trying to speed up my washing

V

vettefan67

New member
I have a couple of different areas of my car that have scratched plastic. One is on the door sills from careless drivers/passengers getting in and stepping on the plastic. Most of the scratches are very small ones from dirt, but some are almost 1/2 mm deep.



The other type of plastic is smooth, matte plastic of my center armest console. The scratches on this are extremely minor ones that don't need much abrasion at all to fix.



Question: What can I do? I'm tempted to wetsand the plastic doorsill (threshold?) with 800 grit sandpaper at the scratched areas and then go up to 1000 and higher if it works. But then what can I use to restore the lustre to the area? I was considering a rubbing compound but I'm not sure. Suggestions?



Thanks,

puterbum
 
i remember readin an old post....in the archives about lambs wool...or a special wool to do the sanding....for plastic...i cant remeber who said it and i cant find it now...maybe you can....anyway that and i know that i had asked Brad about headlight scrathces once and he said he uses 3m finesseit....i know your plastic probably has some coatings on it if its on the interior but maybe you could use this for the less deep ones....HTH...sorry i couldnt come up with nothing else dood....:(
 
Hey, thanks for the reply FLONI. I'll try SMR then rubbing compound if I can find some of this plastic that's in a very inconspicuous place. Anyone else have experience with this?
 
1 time i had to find some plastic to test something and i used the plastic thats on the back side of my leather seats...way at the bottom...almost under the back of the seat...i dont know your interior but maybe u have sumthin similar...also...try the inner par of the door pockets...the little things on the sides of the passenger/drivers doors...i used the inner part thats used for amps etcc...HTH
 
iv been washing my car alot and i would like to speed up my washing with out cutting corners..

i would like to know what you guys and girls are doing/using.

step by step.

1. i pre risn the car/wheels (just water)
2. spray wheels/tyres with (egale one all wheel cleaner)
3. i use megs gold class sampoo and hand wash top-bottom
4. spray the car down with water
5. dry
 
If you want fast, do an ONR wash, otherwise there isn't much you can do with your method except HUSTLE! :sarge

How do you dry? Perhaps try a California blade and then blot the rest?
 
ONR wash! I can wash my full-size sedan in 10 minutes. Dry in 5.

That's pretty quick.

It's a "rinseless" wash product that takes away the hose.

I almost always use it on my customer's cars, when time is at a premium. Especially when I'm starting a detail at 6 in the morning and want to get it done before it gets really HOT around noon!:wink:

It does some getting used to, and there's a learning curve, but after a few times, I learned to love it.:rockon:
 
Here is a video Scottwax made a while back,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYOAyxsEIuQ

Scott does it like this using a single bucket,

1)Wipe thoroughly with dripping wash mitt
2)Dry once with terry cloth
3)Dry twice with microfiber cloth

Here is how I do mine using two buckets,

1)Pretreat with QD strength ONR in a spray bottle
2)Wipe thoroughly with dripping wash mitt
3)Quick wipe with California blade
4)Blot remainder with microfiber towel


It sounds crazy, but its actually a quicker, cleaner, safer wash.
 
Here is a video Scottwax made a while back,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYOAyxsEIuQ

Scott does it like this using a single bucket,

1)Wipe thoroughly with dripping wash mitt
2)Dry once with terry cloth
3)Dry twice with microfiber cloth

Here is how I do mine using two buckets,

1)Pretreat with QD strength ONR in a spray bottle
2)Wipe thoroughly with dripping wash mitt
3)Quick wipe with California blade
4)Blot remainder with microfiber towel


It sounds crazy, but its actually a quicker, cleaner, safer wash.
__________________
Connor Harrison
Click to expand...

^^^ Yes. ^^^:)
 
I've been using ONR for about 9 months now, but I've got mixed opinions.

I do like it as a QD, however, when I use it as a wash, I seem to add scratches - not a lot, but enough to bother me. I started using in the winter (in Ohio) as an alternative to a traditional wash.

When I wash with ONR, I use the two bucket method and grit guards. I use high quality MFs and a sheepskin wash mit or MF wash mit. I do it exactly as the video shows (except I wash and dry in vertical directions on the sides and horizontal on the hood/roof).

Maybe I'm missing something, but I think if I did the same thing as they guy did in the video to a dirty black car, I would have to be swirling the paint? Am I doing something wrong?

