New to detailing and looking to start simple with proper washing

D

dwells

New member
Hi everyone, I'm new to detailing and I'm hoping to learn. I've decided I want to start simple by just learning how to properly wash a car. I've done a lot of research and reading (stickied threads on here and across the web) already, as well as watching a lot of YouTube videos, and at this point it's really just sensory overload for me.


 


From what I've gathered, the most tried-and-true approach is the two bucket method. However, there seems to be a lot of disagreement on where it goes from there.


 


Really, what I'm hoping is that you all can help me out in:
  1. Beginner-friendly instructions for basic washing and drying
  2. Selecting and purchasing the essentials
  3. Maintaining the tools (cleaning buckets, washing and drying cloths and sponges and such after use, etc.)

I'm just a guy who wants to stop damaging his paint and not someone planning on becoming a pro, so step two is really proving challenging for me. I see lots of recommendations for products and tools, but I don't have a couple hundred dollars to spend just to get set up. If it's possible to get the basics (buckets, grit guards, cloths/sponges/whatever, towels, soaps, whatever else I'm missing) without breaking the bank, that would be amazing.


 


Thanks so much, everyone!
 
I won't give you any personal recommendations on products/techniques. You will get plenty from others.


 


1. I would learn 3 washing methods for starters. Hose/bucket wash and preferably a rinseless (or maybe a waterless) wash. RW will come in handy where there are local water restrictions, winter time, cold weather etc... Also, find a nearby self-directed car wash to power wash your car. This will be needed at times to pre-wash a very dirty car.


 


2. As far as finding the best products that work for you? Read lots of forum discussions. Unfortunately, it will come down to buy and try i.e. spend money and then school yourself thru personal experience.


 


Good Luck and keep reading. You will eventually get it.
 
dwells- Welcome to Autopia! 


 


What's your locale, as in..will you be dealing with winter weather/salt or things like Love Bugs or other extreme issues?  That will factor in a bit.  Are you working in a garage, outside, at an apartment complex, etc. etc.  That will factor in a *lot*.


 


"Marring-free maintenance washes" are sorta my strong suit, but my setup might be a little expensive and it's definitely extreme by most standards.


 


Here's the big thing to consider- the car gets covered with dirt.  Dirt is abrasive.  If you press that abrasive dirt against the paint and then move it, it acts like sandpaper and scratches the paint.


 


If I press a washmitt or sponge against my dirty paint, and then move that mitt/sponge in the "normal way" I get scratched paint.  Period.


 


Rinseless washes can encapsulate dirt so it doesn't scratch, but they are only moderately effective in this regard *for me*.


 


Emphasis on that "for me" bit...I'm not the dullest knife in the drawer, but if I wash the way many people do I get marring.  Maybe it only shows up under certain lighting/inspection conditions, but it still happens.  I won't accept that so I do what *I* have to do to get results that I can live with.  How extreme are you about this stuff?


 


Here's one big tip- No matter what you do, always move your wash medium in short, interrupted, motions.  Don't use long, sweeping "arcs" or any scratches you do get will be...well, long, sweeping arcs across the panel.  If your paint ever has a scratch/swirl that's more than a couple inches long, something is very, very wrong.


 


 
 
D, welcome aboard!  Proper washing, as noted by Accumulator, is 90% of the deal, IMO.  You'll find it doesn't take that much effort to keep a car in good condition looking its best.
 
Thanks to everyone for the welcome!


 


As for location, I'm in New England, so snow and salt are definitely part of life, as are pollen, tree sap, etc. I live in an apartment in a downtown area and the car sadly has to be parked on street. That said, when I want to wash my car myself I usually go visit my family on a weekend afternoon and use their driveway and garage. It's not a terribly far drive, so I keep all my supplies and such there.


 


During the week I don't do anything other than tending to tree sap and bird droppings as quickly as possible, which I've been doing by soaking a big chunk of paper towels in piping hot water, applying a lot of dish soap to them, then resting them on the car and letting the hot water and soap break down the contaminant for a few minutes. Then I go back outside and remove the paper towels in a gentle pinching motion (making sure the surface is lubricated well with the soap) and that seems to take off the bird dropping or sap pretty well. I usually do all this in the parking lot at work, since it's usually after getting out of my car in the morning that I notice whatever happened to the car during the evening before. Obviously this ends up leaving some residual soap and water on the car which isn't aesthetically pleasing, but the priority is just to get the junk off before it can cause etching or other damage.


