Spending $200 a month at the car wash HELPPPP!!!

[LGHT]

I give him 6 months before he has a polisher, pads, towels, two buckets, etc, etc, etc... lol

6 months? Wow your not giving me much credit. I was looking at the $250 Griots Orbital and was thinking hey If I had that I wouldn`t have to pay a guy to detail the 2 cars that really need it!!!

 

[LGHT]

Thanks for the heads up that it works with the BOSS Foam system. That`s the Pressure Washer I got after reading that thread as well.

Absolutely love having an electric washer after borrowing peoples gas ones that either never run right or have issues with the pump (even though they were owned by folks that tend to take care of their stuff). And it`s been plenty powerful for what I`m using it for. Even stripped DeckOver off of my deck with the turbo nozzle with ease, but didn`t hammer the wood below. Has also been a champ for degreasing belly pans, etc at work.



If saving time is the name of the game, I would take the approach of: Foam with the Surface wash, rinse, evaluate: Surface film left? Proceed to rinseless wash using the multi-media (*sigh* Garry Dean Wash Method) approach.
Between the pressurized foam application and a pressure rinse, you`d figure the grit should be blasted off so you wouldn`t have to go to great lengths (rinse, re-foam, bucket wash) to still safely wash without worrying about wash-induced-marring.

I know waterless washing is perfectly safe, but having very little experience with it I like the peace of mind that comes with a rinseless.

If you still wanted to apply the Poly Gloss after, you could: Poly Gloss Foam, Rinse, Matador dry.

So if the car didn`t get "really clean" after the rinse, foam and re-rinse your saying follow up with the Gary Dean instead of the 2 bucket? I think it the car was really dirty "my truck after a month of neglect" I wouldn`t trust that method of cleaning and would think only the 2 bucket would work. Is that not correct?

 

[mobiledynamics]

I`m actually a Master CBJ

Howdie. While the machine doesn`t make the man, I went overboard this summer. Sold old things. Got new things. Kalamazoo , Summit Charcoal and a PK Grill 360 ! Heh, I think before September, I would have convined myself to get the Otto Griller

 

[DaveT435]

6 months? Wow your not giving me much credit. I was looking at the $250 Griots Orbital and was thinking hey If I had that I wouldn`t have to pay a guy to detail the 2 cars that really need it!!!

Holding out 6 weeks was giving you a lot of credit. Looking like you`re not going to make it that long. Actually it is a great hobby. Many like myself find it very therapeutic.

 

[Older]

Wow so much to learn and take in. I`ve never done a "Garry Dean" before. Usually I just rinse really well with my jet hose now and hand wash with the 2 buckets and dry with clean towels. Then I hand wax if I notice it`s not beading very well.

The goal of the cannon is to 1 save time and also money. Since 2 of 4 cars are always garaged they never get that bad and luckily I`m in So cal so I never get snow and almost no rain especially this time of year. I just use one of those dusters to get the dust off weekly and then off to the car wash every other week. I essentially want making a wash every other week at home, but use the cannon so I can skip the buckets even though I"ll still hand dry for now. I know I"ll have to bust out the buckets, but hopefully not that often. Since my cannon won`t arrive for a few weeks I`ll have to wait and see how bad the cleaning is and if I need to foam and bucket wash.



Yeah I meant wax. The "chemical guy" at my local shop suggested I wax every 3-4 washes and strip with citrus every 10 wash and reapply a seal and then wax over. This is basically what I ask the car wash to do and it seems to work, but they use mcguires the last time they waxed it.


That`s odd because when I called the online shop (they don`t sell them in my local store) they said after 90 days I deal with the manufacturer. I guess it`s different if you walk in a buy it??

I’ve never dealt with the online store. Interesting.

 

[Older]

So if the car didn`t get "really clean" after the rinse, foam and re-rinse your saying follow up with the Gary Dean instead of the 2 bucket? I think it the car was really dirty "my truck after a month of neglect" I wouldn`t trust that method of cleaning and would think only the 2 bucket would work. Is that not correct?

I was thinking if I thought the car was too dirty for just the foam, rinse, PolyGloss, rinse routine that I would get my mitt, (foam it), and run it over the surface during the foam stage of the wash.

I got rained on a little today and I think I`ll try that when I wash, either tomorrow or Friday.

