some *very* quick washing
So, my Rx for a very quick wash:
-Rinse with pressure washer
-Spray with foamgun output
-Go around car using BHB/foamgun combo
-Rinse with DI water using pressure washer
Done.
But of course that's ommitting the undercarriage, jambs, fuel-filler pocket, engine comartment, etc. etc. and it's pretty cursory for the wheels depending how dirty they are, so *IMO it's not a "real wash". Quick though, basically "how fast can you walk around the car"-quick.
BHBs need to be CD-tested regularly as the flagged bristle tips do whe
MiVor
New member
So then I guess we could say that the two bucket method is twice as defective! :rofl
Accumulator
Well-known member
Failed to comment on the above yesterday....
Yeah, you only want the tips of the bristles touching the paint. Don't press so hard that the bristles bend over and you're rubbing their shafts on the paint.
Lazzman said:
Spray foamgun output at the point of BHB-to-paint contact so that the output not only provides contant lubrication but also flushes the dirt away. I don't find much, if any, dirt in my rinse buckets at the end of a wash. Result is years of marring-free washes and virtually no need to polish.
Lazzman
New member
I guess that explains it to me. I would put hard pressure on the brush so it flattened out and not let it soak at all. I recently noticed the other day that with a lot of soap, I used (Optimum car wash soap) the Boars Hair brush glided a lot better. The swirls were not super bad but non the less they were there.
Thanks I will try this new method for Boars hair
Thanks I will try this new method for Boars hair
Accumulator
Well-known member
Lazzman- Sorta the same-ol'-same-ol' in that hard pressure should seldom be applied to the paint. IME the BHB works best with a healthy LSP that sheds dirt readily; used properly it's just *so* gentle that it can be a challenge to get a truly dirty car clean (with just the BHB).
Clasik Chevy
New member
For me, I keep my cars garaged so they don't get too dirty unless it rains while I'm out driving. I use No Hose from Slick Rides on it once a week. Only takes me about 20 minutes to wash may car and it adds wax so it looks amazing. Was a little skeptical at first but after practice and using the right MF towels, it comes out really nice.
Touch-less car washes work for most vehicle owners. Takes only about 10-12 minute, not including the time queued up in line waiting to get in.
Are the vehicles clean? NO!. Brake dust still it there in the rims; winter snow melt binder (AKA beet-juice) is impossible to remove without some physical contact (IE, washing it off with some type of media touching the paint) Bit it is pretty darn quick (Hence a prominent touch-less car wash manufacturer uses the moniker PDQ Manufacturing).
For the real lazy (and cost-conscious, AKA "cheap") vehicle owner, there is always a good rain... (just saying').
Are the vehicles clean? NO!. Brake dust still it there in the rims; winter snow melt binder (AKA beet-juice) is impossible to remove without some physical contact (IE, washing it off with some type of media touching the paint) Bit it is pretty darn quick (Hence a prominent touch-less car wash manufacturer uses the moniker PDQ Manufacturing).
For the real lazy (and cost-conscious, AKA "cheap") vehicle owner, there is always a good rain... (just saying').
Tell me more about this Miracle Product
jrock645
New member
Its called a rinseless wash.
Accumulator
Well-known member
One of these days I'll try doing a Non-Accumulator wash and see just how fast the Pressure Washer, BHB/foamgun, and AirWand can do a vehicle. If we leave the undercarriage/wells/jambs/engine compartment/etc. out of the picture I guess it'd be more along the lines of a "regular wash" by most people's standards and those areas take up a *lot* of time.
SO...if I'm trying to get a gauge on what "Regular Wash" means (regular car, not SUV/truck), does it include the barrels/backs of spokes when doing the wheels? Where do I draw the line? I mean...I *gotta* use swabs to clean the valvestem pockets on some wheels or they won't get clean, and some grilles take a *long* time (dozens of slots, four surfaces each), are such things part of a "normal maintenance wash" for most folks? What about the fuel-filler door and pocket (I typically use two or three different BHBs and some swabs)? The various nooks and crannies probably take me longer than the regular body panels, which go almost as fast as I can walk around the vehicle.
(Though just posting the above, I can't help but think that some water's gonna get into places like the jambs/engine compartment. If I leave it there I might get spotting (even with a DI rinse) and if I dry it without proper cleaning I'll get marring...so actually doing one of *my* vehicles that way really does give me pause; might try it on a Service Loaner or somesuch.)
[Yes, another of Accumulator's FK1000P raves follows...]
With the FK1000P, a heavy rain *does* leave the vehicle pretty decent, even when it was utterly filthy. And I've gotten to where every other wash is just a rinse with the Pressure Washer (DI water) and a quick blow-dry with the AirWand.
I have other LSPs that kinda do the "self cleaning in the rain" thing (M16 and Collinite), but nothing like how the FK1000P does it.
SO...if I'm trying to get a gauge on what "Regular Wash" means (regular car, not SUV/truck), does it include the barrels/backs of spokes when doing the wheels? Where do I draw the line? I mean...I *gotta* use swabs to clean the valvestem pockets on some wheels or they won't get clean, and some grilles take a *long* time (dozens of slots, four surfaces each), are such things part of a "normal maintenance wash" for most folks? What about the fuel-filler door and pocket (I typically use two or three different BHBs and some swabs)? The various nooks and crannies probably take me longer than the regular body panels, which go almost as fast as I can walk around the vehicle.