Also, I've noticed when using ONR, my wash mitt holds a lot more dirt than when with traditional soap - making it more difficult to rinse clean in the 2nd bucket?

I have no issues at all with traditional soap wash and two bucket method... No scratches or swirls at all.

Maybe you guys can give me some direction?
 
The only thing that will speed you up is working in the late evening or early morning when the paint is cool and the sun is not beating down on you. I also find that when I work during these times, I can actually wash the whole car from top to bottom and rinse all at once. I don't have to do one section and then rinse.
 
95formula, the only step I might consider cutting out is pre rinsing the entire car if you start with the wheels. I don't run the risk of water spots on the paint while I spend about 15 minutes on the wheels first. I then pre rinse the paint just before I soap it up.

Lanzo, try very very light pressure with ONR. Are the scratches from the wash or the dry?
 
Puckman,

I think the scratches are from the washing with ONR.

My drying technique is basically to lay a MF towel on the wet surface and lightly blot dry. I don't drag the towel across the surface.

Maybe I am attempting to wash with ONR when my car is too dirty?

I have pretty much quit using ONR as a wash and only use it as a quick detailer.
 
lanzo

I think 2 things are happening to cause your srcatches. One is (you already said it)your letting the vehicle get too dirty for a waterless product. 2, your sponges or mitts are collecting too much dirt.

I know exactly what you mean about the ONR making your mitts dirty . Thats happened to me too .They need to be Washed out with a stronger detergent .

Wash you car more often and keep your mitts clean and I beleive your problem will be solved.
 
Lanzo said:
I've been using ONR for about 9 months now, but I've got mixed opinions.

I do like it as a QD, however, when I use it as a wash, I seem to add scratches - not a lot, but enough to bother me. I started using in the winter (in Ohio) as an alternative to a traditional wash.
Click to expand...

Ohio winters are where I prefer a traditional wet wash in order to blast the nooks and crannies and wash the junk down the drain. Then again, I'm working in a heated garage with drains. Everyone can't.

I had a sprayer filled with a stronger mix for clay lube and grabbed the bottle by mistake once to use as a QD. It actually worked better at that strength, especially if the vehicle is a bit dirtier than you'd usually use a QD on.

Lanzo said:
When I wash with ONR, I use the two bucket method and grit guards. I use high quality MFs and a sheepskin wash mit or MF wash mit. I do it exactly as the video shows (except I wash and dry in vertical directions on the sides and horizontal on the hood/roof).

Maybe I'm missing something, but I think if I did the same thing as they guy did in the video to a dirty black car, I would have to be swirling the paint? Am I doing something wrong?
Click to expand...

My first experiment with ONR was on a recently polished, winter-dirty black Hyundai. As I was only expecting to do a fender or so for a look-see I used one bucket and a MF, dreadlock mitt. One thing lead to another and I eventually had the whole car done and a resultant putredly black bucket of ONR. Also ended up with an almost black mitt full of ONR residue. Even under those circumstances I had no marring except on the extremely soft plastic painted parts. And that marring was minimal.

Lanzo said:
Also, I've noticed when using ONR, my wash mitt holds a lot more dirt than when with traditional soap - making it more difficult to rinse clean in the 2nd bucket?
Click to expand...

Under most circumstances I have no use for a sponge when washing a vehicle. However, after seeing numerous people touting the Proline Grout Sponge from Lowe's for ONR use I picked one up for a try. Perfect! It glides over the surfaces, holds the crud and rinses clean without the ONR residue. I recommend it.

I still prefer a traditional wet wash unless the car isn't really dirty enough to drag out the hose. IME, the difference in time using ONR is minimal. I find myself spending more time than usual doing wheel wells, wheels and tires with ONR. Still, the stuff has it's uses.

Contrary to what the rest of the world seems to do, I picked up some 4 gallon buckets at a Paint & Wallpaper store... they usually contain 50 lbs of drywall mud. The difference is noticeable when you have to lug a couple of full buckets around the garage unless you've got a wheeled caddy. I now use my 5 gallon buckets strictly for ONR. I mix up a double batch and keep a lid on it when not in use. When the level gets down towards the grit guard it's time to mix up another batch. The other 5 gal bucket is used for rinsing so I only have to deal with prepping 1 bucket for an ONR wash becuase the other one is always ready to go.

TL
 
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