 

[LGHT]

Howdie. While the machine doesn`t make the man, I went overboard this summer. Sold old things. Got new things. Kalamazoo , Summit Charcoal and a PK Grill 360 ! Heh, I think before September, I would have convined myself to get the Otto Griller

I`m in the same boat although I`ve been buying / selling for close to 30 years now... Current stock is a 18" WSM with Pro-Q center attachment and rotisserie, 10 year old GMG Jim bowie with pizza oven, that still cooks like it did on day 1, and a nice char broil infra red grill. I would love to get an Otto, but for that price I almost bought a used Wolf Salamander that put out an amazing 50,000 BTU compared to Ottos at 18,500...

 

[LGHT]

I was thinking if I thought the car was too dirty for just the foam, rinse, PolyGloss, rinse routine that I would get my mitt, (foam it), and run it over the surface during the foam stage of the wash.

I got rained on a little today and I think I`ll try that when I wash, either tomorrow or Friday.

Exactly what I`m planning, but do you think a quick "pre rinse" with the pressure washer is necessary or just go straight to foam? I also think I can just use 2 mits and go over the car once without having to rinse and clean which would eliminate the need for a soap and rinse bucket altogether?

 

[Oneheadlite]

If you’re going to be using the BOSS foams, they recommend not pre rinsing as it reduces the ability of the foam to cling/clean.

I also don’t get the impression that, although it’s foamy, the BOSS foams were designed with the intention of using them like a “traditional” foam of standard car soap prior to bucket washing. Again, just my impression, but it seems like the BOSS foam focus is to dwell and break down dirt, not to provide lubrication for a bucket wash. Hence their recommendation to follow with a normal wash (bucket/waterless/rinseless) if the Surface Wash didn’t get the car completely clean.

 

[Oneheadlite]

So if the car didn`t get "really clean" after the rinse, foam and re-rinse your saying follow up with the Gary Dean instead of the 2 bucket? I think it the car was really dirty "my truck after a month of neglect" I wouldn`t trust that method of cleaning and would think only the 2 bucket would work. Is that not correct?

In your first post you mention washing the cars each weekend, so I was banking on < a month of neglect to be cleaning off.

I need to find the post, but either here or on Autogeek, member PDQGP (TTQB4U @ AG) has a picture of the condition of his (pure) black cars during an Ohio winter where he safely performs rinseless washes without damage. Adding in the BOSS foam processes beforehand should theoretically drop the physical grit off making a rinseless plenty safe.

I have the starter kit on the shelf at home, and have been dying to put it to the test. I’ve been leaving my daily driver in road warrior (read, non-autopian) condition to put it to the torture test of how much it will remove, and how a post foam rinseless goes.

When end I have a chance to do it, I’ll be sharing with the class for sure! Just waiting for my fitting.

***Edit: Found one of the threads where he posted the pictures, but looks like they disappeared in the Photobucket thing where they don’t work anymore. Maybe he can chime in if he sees this.

One other thought is that faster maintenance washes/less contact required comes with well prepped paint. My wife’s car which has had much more recent correction and LSP’ing is noticeably easier/faster to wash than mine (which is due for a reboot).

 

[Accumulator]

Wow so much to learn and take in...

Yes indeed. Doing this stuff right isn`t *NEARLY* as simple as most would think.

How much time/effort did it take you to learn how to cook? Phrasing it that way "how to cook" oversimplifies it to the point of insult, huh?!? IMO it`s the same with "how to wash the car".

The goal of the cannon is to 1 save time and also money.

Uh-oh..."saving time" makes me nervous.

..I just use one of those dusters to get the dust off weekly..

Those things are the Devil because they mar paint by dragging potentially abrasive stuff across it under a degree of pressure and without any flushing or lubrication.

The "chemical guy" at my local shop suggested I wax every 3-4 washes and strip with citrus every 10 wash and reapply a seal and then wax over.

IMO that [individual] is not credible.

That`s odd because when I called the online shop (they don`t sell them in my local store) they said after 90 days I deal with the manufacturer. I guess it`s different if you walk in a buy it??

Different people/companies are just different. At *ANY* company, there`s somebody who can do whatever he wants to do, including making sure you`re satisfied regardless of company policy/etc. Not always easy to get things to work out that way though.

 

[LGHT]

If you’re going to be using the BOSS foams, they recommend not pre rinsing as it reduces the ability of the foam to cling/clean.

I also don’t get the impression that, although it’s foamy, the BOSS foams were designed with the intention of using them like a “traditional” foam of standard car soap prior to bucket washing. Again, just my impression, but it seems like the BOSS foam focus is to dwell and break down dirt, not to provide lubrication for a bucket wash. Hence their recommendation to follow with a normal wash (bucket/waterless/rinseless) if the Surface Wash didn’t get the car completely clean.