 


Accumulator - you mentioned that the technique in how you move the cloth/sponge/mitt against the car is extremely important. Do you know of any videos or guides or anything that show it? I'm definitely a more visual learner and it seems like something I would need to see.
 
D, you say that the car is OptiCoated in your other thread.  Am I reading that right?  It may alter peoples' strategy recommendations if you share that and any other key facts pertaining to your car ;)
 
dwells- Thanks for clarifying about your situation.  I used to drive to a nearby town to do my cars, so I understand about going to your family's place.


 


Nah, I don't know of any videos/etc. and I'm not savvy regarding posting to the 'net. (Soryr, I do understand about the "visual learning".)  If you merely avoid moving your washing hand/arm more than a few inches at a time you'll at least be doing better than doing the long motions.


 


 


To clean such stuff off better, and with less damage to the paint, use a rinseless wash product instead of the dish soap and a good plush microfiber towel ("MF") instead of the paper towel.  Optimum's No Rinse, Garry Dean's Infinite Use Detail Juice (my choice), or Ultima's product (people love it) are all good choices.


 


I think that no matter what, you'll be using a rinseless wash for some of the cleaning.  Do a bit more research there, and google up Garry Dean.  Besides selling his stuff, he has videos on the 'net that show how he washes cars.


 


Eh, I know I'm not giving the comprehensive advice you'd like, but it's sorta like "how do I build my house?"  I'm trying to get a grip on what you'll be willing/able to do with regard to the washes (including what you'll be willing to spend). 


 


EDIT: What?  OptiCoated? That's, uhm...significant info.  Just edited this....
 
dwells- I'd get it reOptiCoated and have that detailer do the necessary paint correction.  Then just concentrate on the maintenance washes. 
 
 
Whoops, forgot to mention that in this post! From what I gathered, washing Opti-coat shouldn't be much different than normal paint, just a bit easier to get dirt loose and without the need for wax after. Is that not the case? I also intend on washing my family's vehicles which are not Opti-coated, so learning general technique and having the stuff for them is still important.
 
 
Given the level of damage that had been done to the paint, I'd probably be looking at another dozen plus hours of labor to really get the car pristine. When I had the car detailed the first time, I decided that I could live with just having my hazing and swirling severely reduced and then that sealed in with the Opti-coat. So I'm just looking to keep it where it's at right now, especially since I only intend on keeping the vehicle another two or so years. My next vehicle I intend to keep absolutely pristine, however.
 

I'd read a bit about the no rinse washes but never really looked into them, so I'll have to look into them a bit more. Even if I don't use them for full washes, it sounds like they'd be good to keep handy at the apartment or even in the trunk for small touchups. Thanks for the tip!
 
dwells- Noting that I resisted rinseless washes for a long, long time, and still don't use them as my primary wash....


 


Yes, the good rinseless washes have a place in most anybody's regimen these days.  Many of them are, if nothing else, excellent replacements for/upgrades from conventional Quick Detailers (you just mix up the rinseless wash to "Quick Detailer strength" and enjoy the superior cleaning and encapsulation).


 


Man, I never thought that *I* would be singing the praises of rinseless washes...live and learn.
 
Accumulator said:
dwells- Noting that I resisted rinseless washes for a long, long time, and still don't use them as my primary wash....


 


Yes, the good rinseless washes have a place in most anybody's regimen these days.  Many of them are, if nothing else, excellent replacements for/upgrades from conventional Quick Detailers (you just mix up the rinseless wash to "Quick Detailer strength" and enjoy the superior cleaning and encapsulation).


 


Man, I never thought that *I* would be singing the praises of rinseless washes...live and learn.
Click to expand...


 


Very cool. I'd used some rinseless products in the past and they were awful, but I'll be ordering some ONR to give it a shot.


 


As for the two bucket wash for the non-Opti-coat vehicles, I've done some more research and reading and this is what I've come up with so far for a budget entry-level setup. No specific brands or products yet, just basic items and price estimates. I'd appreciate it if some forum members could give this a look and let me know what they think:


 
Hardware
<ul>[*]5 gallon buckets - (2) * $3.00
[*]Grit guards - (2) * $8.50
[*]Good hoze nozzle (Bon-Aire Ultimate?) - $18.00
[/list] 
Mitts/cloths
<ul>[*]Wash mitt for top half of vehicle - (1) * $??.??
[*]Wash mitt for bottom half - (1) * $??.??
[*]Microfiber drying towel - (1) * $?.??
[/list] 
Washes/chemicals
<ul>[*]Car wash soap - (1) * $??.??
[*]Quick detailer spray - (1) * $?.??
[/list]

 


Thanks!
 
dwells- Get *GOOD* car wash soap (Griot's, Optimum. DuraGloss, Ultima) as it'll have better lubricity and encapsulation than cheap stuff.


