Best...well, everything (in your opinion)?

[Tiberius183]

Ok, now knowing the dangers of automatic car washes, and the hand wash places around here charging an arm and a leg, I think I'm going to start washing my car myself. So, I'm just wondering what the best products are that everyone uses for washing and detailing, as well as what people use to wash with (I'm talking cloth, sponges, etc) that is the most gentle with paint.

 

[nhcowboy28]

The only true advice… virgin microfibers.

Hit the ground…toss it.

Used earlier… toss it. Washing will not pull our small rocks/contaminants out.

That alone will save your paint.

 

[MerlintheMad]

Soft water; distilled water; purified water. Lots of white terrycloth or microfiber cleaning towels (14x28" is a good manageable size, folded three times into a square). I use Optimum No Rinse (ONR) to make cleaning easier, and it protects the paint by bonding to it, making for an easier lubrication while washing, and promotes shine. I wash my car with this method even on road trips: I take my microfiber drying towels and bucket and cleaning towels with me: just get a gallon of distilled water from a grocery store. I'll put six folded towels in the bucket and get them saturated, then lay a pair on the windshield, sunroof and hatch window: work my way a section at a time, top to bottom, wheels last (my favorite part): you flip the cleaning towels to a clean section as soon as you see dirt (never drag a dirty side back across the section): as soon as the towel flips over clean, then you dry with microfiber (my drying towels are 2x3' in size: two of them will dry a whole car easily). Washing each week keeps grime from building up and washing is easy. If weather has completely gunked up your car (e.g., salt and muddy slush from a snow storm), you need to get that off first: find a hand held wand (touchless) car wash to rinse all the filth off first, then finish up with ONR. Obviously, having a garage is a premium advantage. A carport keeps the sun off while you wash. Lacking either, you can still find a shade tree or wash early in the morning or late in the evening: and in the winter, any day above freezing is a good (washing) day.

Oh, and don't forget the vinyl/rubber work gloves; you'll save your hands.

 

[Tiberius183]

Soft water; distilled water; purified water. Lots of white terrycloth or microfiber cleaning towels (14x28" is a good manageable size, folded three times into a square). I use Optimum No Rinse (ONR) to make cleaning easier, and it protects the paint by bonding to it, making for an easier lubrication while washing, and promotes shine. I wash my car with this method even on road trips: I take my microfiber drying towels and bucket and cleaning towels with me: just get a gallon of distilled water from a grocery store. I'll put six folded towels in the bucket and get them saturated, then lay a pair on the windshield, sunroof and hatch window: work my way a section at a time, top to bottom, wheels last (my favorite part): you flip the cleaning towels to a clean section as soon as you see dirt (never drag a dirty side back across the section): as soon as the towel flips over clean, then you dry with microfiber (my drying towels are 2x3' in size: two of them will dry a whole car easily). Washing each week keeps grime from building up and washing is easy. If weather has completely gunked up your car (e.g., salt and muddy slush from a snow storm), you need to get that off first: find a hand held wand (touchless) car wash to rinse all the filth off first, then finish up with ONR. Obviously, having a garage is a premium advantage. A carport keeps the sun off while you wash. Lacking either, you can still find a shade tree or wash early in the morning or late in the evening: and in the winter, any day above freezing is a good (washing) day.

Oh, and don't forget the vinyl/rubber work gloves; you'll save your hands.

Damn. That definitely sounds like a lot of work. At that point, I might just pay for a hand wash. Lol

 

[RedCal]

What part of the US are you in? Do you have easy access to power and water? - a good pressure washer setup and you may be able to do touchless washes in your driveway (assuming the car isn't super dirty, a ceramic coating will go a very long way to ease of washing, and keeping it clean

 

[vipeboy2000]

Lots of good products, a lot of good methods..Personally i use Griots products mostly because they aren't as strong smelling for most of the products... I use the tried and true 2 bucket method with a grit guard, microfiber mitts.. Have hard water so use a deionizer, small pressure washer, foam cannon, top down wash, wheel spray, leaf blower to get excess water off, microfiber drying towel to finish up. However with the dionizer, you can let the water dry to a spotless finish but i like to finish off with a spray on "ceramic" finishing spray to get that little bit of gloss and protectant.. I can do a "quick" wash in around 25 min and a normal wash in 50 min.

 

[MerlintheMad]

Damn. That definitely sounds like a lot of work. At that point, I might just pay for a hand wash. Lol

Actually it's the easiest car wash on the planet. When I move fast, I call it "the half hour" car wash. When I wipe down the calipers, wheel barrels and door sills it can take almost an hour all told, if I don't rush. Good exercise, too: all that crouching and bending at the waist.

 

[Devin]

Actually it's the easiest car wash on the planet. When I move fast, I call it "the half hour" car wash. When I wipe down the calipers, wheel barrels and door sills it can take almost an hour all told, if I don't rush. Good exercise, too: all that crouching and bending at the waist.

Man those door sills just get filthy. I always add that into my washes due to how obviously dirty they look.

 

[MerlintheMad]

Man those door sills just get filthy. I always add that into my washes due to how obviously dirty they look.

I always do them if they look obviously soiled, which translates to about every second or third wash. Calipers and barrels get done each time unless I only have time for a quick wash.

 

[JSolo]

Those door sills are a vacuum for dirt especially after driving in the rain. Avoid rain and they stay clean!!

I usually do the wheels and front end first as they're typically dirtiest.

 

[95oRANGEcRUSH]

I made the decision when I bought my new Stinger to put some money aside into protecting it. PPF on the entire front clip. GTechniq Crystal Serum Ultra ceramic coating over the whole vehicle. Makes washing easier.

