How to properly wash a car...

[Dirk Diggler]

I posted this in another forum quite some time ago. I know that most of you dont care about your paint on your Datsuns, but maybe you have a DD that you want to keep looking good, or maybe you do care about your Datsun. Here you go,

 

 

Ill admit, before I started detailing I was guilty of doing some of the huge NO's in car cleaning, and I blame this on my lack of knowledge. I had the paint on my Ranger in such bad shape, I had to wet sand almost the entire thing, and this was just from doing things I thought were normal and okay for washing cars, like using a shower towel to dry after washing. In an effort to help educate those who are misinformed or lack the knowledge, and to help save some costly paint repair bills, I present my official guide to properly cleaning your car:

 

First things first, you cant know what to do if you dont know what not to do. Most of you probably do these things all the time, and you really have no idea how much damage you are causing. These two scenarios are the most common mistakes: Always try to wash in a shaded area. I know this is not always possible, so if you do not have access to shade, always wash early in the morning or late in the evening. If for some reason you HAVE to wash your car in the middle of the day, do it in sections, and be sure to keep the entire car wet. NO HOUSEHOLD ITEMS. I cannot stress this enough. Towels, rags, dish soap, clothing, etc should never be used on your car. Only use products made for the care of your vehicle.

 

Now on to the products. If you put the average person in the car care section of an automotive store and told them to get what they need, their heads would most likely spin around so fast that they would explode. IT IS NOT THAT DIFFICULT. Most brands that stores carry are equal in quality and efficiency. You really cant make a wrong choice. Here is a list of products that you will need for my car wash:

 

D.I. tanks, or some kind of hose-end water filter. This is not a set in stone item, but I highly recommend some kind of filtration system to keep away nasty water spots. You can even hook your hose up to a water softener if you have one.

 

Window cleaner (only if you do not get a water filter, and ammonia free if you have tint)

 

Degreaser

 

Wheel Cleaner

 

Ammonia (or bug remover)

 

Automotive sponges (3)

 

The Absorber Chamois (I recommend this synthetic chamois over a real chamois any day)

 

Waterblade

 

Vacuum (Sears has a shop vac/leaf blower combo, if you have the cash, pick that one up)

 

Leaf Blower (if you have one already, not neccessary to buy one)

 

Rubber/Plastic/Vinyl dressing

 

Detailing brushes

 

Microfiber towels

 

Blue shop towels

 

2 Buckets

 

 

The hardest part of washing your car is knowing where to begin...

 

Start with your buckets. In one bucket, put a small amount of soap in and fill with water, making sure to create plenty of suds. In the other bucket, put only water. This is called the 2 bucket method. When washing your car, before you dip your sponge to get more soap, dip your sponge in the bucket with only water and rinse it out in there. This keeps any dirt and contaminates you picked up from getting into your clean bucket.

 

Before you wash, you should always vacuum. Be sure to move your seats forward and backwards to get everything out, as well as taking out your floor mats.

 

Spray automotive degreaser around your tires and in your wheel wells. While the degreaser is soaking, spray wheel cleaner on one wheel at a time. Let sit about 15 seconds, then rinse off wheel, tire, and wheel well. NOTE: Do not use wheel cleaner on polished aluminum wheels.

 

After all wheels have been rinsed, spray your grill, front bumper, windshield, and the painted parts of your side mirrors with ammonia. Rinse the rest of the car while the ammonia sits, and rinse the front last. If any bugs remain, spray them with ammonia again and let it sit.

 

Now its time to wash. For the 3 sponges you got, mark them with a sharpie with one saying Upper, one saying Lower, and one saying Wheels. Use those sponges only in their appropriate places to avoid scratching your clear coat. Use the upper sponge on the roof, hood, trunk, and sides of your car. You only want to use it until 3/4 of the way down the sides. Use the Lower sponge to get the rest of the sides, grill, and front and back bumper. Obviously the Wheel sponge should only be used on the wheels. For wheels with hard to reach places and to clean lug nut holes, use a toothbrush or a soft bristled brush. Always do the windows last, as they dry the fastest. Use your Upper sponge for windows, making sure to really scrub to get everything off of them.

 

Your car should now be washed and rinsed. Get your Waterblade and wipe away the majority of the water. Do not use the Waterblade on an already dry surface. After you have finished, get your leaf blower ready. If you do not have a leaf blower, skip this step. Use the leaf blower to blow away all water from every window and crack in the body panels. Also use it to dry off tires and wheels. Next, get The Absorber and wipe away any remaining water.