Really your not supposed to rinse the car first? What about using the pre-wash that they was selling, but stopped because of the bottle issue? Most of what I was planning on doing was following there system to do the pre-wash, foam, and rinse. Not it seems like they don`t want a pre-wash which seems odd...

As for doing a car each weekend I planned on doing 1 of the 4 each weekend so it will still be a month between washes. 2 of the cars are always garaged and not driven daily so I was hoping those 2 would be quick and easy. The other 2 may need a full wash.

 

[LGHT]

Yes indeed. Doing this stuff right isn`t *NEARLY* as simple as most would think.
Uh-oh..."saving time" makes me nervous.

Is trying to save time a bad thing? Or just dangerous if not done properly?

Those things are the Devil because they mar paint by dragging potentially abrasive stuff across it under a degree of pressure and without any flushing or lubrication.

Even though it`s really light and supposed to help, by pulling the dust off? I`m not talking about one of those heavy mop this is a really light duster that puts no pressure on the car and seems to pull dust away.

 

[Lonnie]

Holding out 6 weeks was giving you a lot of credit. Looking like you`re not going to make it that long. Actually it is a great hobby. Many like myself find it very therapeutic.

Absolutely spot-on about the therapeutic part, UNTIL the Obsessive-Compulsive Detailer (OCD) sets in, and someone points out there is fine line between "dedication, patience, and commitment" and "just mentally (fill in the blank with your own expletive) insane". I`d LIKE to think of myself as the former, but when you start to look at the "capital investment" you have in detailing equipment and car-care chemicals, not to mention your free time I can see WHY some think the latter part.
Like any hobby, though, you can spend a lot of money and time on it. I find it difficult to justify being a Great Lakes fisher-person with a BIG boat, truck to get it there, and all the fishing equipment, fishing licenses and specific fish stamps, when I can go to the local commercial Great Lakes fishing market, and buy the SAME fish they will catch for about 20% of what it cost them to catch (IF they catch them at all!). Yes, but it`s the sport that counts.
So when someone "dings" me about the money and time I spend on detailing, I give them the above scenario. OR I can trade them a wash-and-wax job on their truck for some fresh lake trout or salmon. We both benefit!

 

[Accumulator]

Is trying to save time a bad thing? Or just dangerous if not done properly?

Sorta in-between IMO since there`s a definite limit to how much you can speed up certain processes without impacting the results. OF COURSE I really ought repeat my disclaimer that nothing matters unless it matters to *YOU*. Just because I`m all serious about wash-induced marring that doesn`t mean anybody else oughta be!

Eh, it`s just like...[searching for analogy...], what if somebody told you,regarding some meal you spent hours preparing.."hey, that was good! But I need to be able to prepare that in under 30 minutes...and I`m planning on next week." Heh heh, that analogy is not as silly as it might sound!



Even though it`s really light and supposed to help, by pulling the dust off? I`m not talking about one of those heavy mop this is a really light duster that puts no pressure on the car and seems to pull dust away.[/QUOTE]

I know, but it`s still "dry dusting" and moving [stuff] across autopaint that way will damage it. Perhaps only microscopically, but even that kind of thing eventually adds up. [REPEAT validity of "who cares what Accumulator`s standards are, for me it`s fine"; I`m just sayin` how it is, that doesn`t mean it needs to matter to anybody else ]

 

[Oneheadlite]

Really your not supposed to rinse the car first? What about using the pre-wash that they was selling, but stopped because of the bottle issue? Most of what I was planning on doing was following there system to do the pre-wash, foam, and rinse. Not it seems like they don`t want a pre-wash which seems odd...

A pre-rinse is different than a pre-wash with the Foaming Surface Prep.

My recommendation against the pre-rinse is from something I read from a Griot`s rep on their site where someone asked about that approach. I`m at work, so I don`t have time at the moment to dig through the different products to see where I saw that. But, it makes sense if you think about it - If you have a wet surface, when you spray a foam onto it it will mix with that liquid and want to succumb to gravity. If you have a dry surface with a layer of dirt, that gives the foam something to adhere to and allow it to work.

I fully acknowledge the logic behind wanting to pre-rinse before washing, but this is slightly different from a standard mechanical (physical contact) wash. And again - even they admit to the fact that bonded contaminants are bonded contaminants which may require a follow up (physical) wash to remove.

One other thought about the Surface Prep (the high ph pre-wash) - In the information Brownie supplied in the BOSS Foaming thread, and on their website when they had the complete info up, it says right in there: "Foaming Surface Prep has a high ph blend of detergents and other advanced active ingredients that deliver an intense cleaning action that softens road film and organic contaminants, and leaves the surface free of waxes and sealants."

