best way to wash your car. (1 Viewer)

[BradleyS.]

Whats the best way to go about washing a car? I have tried the car wash with their spot free rinse. I tried washing with soap and water at my house and used a shammy to dry. I keep getting the water spots or soap scum on my car. is there a special solvent or something I can use to eliminate this?

 

[Michael X]

It kind of depends on the finish of the car. Most new cars have such a nice paint job and clearcoat that just washing with any good automotive car wash (don't use anything else, like dishwashing detergent!) and a bucket of water with the hose is all you need. Older cars and those with second paintjobs sometimes require waxing to keep the finish slick and spot free. Wash from the roof downward, and rinse every so often as you go to prevent any soap drying. Be sure to rinse VERY well since you say it appears to be soap drying on the surface. It's also preferable to wash a vehicle in the shade, when the engine is cool or cold, not right after driving in the middle of a hot day in direct sunlight. Your spot problem might be caused by either the wash you're using, or even the water coming out of the hose. You could try using arm water to rinse with, or those "auto-dry" spot free rinses aren't too bad since they have a water filter attached with the dispenser. There are also special "clay" bars used to remove surface contaminants for severe cases. Be sure to inspect the surface and make sure theres not something causing the water to bead and spot - an everyday vehicle is bound to get all sorts of splats and spots from whatever is flying through the air. Washing alone doesn't always remove these, so you may have to do some spot buffing. If you don't wish to hassle with the problem yourself, a good detail shop or full-service carwash can probably take care of this for you if you tell them about the problem and/or show them the spots. Check their work when done to make sure they've taken care of it.

 

[LewB]

Check out Autotopia
Everything known to mankind about car cleaning is on this web site. Well, almost

 

[BradleyS.]

I have a 2001 chevrolet z-71, the only problem is that its black. The tap water here is worthless, and I dont have a good carwash either. I havent tried washing it in the shade, I usually do it in direct 100 degree sunlight. I try to rinse everything well, but I might try waxing it to see if it cures the problem.

 

[Bryan X]

That is your problem. As the above post says, never wash the car the hot sun like that. If you continue to wash it in 100 degree direct sunlight you'll never get rid of the spots no matter what you try.

 

[Jeff Pryor]

Best way to wash a car....elbow grease. Works every time.

 

[Carl Miller]

This is the best article I've ever seen on washing/drying:

How to wash and dry

Frequent rinsing to keep the car wet while you're washing and doing it in the shade is really the key to preventing water spots...The more shade, the less rinsing you need to do.

The linked article also mentions doing a final rinse from the top down with the nozzle off the hose. When you do this on a clean car the water just sheets right off and leaves very little drying to do. It really works.

 

[Philip_G]

Filtered water should do the trick.
I was amazed to see pictures of a pro detailer washing a black bentley in the hot TX sun one day, turns out he uses RO/DI water so it isn't a problem.
I have an idea that new Mr Clean car wash wand with built in filter would do the trick though.

 

[BradleyS.]

thanks for you help guys, I'll try it out tomorrow and see how it goes.

 

[Scott L]

I like the old fashioned way: wash regularly then towel dry with as many towels necessary. It's pretty easy, just time consuming.

 

[andrew markworthy]

Get someone else to do it.

 

[LewB]

1) Use a soap designed for washing cars. Household stuff will remove the wax.
2) Use a mit/cloth designed for use on cars. Don't use it (or anything else) if you have dropped it on the ground, could scratch finish with a pebble or whatnot.
3) Try for a shady place, if not practical wash/rinse car in sections.
4) Wash from the bottom up. That way you will see where you haven't been.
5) Rinse off the sections right after the soapy wash.
6) use white 100% cotton towels to dry car. Change frequently.
7) Wash the cleaning mits/towels after each use. Avoid fabric softener as it can leave a film on the car.

Those are the basic basics. I'll spare you the stuff about glass/wheel/tire cleaning. As well as the other stuff you can do to keep your car pretty.
I just bought a new car and have been doing a lot of reading on detailing. No such thing as a quick car wash for me anymore. Unless it's winter and I go to the touchless for the 'gold' wash.

 

[Jerry Almeida]

Wax on, wax off. Small circles.

 

[Tim Markley]

I've never heard of anyone doing this. Why would you want dirty water running down over the areas that you've already washed? Washing from the top down is the way to go.

Getting a good polish/wax on your vehicle will make subsequent washes much easier. I only use Zaino products on my cars and hardly anything sticks to it. Rinse it off with the hose and most of the dirt/grime is gone.

 

[aaron campbell]

The Mr.Clean auto wash system is awesome. Just do it in the shade, no need to dry. Spot free everytime.

Aaron

 

[LewB]

Another vote for Zaino. Great stuff !!

 

[Bryan X]

The Mr Clean system does work BUT I only got 2 washes out of the soap and filter which are advertised for 10 washes (I'm not talking about the ones that come with it that are good for only 3, I'm talking about the replacements).

Granted, I'm washing a large vehicle, but still, the filter and soap cost about $5 each. So $10 for two washes is a bit much to pay for the convenience of not having to hand dry.

 

[BradleyS.]

true on the price of the mr. clean system, but any of those laser washes cost more than $5 and they dont even do a good job. I havent tried zaino waxes, but I found some turtle wax in my garage. Is it any good?

 

[Ted Lee]

hmm...i don't think i would do that. not only are you draining dirty water scum onto a clean area, but the bottom of the car is usually the dirtiest (road grime, etc.). if you wash it first, you "gunk up" everything else (water bucket, sponge, etc.) prematurely. but i agree with everything else lew said.

i generally wash my car in sections, making sure to thoroughly spray clean each section before moving on. i do it on a cool day and as soon as i'm done washing it i move it into the garage to dry. i *never* dry in the hot sun ... that's just crazy talk.

 

[LewB]

How's bouts I qualify that by saying:
When washing the sides, do each section from the bottom up.
I haven't used a Turtle wax product since I can't remember when. I have no idea about their products.
BTW, what kind of vehicle we talking about here ?