 

After you have finished drying your car, you are going to want to clean where no one else thinks to clean: the door jams. Take a blue shop towel and dry the water in the door jams, as well as wiping away any dust or grease.

 

Take a microfiber towel and dust off your dash, console, stereo face, instrument cluster, and anything else youd like. Since you have the doors open, take 2 blue towels to clean the windows. If you have a water filter, soak one with water and leave it damp. If you do not have a water filter, use a window cleaner. Use the wet towel to scrub windows, and the other to dry. Make sure to use up and down, side to side motions to get every streak and mark.

 

The only thing left to do now is dress your tires and wheel wells. If you have carpeted wheel wells, there is no need to dress them. Spray a good amount of dressing in the wheel wells, on the tires, and you can also use it to dress any plastic trim or bumpers. Let dressing on tires dry completely before driving, or you will splatter dressing all over your newly cleaned car. Be sure to wipe away any over spray on the wheels or body of the car.

 

Your car should now be squeaky clean, and you have stopped damaging your clear coat. Repeat washing as frequently as you would like.

[lil89ram50]

no before and after pics?

[Dirk Diggler]

I'll take some tomorrow, my black car hasn't been cleaned in 2 weeks so ill do it tomorrow

[Guest 510kamikazifreak]

Dont know what happened to the begginging of my post :blink:

 

Edit*

 

Alot of the stuff you wrote in this how to is awesome stuff,I have done some of the no no's on the list, :rolleyes: But I do take much car in the final clean/wax of the cars(good quality wax and soaps)

 

 

 

 

 

This pic was taken today :D

 

 

^ My Orange car, we painted it almost 13 years ago,have used many of the do nots you listed

:blink: :o :cool: :lol:

 

Here is a pic, about 12 years ago, the day myself and the wife were married, and its the same car different wheels(no paint touch ups or the like)

 

http://datsun510.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=13813&title=img013-medium-&cat=500

 

 

It will look the same in another 13 yrs, the way I do it :P :D

[DatDoug]

Awesome write-up :cool: Thanks. Over the years I have learned a lot about washing a car, but not to this degree.

[fastdadd]

i seen the title and was expecting to see a hot chic in a bikini covered in suds

[Dirk Diggler]

Thanks guys. 510freak your dime looks good! It isnt that bad to do some of the things I listed if you have your car professionally detailed once in a while, or if you know how to polish (the right way, not with a Sears orbital buffer).

 

Now I knew ratsuners were picture whores, but seriously? Before and after pictures for washing a car? Have you never seen a car?

 

But to keep you happy

 

So vacuum is first. I forgot to take a before picture, but imagine dirt and pistachio shells everywhere.

 

All of the salt water and crap from 2 weeks of not washing, I usually wash at least once a week

 

Spraying the windshield with ammonia

 

I didnt take any pictures washing, I wasnt that serious about it.

Dressing the wheel wells

 

I dress tires by hand

 

After

[Burabuda]

what do you do about bee poop?

[Dirk Diggler]

The small yellow drops? If left too long and a mark appears, polish. If that doesn't work, then wet sand and polish. Washing regularly makes all of that in necessary though. Bird shit and bugs are your worst natural enemy. I had a bird shit on the black car while driving through Arizona. 4 hours later it had burnt and etched the clear coat so bad that I had to lightly wetsand it.

[Darnit5]

How would you wash a car with rust?

[DAT510]

this stuff also is really good. i can hardly see the glass when done right.

[bananahamuck]

How would you wash a car with rust?

 

 

 

 

Well, first you go get a five gallon pale ( a smaller one might suffice ) then

(1). go to K-mart / wallmart parking lot fill bucket with rust from vehicles there.

(2).???

(3). profit

 

[Dirk Diggler]

Bahaha ^^^

 

Well i don't know how clean you want your rust, but I wouldn't even bother washing the rusted areas. You will drag pieces of metal over the rest of the car. Just work around them

[WAGON JON]

Lightly sand the rust and then clear coat it....

 

http://community.ratsun.net/topic/32130-really-ratty-rusty-ruby/page__st__340

[Jayden71]

I must've missed the part about the bikini clad soapy women helping wash said car :blink:

[Jayden71]

[Nicholas7620]

Thanks for the how to, Today, I used pooled up rain water in my truck bed to wash my truck,with a dish towel :o I won't do that again.

[KC Phirus]

I use Dawn in a bucket. With a big green brush on a pole. rag and sponges for what I can't get with the brush. I always use automotive glass cleaner with newspaper. Aluminum polish on the benz. And If it's a special day a Mothers clay bar.

[KC Phirus]

Double post

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