They don`t hide that it will likely remove your LSP, so you should plan on reapplying after using. If you had a coating instead of a wax or sealant, it could work to remove contaminants and restore it`s performance, or it could alter it as well. I had Surface Prep on order (didn`t receive, but I`ll reorder when it returns to market) with the intention of using it to deep clean before performing a paint correction and LSP application.

As for doing a car each weekend I planned on doing 1 of the 4 each weekend so it will still be a month between washes. 2 of the cars are always garaged and not driven daily so I was hoping those 2 would be quick and easy. The other 2 may need a full wash.

For the daily drivers, the BOSS system would help promote safe washing, but I wouldn`t be surprised if you`re left with film that would require a mechanical wash after foaming. But, this is speculation until I get a chance to try it. Just trying to set realistic expectations based on what I`ve read from them.

 

[LGHT]

Absolutely spot-on about the therapeutic part, UNTIL the Obsessive-Compulsive Detailer (OCD) sets in, and someone points out there is fine line between "dedication, patience, and commitment" and "just mentally (fill in the blank with your own expletive) insane". I`d LIKE to think of myself as the former, but when you start to look at the "capital investment" you have in detailing equipment and car-care chemicals, not to mention your free time I can see WHY some think the latter part.
Like any hobby, though, you can spend a lot of money and time on it. I find it difficult to justify being a Great Lakes fisher-person with a BIG boat, truck to get it there, and all the fishing equipment, fishing licenses and specific fish stamps, when I can go to the local commercial Great Lakes fishing market, and buy the SAME fish they will catch for about 20% of what it cost them to catch (IF they catch them at all!). Yes, but it`s the sport that counts.
So when someone "dings" me about the money and time I spend on detailing, I give them the above scenario. OR I can trade them a wash-and-wax job on their truck for some fresh lake trout or salmon. We both benefit!

A fellow fisherman??? Hahah noticed the Pelagic sticker on my box in the garage? I used to Tuna fish a LOT before the kids came along and have since given up that hobby because it`s expensive and takes me away from home about 20 days a year. I actually got the green light on buying detailing stuff because I told my wife we spend about $2400 a year washing cars so I have a good budget to work with as long as I spread my purchases out a little lol... I had the same problem buying starbucks coffee twice a day every day and so did the wife. Now I have a huge fancy espresso machine at home a small one at the office several pour overs, and a yamma on the wall.... I have a feeling i`m going to need all the caffeine I can get having to get up before the kids on weekends to wash a car, but I also find it somewhat relaxing and rewarding.

 

[LGHT]

Sorta in-between IMO since there`s a definite limit to how much you can speed up certain processes without impacting the results. OF COURSE I really ought repeat my disclaimer that nothing matters unless it matters to *YOU*. Just because I`m all serious about wash-induced marring that doesn`t mean anybody else oughta be!

Eh, it`s just like...[searching for analogy...], what if somebody told you,regarding some meal you spent hours preparing.."hey, that was good! But I need to be able to prepare that in under 30 minutes...and I`m planning on next week." Heh heh, that analogy is not as silly as it might sound!

I know, but it`s still "dry dusting" and moving [stuff] across autopaint that way will damage it. Perhaps only microscopically, but even that kind of thing eventually adds up. [REPEAT validity of "who cares what Accumulator`s standards are, for me it`s fine"; I`m just sayin` how it is, that doesn`t mean it needs to matter to anybody else ]

Well I guess I have a few years before the OCD sets in, but thanks for the tips on the duster it really didn`t do that good of a job anyway so I`ll just toss it. Hopefully after a good "reboot" the car won`t attract so much dust. I actually read if you wax too much it becomes "sticky" so that may be the problem also.

 

[Accumulator]

I...find it somewhat relaxing and rewarding.

That`s good, hope you keep it that way and don`t let the Curse of Autopia (where everything has to be perfect...sorta sounds like we`re that way at times, doesn`t it?!? Not realistic..) take the enjoyment out of it.

 

[Accumulator]

Hopefully after a good "reboot" the car won`t attract so much dust. I actually read if you wax too much it becomes "sticky" so that may be the problem also.

Use the right stuff and that "stickiness" won`t be a problem. I`ve found that the dust simply isn`t an issue now that I`m waxing with FK1000P, and a rain (does it *ever* rain out there?!?) basically rinses it clean..not "Autopian clean", but "normal person clean".