(Though just posting the above, I can't help but think that some water's gonna get into places like the jambs/engine compartment. If I leave it there I might get spotting (even with a DI rinse) and if I dry it without proper cleaning I'll get marring...so actually doing one of *my* vehicles that way really does give me pause; might try it on a Service Loaner or somesuch.)
[Yes, another of Accumulator's FK1000P raves follows...]
With the FK1000P, a heavy rain *does* leave the vehicle pretty decent, even when it was utterly filthy. And I've gotten to where every other wash is just a rinse with the Pressure Washer (DI water) and a quick blow-dry with the AirWand.
I have other LSPs that kinda do the "self cleaning in the rain" thing (M16 and Collinite), but nothing like how the FK1000P does it.
nothingface5384
New member
Does this make any sense?
Someone on summit said he does this/learned from military
Wash bottom to top then rinse top to bottom..
to ensure no missed spots
To me this doesnt sound like a good method and any missed section is due to being careless and or rushing..
Maybe due to me washing panel by panel
i can see how you can combine this method panel by panel while still washing top to bottom..
Someone on summit said he does this/learned from military
Wash bottom to top then rinse top to bottom..
to ensure no missed spots
To me this doesnt sound like a good method and any missed section is due to being careless and or rushing..
Maybe due to me washing panel by panel
i can see how you can combine this method panel by panel while still washing top to bottom..
MiVor
New member
The whole purpose of top-down, wheels last and two bucket is to minimize/eliminate the transfer of grit that could cause marring/swirls. The lower portions are more prone to road splash 'n grit so we tackle these areas last. I don't suppose they worry too much about minor finish scratches on military trucks and tanks!
Accumulator
Well-known member
The bottom-up approach has been advocated on and off for years, and I vaguely recall one supposed benefit being "less streaking"..I never could figure any genuine benefit so I don't wash that way. But I *do* perform my Pressure Washer Pre-Rinse that way (purely subjective, gut-feeling,,i.e. possibly irrational 
...sense that it's better).
Eh, I do the wheels/wells/undercarriage first...no transfer in my case as the dirt gets flushed away anyhow (clean rinse buckets at end of wash and a dedicated wheel/wells/etc. bucket). But that might not work too well for somebody who gets dirt stuck to their wash media/transferred to the rinse bucket.
...sense that it's better).Eh, I do the wheels/wells/undercarriage first...no transfer in my case as the dirt gets flushed away anyhow (clean rinse buckets at end of wash and a dedicated wheel/wells/etc. bucket). But that might not work too well for somebody who gets dirt stuck to their wash media/transferred to the rinse bucket.
GearHead_1
Long Time Member
When doing a full wash, I'm a fan of the tires/wheels first method. That said, I use a dedicated bucket and gear for this and the wheel wells. Then I wash from the top down. I do this not so much from a practicality stand point but more as a "I hate washing wheels and tires viewpoint". Once I get this out of the way I actualy enjoy washing the vehicle as opposed to dreading looking forward to the wheels. It's plain and simple head thing with me. I do the same thing with a plate of food. I always eat the less appealing food first.
The Driver
Detailers Workshop
Here's my 20 min quick wash... IF YOU HAVE EVERYTHING COATED INC WHEELS.
DO IN ORDER for optimized dwell times! This will take practice + investment with the right tools, but the car will always look good.
1 min - spray wheels with sonax
1 min - Fill Bucket + Mild Soap
1 min - Hook up pw
1 min - apc tires
1 min - Fill Foam canon + Soap in bucket
30 secs - 1z bug an tar front end
2 min - Clean drums an faces W/Bosch Ps21+ Ace Tubo stick (Drums)+ Black wheel mitt (Faces)
1.5 min - pressure rinse wheels + tires
6 min - Foam canon + Soap W/Mitt
5 min - Drying W/Microfiber madness w/dry me crazy + Masterblaster 8hp
20 mins, DONE
DO IN ORDER for optimized dwell times! This will take practice + investment with the right tools, but the car will always look good.
1 min - spray wheels with sonax
1 min - Fill Bucket + Mild Soap
1 min - Hook up pw
1 min - apc tires
1 min - Fill Foam canon + Soap in bucket
30 secs - 1z bug an tar front end
2 min - Clean drums an faces W/Bosch Ps21+ Ace Tubo stick (Drums)+ Black wheel mitt (Faces)
1.5 min - pressure rinse wheels + tires
6 min - Foam canon + Soap W/Mitt
5 min - Drying W/Microfiber madness w/dry me crazy + Masterblaster 8hp
20 mins, DONE
Accumulator
Well-known member
Yeah, I like getting the nastiness of the wheels/wells/undercarriage/etc. out of the way, and I don't have to worry about something from those areas somehow getting on already-cleaned surfaces.
The Driver said:
Oh man, you're killing me! No way could I do those in two minutes, even my coated wheels! But then mine all have some nooks and crannies that need specific attention. Well, I guess I could do the Crown Vic's wheel covers that fast.
You made a good point about optimizing dwell-times!