 


You could just use a stronger mix of your rinseless wash in place of the QD (I've pretty much replaced my QDs with IUDJ).  I do like using ValuGard's FastFInish on black plastic exterior trim though.


 


I need various Boar's Hair Brushes to wash, if only to get into nooks and crannies and for doing areas like doorjambs and fuel-filler pockets.


 


My numerous good hose nozzles just sit on the shelf most of the time while I use a plastic female quick-disconnect with a shutoff as my nozzle.  It's a cheap little thing that looks sorta like a mushroom and it sprays water just fine.  Its small size and shutoff valve makes it very easy to manipulate with one hand.  But I guess most people like to use "real" hose nozzles so OK, whatever appeals to you.


 


For MF Drying Towels, I'd look into the Plush ones from The Rag Company and Car Pro's MF Madness.  I like these a *LOT* better than waffle weave MFs.  Get more than one.


 


I DO *NOT* like the "muppet" type wash mitts, I'd stick with conventional sheepskin ones.  I DO *NOT* recommend wearing a wash mitt like a glove, too easy to apply too much pressure to the (dirty) paint that way.  I'd fill it with shampoo mix (by holding it underwater in the wash bucket), then hold the cuff shut and whisk the mitt across the paint while the shampoo seeps out of it.


 


Eh, I still think it's hard to avoid marring when washing with mitts in the conventional fashion (as opposed to my "dislodge and flush" approach using the foamgun and a BHB).  But it *is* how most people do it, so see how it works out for you.  IF you start to notice new marring you'll have to decide whether to live with it or to refine your wash technique to diminish/eliminate it.


 


Give thought to what you'll use to clean wheels/tires and wheelwells/undercarriage.
 
See my input in red.    A good place to pick up allot of the products you need is Autoality.com--free shipping if your order is over $25 and under 5 lbs or totally free if your order is over $75


 
Hardware
<ul>[*]5 gallon buckets - (2) * $3.00
[*]Grit guards - (2) * $8.50
[*]Good hoze nozzle (Bon-Aire Ultimate?) - $18.00
[/list]<span style="color:rgb(178,34,34);">Make sure you take your Grit Guards with you when you purchase your buckets--they fit differently in different buckets.  You want a tight fit, but you want them to go all the way to the bottom of the bucket.
 
<span style="color:rgb(178,34,34);">I wouldn't waste too much money on a hose nozzle--just find one you like at HD or Lowes or Sears--some like the fire hose type nozzles which are nice since they can be found covered in rubber to help avoid scratches/nicks if you should touch the car.
Mitts/cloths
<ul>[*]Wash mitt for top half of vehicle - (1) * $??.??
[*]Wash mitt for bottom half - (1) * $??.??
[*]Microfiber drying towel - (1) * $?.??
[/list]<span style="color:rgb(178,34,34);">The Carpro sheepskin mitt is the best deal going at $20 for a high quality mitt.  I don't like the noodle type mitts as I feel they can trap dirt and it's hard to predict the quality.
 
<span style="color:rgb(178,34,34);">Check out the Rag Company for towels--free shipping and everything I've purchased has been top notch and at a good price.  Their waffle weave drying towels are the softest I've ever seen.
Washes/chemicals
<ul>[*]Car wash soap - (1) * $??.??
[*]Quick detailer spray - (1) * $?.??
[/list]

<span style="color:rgb(178,34,34);">Allot of good soaps out there--Duragloss, HD Pink Car Soap, Griots.  I like the HD Pink as it leaves nothing behind such as gloss enhancers.   I find I don't use QD any longer--just use Ultimate Waterless Wash + as a drying aid and as a rinseless wash and as QD if the car just has light dust.
 
So thanks to everyone's help (particularly those two posts above) and some more research and reading, I think I've picked out almost everything so far to have me prepared for both standard washes and ONR washes.