Bought GTechniq’s Gwash and their quick detailer just for synergy with the coating but I like both so use them on the wife’s Ascent, too. Optimum Optibond tire dressing. I have a GTechniq wash mitt but I also use the Gloss Shop microfiber mitts and the chenille mitts you can grab at Autozone. Autofiber Amphibian XL drying towel or my electric leaf blower to dry depending on my mood.

Always wash using 2 bucket method even if that means doing a rinseless wash. This is probably most important as even after washing a very dirty vehicle, your soapy water bucket will stay pretty clean.

Also bought a pressure washer, foam cannon, gun setup, hose and quick connects to make washing easier.

Process of how you wash is more important than the products. You can get good products at any of the auto stores but if you don’t wash correctly they won’t matter. Check vids on YouTube like Ammo NYC, Chicago auto pros, detail geek, IMJOSHV, etc.

 

[MerlintheMad]

I usually do the wheels and front end first as they're typically dirtiest.

My experience says that the hindquarters get the dirtiest, quickest. Usually I have to flip the cleaning towels three times when washing the rear end; and the front (unless it is covered in bugs) hardly produces any dirt on the towel. When you clean wheels every time you wash your car, they don't get very dirty: no buildup: but the front wheels are always at least twice as grimy as the rear wheels (more brake dust).

 

[JSolo]

^^Dusty environment. Out here it's mostly bugs. I can spend as much time cleaning the front as it takes me to do the rest of the car. The rear has some dust build up. A single pass at most is all that's usually needed.

I don't do the wheels each time either, maybe every other or third wash. I did wheels last time because of winter salt. That and rinsing the underneath of the car well.

 

[MerlintheMad]

That and rinsing the underneath of the car well.

Oh yes. When there is salt on the roads I spray off the underside every time I drive on a wet road. Sometimes this can mean two or more washes in a row; now, that is good exercise (extreme crouching, you see).

 

[andybob]

I would suggest setting aside some sort of budget as it gets pricey real quick depending on your level of interest.

For starting out I would suggest at least three 5 gallon pails with grit guards. One specifically for wheels and the other two for the “two bucket” method of washing. I use thick and soft microfiber towel as opposed to a sponge for doing the upper part of the vehicle and then a couple microfiber sponges for the lower part of the car that I throw away when they get soiled.

Use dedicated tools and sponges for the wheels and do not use those on the paint as they pick up small metallic particles from the brakes which can then scratch paint. Wheel woolies are also handy to have to clean the wheel barrels and inside of fenders.

Depending on contaminants left on the paint after washing, an iron or tar remover might be required. I bought Trix which does both iron and tar. Haven’t used it yet but reviews seem good. After that, a clay bar may be needed for other contaminants embedded in the paint. You can either clay using a clay lubricant compound or I like to use car soap in a spray bottle so I can rinse it off when done.

Once the outside of the car is clean, clean the door jams and then try the car completely. If applying a wax/sealant/ceramic, I wet a microfiber towel and then dry it without a drying aid so the paint is ready to accept whatever coating is being used. For a regular wash on a vehicle that is protected, use a drying aid to reduce the risk of scratching.

As for products, there are a ton out there. Search YouTube and figure out what fits your budget and work from there. I’m a huge fan of Ammo NYC products. They are all proprietary blends and Larry has a video explaining how they all work and how to apply them. Can’t go wrong with any of his stuff. It’s all east to use and the outcome is always great.

Depending on condition of your paint, paint correction is another realm of detailing to consider. If your paint has scratches/swirls, you may want to consider having it corrected before applying any sort of ceramic or sealant for the best possible shine and outcome.

Detailing is one of those things where you can really go deep down the rabbit hole. Like I said in the beginning, figure out your budget and level of commitment and work from there. Having flawless (or as close to perfect as you can get) can get really time consuming and expensive. Between tools and materials I’ve spent close to $1500 in the last couple of years for an electric pressure washer, towels, products, paint correction tools, etc. I find it relaxing to spend time in the garage listening to music and having a clean car. Winter is almost over here and it’ll be time to paint correct the Stinger and Telluride and I can’t wait.

Good luck.

 

[stoopid]

I've managed to use the local touchless car washes except once, and the usual swirling in the clearcoat is almost non-existent (rock chips / scratches from parking next to idiots more an issue). Touchfree carwash maybe every 3 or 4 weeks. I've been hand washing (*) and applying hybrid ceramic wax (turtle wax) every 6 months since owning. There's no real way to avoid getting dirty. Learning to live with a bit of dirt is really the only economical approach IMO. The ceramic wax helps ensure that whatever has accumulated doesn't embed into the clear coat, which applies to bird poop and other contaminants. Determine what your wallet and personal time can afford, then make the proper decisions from that. I loath detailing and can't see spending a lot of money on PPF so I do the bare minimum and have the hybrid wax as my margin for error/extra bit of security for the paint. It only needs to look good enough for eventual resale and to protect the paint from the elements.

(*) note that I use fresh microfiber and reverse osmosis (filtered) water

 

[Dwdrummr1]

Check out some of the Pan the Organizer reviews on youtube. Lots of good info. It can get expensive quick. I got all my towels from The Rag Company, also bought a G8 and G9 polisher, plan on PPF and Avalon King Ceramic which was surprisingly affordable. Now just waiting for some nice weather and time.

 

[Schroedes]

If you want tips on washing cars, watch Ammo on YouTube. That Larry guy will cover everything you can possibly imagine, and he sells his own products which are top o the line .