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

Oneheadlite said:
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.



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.
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Ahh ok I get it know the soap is made to pull the dirt off so water will essentially interfer with that step. I really wish they would post that info on the site where it`s being sold so you know exactly how to use it at instead of having to search on their forum for the info.

As for the pre-wash if it strips wax / sealer then it should only be used when you know your going to apply a LSP then how often should you use it. For example my main focus is my nicer CLS which happens to have a paint job on it less than a year old. I only drive it a few times a week and it sits in the garage when not being driven. I`m in So cal so no hard rains, snow, salt on the roads etc. However it seems to get dusty often because it`s a black car. Do you think a FULL reset every 6 months is ok and a wash every 3?
 
I have a 2 year old Toyota pickup I drive probably twice a week and I wash it once every 2 weeks and it needs it. Those 2 drives are putting close to 200 miles on it. I rinse with the pressure washer and then 2 bucket and never get swirls, etc. my soap bucket never has dirt in it and the rinse bucket has very little dirt except for one time. The vehicle is gonna get dirty if you drive it especially in the summer. The only way it’s not gonna get some crud on it is to put it in a bubble. That would be nice if I could do that. I only clay/polish the paint once a year in the springtime followed by lsp. Save the clearcoat as much as you can. In between spring details if you see something on the paint washing didn’t remove try the clay bar or if necessary spot polish it off. Just sort of play it by ear as to what needs to be done. After 6 months put another coat of wax or sealant on. If you want to put some spray wax on in between the 6 month time frames. Now about that one time. I went on vacation in June to the outer banks (175 mile trip one way) was there for 2 day’s and came back home, spent the night at my home, got up the next morning and went to my aunts funeral. Left the funeral and went straight back to the beach. It rained the whole time coming back for the funeral and going back to the beach. When I got back home when the vacation was over I washed the truck (it didn’t look that dirty). When I was finished washing I looked in the rinse bucket I couldn’t believe my eyes. The water was unbelievable black. It was crazy how much crud was on that truck from driving in all that rain. That was one time a foam cannon probably would’ve helped. Anyway save your 1 year old paint. That’s my thoughts
 
You said you plan on washing once a month? Here`s what I suggest:

1. Monthly maintenance wash, just do a standard 2 Bucket Method (2bm) wash. Look up the Mike Phillips articles, "How to wash your car KISS style!" and "How to wash your car using the two bucket method" to see what I`m talking about. Don`t forget wheels!

2. Every third month (4x a year) reapply your sealant. For this wash I would foam the car down with Surface Prep, pressure rinse it off, then continue with your normal 2bm wash. After you dry, apply your sealant. I`m assuming the sealant is a Wipe On Wipe Off (WOWO) type where you apply with a foam applicator, let it haze, then wipe it off Mr. Miyagi style. I`d apply the sealant to the whole car, work on cleaning the interior while the sealant hazes, then come back with a couple of clean microfiber towels to buff it off.

3. If you are disciplined in doing this, and wash and dry the car gently, you should not have to have the car detailed every year. Every two years (or longer!) you take the car to a professional and have it decontaminated, machine polished, and re-sealed. You only have to do this if the swirls are to the point you can`t stand them anymore or you feel excessive bonded contamination on the paint (look up the "baggy test").

Do you already own the Foaming Surface Prep? If not, I think you could skip it and be fine. Maybe grab some Poorboy`s Bug Squash instead, which you dilute in a simple spray bottle and use it to spot-treat bug and bird bomb before you wash. I still think the pressure washer is a good investment by itself, but only if you are willing to set it up every wash.

I could think of a few other things to spend your money on but these are the basics IMO and should keep things simple. When you start running out of your Chem Guy`s stuff come back and we`ll give you suggestions for some upgrades :)
 
OK let me say there is nothing wrong with having your car detailed annually by a pro. For one there are things they can do that don`t involve machine polishing like removing stubborn contamination or deep cleaning your interior with extractors and such. And two, it`s not like you have to have your car compound-polished every year (compound machine polishing is a more aggressive form of polishing that tackles deeper scratches by removing more clearcoat). They can use light "finishing polishes" or "jeweling waxes" to take out "love marks" or "toweling marks" that build up over time without removing significant amounts of clear. My point is support your local pro detailer, but if you want the paint on your car to last as long as possible you don`t want to be machine polishing frequently.
 
Heh heh, I`d just die if I had to redo my LSP every few months! OK, yeah...I did that for years, but these days? No way.

Just FWIW, and I have an awfully long-term perspective since I plan to keep our current cars forever, any polishing sufficiently aggressive to remove "normal light marring" is still mighty aggressive and I`ve seen (and am living with) the eventual result of doing "just a light refining polish" too frequently. Just shouldn`t be necessary if the wash technique is sorted out and nobody/nothing is touching the car between washes.
 
Fishroes said:
I only clay/polish the paint once a year in the springtime followed by lsp. Save the clearcoat as much as you can. In between spring details if you see something on the paint washing didn’t remove try the clay bar or if necessary spot polish it off. Just sort of play it by ear as to what needs to be done. After 6 months put another coat of wax or sealant on. If you want to put some spray wax on in between the 6 month time frames.
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Ok thanks for the steps. I think I`ve been doing more than I need to so it will be nice to do less especially with the car that doesn`t get used much.
 
DetailZeus said:
You said you plan on washing once a month? Here`s what I suggest:

1. Monthly maintenance wash, just do a standard 2 Bucket Method (2bm) wash. Look up the Mike Phillips articles, "How to wash your car KISS style!" and "How to wash your car using the two bucket method" to see what I`m talking about. Don`t forget wheels!

2. Every third month (4x a year) reapply your sealant. For this wash I would foam the car down with Surface Prep, pressure rinse it off, then continue with your normal 2bm wash. After you dry, apply your sealant. I`m assuming the sealant is a Wipe On Wipe Off (WOWO) type where you apply with a foam applicator, let it haze, then wipe it off Mr. Miyagi style. I`d apply the sealant to the whole car, work on cleaning the interior while the sealant hazes, then come back with a couple of clean microfiber towels to buff it off.

3. If you are disciplined in doing this, and wash and dry the car gently, you should not have to have the car detailed every year. Every two years (or longer!) you take the car to a professional and have it decontaminated, machine polished, and re-sealed. You only have to do this if the swirls are to the point you can`t stand them anymore or you feel excessive bonded contamination on the paint (look up the "baggy test").

Do you already own the Foaming Surface Prep? If not, I think you could skip it and be fine. Maybe grab some Poorboy`s Bug Squash instead, which you dilute in a simple spray bottle and use it to spot-treat bug and bird bomb before you wash. I still think the pressure washer is a good investment by itself, but only if you are willing to set it up every wash.

I could think of a few other things to spend your money on but these are the basics IMO and should keep things simple. When you start running out of your Chem Guy`s stuff come back and we`ll give you suggestions for some upgrades :)
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Sounds like a good long term plan. I don`t currently own the foaming prep stuff, but it`s on the way. One probably I`m having now is the 2 buck process with hand was / seal just takes too long with 4 cars so that`s why I ordered the foam cannon and pressure gun. I hope to get what would take me an hour down to 15-20 minutes so I can do them at home more often and save $$
 
Accumulator said:
LGHT- I`ll be very interested to hear how the GG Foaming System works out for you! Hope it`s just the ticket.
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Yeah I have enough cars to really do some good testing. I already have a spreadsheet setup to document the results and determine the correct steps / process to take based on how dirty the cars are.
 
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