 


The big problem right now is the mitts. I'm not a fan of the chenille "noodle" type mitts either - I've used them and I find them tough to fully clean, awkward and weighty on the hand, and hard to tell how well and where I'm really making contact with the car. The sheepskin mitts like the CarPro are a little scary since they're quite expensive and I'll need mulitples, seem hard to clean, and overally are just high maintenance.


 


I saw good feedback on various forums on Meguiar's latest microfiber wash mitt ( http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000RXKR6M ) saying that it became extremely soft once soaked and didn't leave any marring behind. Plus they're only five bucks, so it would be cheap to have a dedicated lower panel and higher panel mitt. So if anyone here has feedback on those, that would be good.


 


For ONR, people seemed to swear buy the two dollar Lowe's Proline grout sponges, but apparently those got discontinued within the past month or two (go figure) and all the stores are out of stock. So I'm at a total loss as for what to get for a dedicated ONR mitt.


 


Anyway, here's where I'm at so far for supplies:


 
Hardware
<ul>[*]Encore Plastics 5 gallon buckets - (2) * $2.78 - http://www.lowes.com/pd_211826-1152-57640_0 
[*]Grit guards - (2) * $8.65 - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000N3W8J0/
[*]Bon-Aire Ultimate Hose Nozzle - $19.93 - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0001L0DFA/
[/list]Mitts/cloths
<ul>[*]16 x 16 Detail Master Pro Eagle Edgeless microfiber (for ONR drying and general use) - (5) * $4.90 - http://www.theragcompany.com/16-x-16-DETAIL-MASTER-PRO-Eagle-Edgeless-Orange-41012-1616-O-EL.htm
[*]20 x 40 Dry Me a River Jr. waffle weave microfiber (general/two bucket wash drying) - (1) * $8.95 - http://www.theragcompany.com/Dry-Me-A-River-Jr-20-x-40-Premium-Microfiber-Waffle-Weave-42009-2040.htm
[*]Wash mitt for top half - (1) * $??.??
[*]Wash mitt for bottom half - (1) * $??.??
[*]Wash mitt for ONR washes - (1) * $??.??
[/list]Washes/chemicals
<ul>[*]Duragloss 901 - (1) * $6.88 - http://www.amazon.com/Duragloss-901-Red-Wash-Concentrate/dp/B002W15BVS
[*]Optimum No Rinse - (1) * $16.95 - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00D8DR0AO/
[/list]
 
Not to sure how far you want to get into this - but I would recommend getting an inexpensive electric pressure washer. Pressure washing will remove a significant amount of abrasive dirt from the paint before you touch it (more than a hose). I've tested this myself - it's quite noticeable on wheels.

The cleaner the paint is before you touch it, the less potential for abrasion of the paint you will have during the wash process. I never touch paint with any type of soap before pressure washing any removable dirt off of it.

This of course, is more time and hassle than simply using a hose. So, it depends how deep you want to get into it. But, next to the 2 bucket method & technique - I think pressure washing makes the biggest difference in decreasing marring... Much more than any specific soap or wash media.
 
+1 on the pressure washer to remove much if not all of the gritty soil before touching the paint.


 


The CarPro mitts are not difficult to care for because they are not a total closed mitt---simply rinse well after use--press dry in a thick terry towel--place on a grit guard to dry and when dry brush with a dog brush you can get at the dollar store.  While expensive (compared to the Megs MF mitt) they really go a long way to avoid marring while washing.   The net hand pocket allows you to just lightly move the mitt over the paint with little to no pressure and they release dirt well.  The fibers are very long and soft.   I find the fibers in the Megs mitt to be too short and stiff for my tastes.


 


For rinseless washing I've never been able to bring myself to using a grout sponge no matter how soft--just seems to me it could easily trap a piece of grit between the sponge and the paint.


 


I've had great success with these mitts   http://www.theragcompany.com/DETAIL-MASTER-Auto-Mitt-for-Dusting-Polishing-and-Buffing-41001-MITT-AU-T.htm  I remove the threads that create the "finger pockets" and insert any grout sponge into the mitt which allows me to control the amount of rinseless solution I apply to the surface.  And they are inexpensive enough to buy a few so you can change mitts as they soil (easy to move the grout sponge from mitt to mitt)--then just throw them in the washing machine afterwards.    As a matter of fact if you really don't want to use sheepskin mitts for full washes these would be better than the Meg's mitts--the fibers are longer and softer than the Megs.
 
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