What do you use to wash your car?

I

imported_Jinba ittai

New member
It's time to give the new paint it's first bath. I've used the "Zaino" method and wash the car with 100% cotton towels. I use one towel for each part of the car (ie; top, hood and trunk, sides and lower part, wheels, wheelwells). I've liked the towels because they get nice and soapy, rinse and clean well. I employ the "2 bucket method" and rinse the towels and buckets out frequently. Seems to work well but I'm curious what others use and want to make sure I'm doing things correctly.
 
I use NXT soap for the car soap.

Two buckets: one soapy water, one rinse water. Rinse bucket has a GritGuard at the bottom.

I use a MF mitt to wash with, and two WWs to dry.
 
Sheepskin Mitt for washing// and Absorber or WW or Chamois for drying. I really like Zaino wash when using Zaino stuff. I also like QEW when needed, TOL Bubble Bath when I don't want to strip anywax or I'm using a different sealant than Zaino, and Z7/Dawn mix when I want to strip. I don't use a two bucket method, I just use one bucket for all of the painted surface, and specific self sudsing brushes for wheels/tires/moldings. The one must have item is the sheepskin mitt.



http://www.autopia-carcare.com/vk-103.html
 
Shampoo: Meguiar's Gold Class

Buckets: Two-bucket method: Soap & Rinse with Gritguard

Mitts: Hehe... I have all 3 (sheepskin, chenille, and microfiber)

Drying: Will use two waffle weaves now instead of Absorber, which is now optional depending on the car... hehe. MF's for everything else.
 
I use a 2 bucket QEW method (1 gallon of QEW in one bucket, 5 gal. water in rinse bucket). Chenille-covered wash pad for the QEW, one or two of Meguiar's new terry cotton towels for the initial drying pass, followed by a Pakshak WW for final drying.
 
Personally, I use a sheepskin mitt for all but the wheels/tires and lowest part of the car. I use two older chenille mitts for those areas.



I rotate between Z7, 1Z Perls, Griots Wash, and Poorboys Super Slick Suds as my wash soap.



I use the nozzle-less rinse method and two waffle weave towels to dry.
 
Hmm..I notice the sheepskin mitt is popular and I can order it directly from here. Sounds like a nice thing to use but I won't have time before my first wash (planning on this Wednesday) though. Will the towels be sufficient for washing until I can get a sheepskin mitt?



I guess I could pick one up at the local Autozone but something tells me the quality won't be the same.
 
Jinba: I have had a couple of mitts from online vendors and the quality, for all practical purposes, is the same as the $5 Eurow mitts from Wal-Mart.
 
* Mcguiars GC shampoo or Dawn when needs to strip all down. Zymol wheel cleaner for wheels.

* Sheepskin wash mitt for body, soft wheel brush for wheels, a bit harder brush for tires

* karcher pressure washer

* CWB followed by WW to wipe & dry the body. Used cotton hand towels for door jams, wheels, under hood, under the grill, all hard to reach places
 
I use Nxt Generation car wash which is my new fav. I also have use Gold Class and 1Z perls.



Same two bucket method as everyone else. Nothing but sheepskin eurow mitts touch my car. Over time I just outgrew the chenile.
 
NXT Gen wash, sometimes a two bucket method with two sheepskin mitts if the surface is real dirty. Usually its one bucket one mitt, followed by a Megs WW or Viking MF towel. I source the mitts at wal-mart cuz i am cheap....
 
loco said:
Personally, I use a sheepskin mitt for all but the wheels/tires and lowest part of the car. I use two older chenille mitts for those areas.



I rotate between Z7, 1Z Perls, Griots Wash, and Poorboys Super Slick Suds as my wash soap.



I use the nozzle-less rinse method and two waffle weave towels to dry.
Click to expand...



I use almost exactly the same method/products. Sheepskin mitt, old chenille mitts for wheels and tires, and a brush for fenderwells and undercarriage. I use Poorboys Super Slick Suds for washing and 2 waffle weave MF towels for drying. Works great.
 
Megs Gold Class or Sonax Gloss Shampoo (for the moment anyway!), sheepskin mitt, two bucket method (unless I'm rewashing after claying in which case I'll only use one), and a WW to dry. Used to use a water blade as well but since becoming more Autopian they now put the fear in me!



Ben
 
Shampoo Currently Half and Half mix of 1z Perls and Sonax Gloss



Buckets Two Bucket Method for paint, plus an additional bucket for wheels and undercarrige use only (marked so I dont use it for other jobs)



Tools Lambswool Mitts for the paint, one upper, one lower body. Wheels Cotton Wash pad and a soft wheel brush.



Rinse Autoglym Autogloss Rinse spray and Sheet water with nozzle less hosepipe



Drying Large Waffle Weave Pakshak towel, Smaller Microfiber Texh WW towel. 1 Autoglym Synthetic Chamios for door shuts and Glass. 1 older one for wheels and well/arches.
 
I use QEW and 1z Perls



2 x bucket method



2 x sheepskin mitts ( one good, one older one for rims etc )



1 x brush for wheels



1 x CWB



1 x WW
 
QEW and sheepskin mitt with an older mitt for the lower body. Brush for wheels and wheel wells with an even older mitt for wiping the wheels. I use GC for a hose wash.
 
Shampoo: Perls or Z7 (depends on the car) for body of car and Gold Class or Exclusiv for wheels



Tools: MF mitt or sheepskin mitt for body....sponge for wheels (including the inside as I stick in between spokes) and the inside of the wheel wells. I know I will get flamed for the sponge but our cars produce an enormous amount of brake dust and I donâ€â„¢t use any type of wheel cleaner except car shampoo and the sheepskin and/or cotton mitts just do not rinse well. The sponge works great.



Two buckets (approximately 5 gal.). For the body of the car and one bucket for the wheels (rinse sponge outside of bucket using hose). I dry using two waffle weave MF.
 
Two bucket, sheepskin, OXO wheel brush , assorted "spoke" brushes. (My new Meg's "paint safe" wash brush has become a wheel brush now...very nice for that use....)



Soaps: Cherry Espuma and Hawaiian Shine (a bit "thinner", with some silicone but basically CE) have replaced NXT and GC for me even though both Meg's are excellent OTC soaps.

QEW occasionally when suds not possible.

Spray and Wipe if only dusty.



Dry: Large blue MF's from Wal-Mart, etc. Two per vehicle...

Used to use WW...spot free windows, etc. but not needed for that anymore since finding these two "El Paso" soaps. No joke.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top