My pop instilled in me a notion that a gentleman should wash thine own car. Easier said than done, but with spring's pollen and me with no garage, it's almost weekly now, though the car cover does nicely. My Jeep prefers being dirty. =) But not the F-Type...

I know expert detailing is a treat once or twice a year, but any tips, tricks, thoughts about how you keep you car clean, how you wash it, who you let do so, etc? I've heard to add lanolin conditioner to the wash bucket and it will act as a wax and rain repellent, but I wouldn't try it without more research.... So what are your tips? What do you stay away from? Product recommendations are great.

I am sure there is a collective knowledge base in here that will find some really interesting stuff!

Pictures of clean cars are welcome. =) Without a Russian or French vehicle, we can call this the most efficient Allied garage in the world. Yes the stickers will be coming off the Jeep. 20 years later, you blink and they're everywhere.










Pot of Gold.

 

Beautiful car you have there......

Wash routine - I'd recommend a really good wash mitt, DO NOT use a sponge
The 2 bucket method is also a good tip, one full of warm soapy water the other clean fresh water as a rinse bucket
Grit guards are optional
Use Microfibre towels to dry the car, DO NOT use chamois leather

I'd seriously recommend trying Sonax FULL EFECT wheel cleaner, its totally 100% acid free but will remove everything from your wheels, turning the brake dust to liquid before your eyes, but will not harm them or the paintwork.

Hope it helps
Jim

 

I always wash my own sports or collector cars.....wouldn't let anyone else. I don't know about tips, but here's what I do;

- store them in a climate controlled garage with no direct sunlight
- hand wash using a clean microfibre cloth and car wash liquid (turtlewax is my current)
- wax with a heavy wax periodically depending on use
- use a duster to dust off between washings (a light cover would work too)
- I don't use much else; no tire shine, no armorall, nothing in the interior 'cept a damp microfibre.....may look into a leather conditioner for this car.

Dave

 

The best way to get rid of pollen is to rinse it off. Of course you need to do a full wash unless you have one of these:

http:///DI-120-Cr-Spotless-Water-Sys...1007295&sr=8-1

You can also get a foam gun, and then foam the car, and rinse it for a super quick wash. Obviously this technique won't clear everything but pollen and light dirt will be removed, and you don't need to dry it since demineralized water drys with no spots.

 

I follow the methods outlined very well by AMMO NYC on YouTube. He has one video that is a complete wash from start to finish.

I use a few of his products as well just because the video series is so helpful - wanted to support his business.

I use AMMO "Foam," as my detergent. I use three buckets with grit guards. One bucket entirely for wheels. Sonax and wheel woolies first. Rinse the car. Then foam it down with a foam gun. Then microfiber mitts to wash (I use the green ones from Chemical Guys). Rinse it clean, then take off the nozzle and let the hose pour over the panels to draw most of the water off in sheets. Then I dry with a damp microfiber towel sprayed with AMMO Hydrate.

 

Product is relatively unimportant compared to technique. The less you touch the paint, the better. I start by foaming and pressure washing. Then I foam and wash sections with a mitt using two bucket method and grit guards. Any good quality car shampoo will do; I add a bit of no-rinse product to my wash bucket as this stuff has great lubricity and really protects from marring. I never touch the paint to dry - I use deionized water and then a leaf blower if I'm in a hurry. I polish and seal my cars in the spring and fall; using this wash method with care, there is very minimal polishing required each time compared to the initial paint correction on delivery of the vehicle.

 

+1 on AmmoNYC.....Larry Kosilla rocks and you should definitely check him out for sure.
Also as per sybarite, the less you touch the paint the better.

I personally always thoroughly hose off anything I can and make sure the car is as wet as can be for lubrication. Following on from that either a good snow foam or quality car shampoo and a wash mitt for sure.
A microfibre is great for drying the car, those drying blades are a NO NO

Ideally a leaf blower or similar would be the way to go for a touchless drying scenario.
As stated the Sonax FULL EFFECT wheel cleaner and a good wheel brush will clean your wheels all the way through WITHOUT damaging the finish in any way.
Personally, as part of my routine I ALWAYS open the doors and clean the door shuts, engine bay and boot shut lines as well as the exhaust trims, see my Audi A6 tailpipes after 114k miles with only a good thorough wash routine.....


Cheers
Jim

 

I know the 2 bucket method is the preferred method, but I like to use a foam gun with a quick disconnect. After an initial foam and rinse, mabe 2x if really dirty I refoam an area, disconnect soap bottle from gun and use water spray to rinse the mitt. This picks up the pace and I think is more effective in removing soil from the microfiber mitt. I also like that I can spray either ahead or behind the mitt depending on what you need to accomplish. I used to towel dry with waffle towel but will likely switch to air from a vacuum in reverse mode. I am considering combo of partial xpel over black Diamond coating or something similar. I have had good results with clay bar, then All-in-on one polish, followed by glaze then topped with carunba wax. If I go with black Diamond coating, I will try carunba over it.

Can you guys recommend a foam gun? I have the typical one from autotopia or auto geek. Looking for better quality. Same with a wheel brush. Not impressed with Speed master ones I have. Thanks. Hope OP is OK with small hijack.

 

Check Griot's for foam gun (and anything else for cleaning). Good stuff, even their little how-to book on car care.

Tornador® Pneumatic Foaming Gun - Griot's Garage

If you need non-pneumatic and/or budget solution:

 

The tornado is air based and won't allow me to use my current method of disconnect cup and spraying water with nozzel. Do you have experience with the Pinnacle product? It looks similar to the type I have now. The brass fittings have loosened on my current gun and it leaks. The diconnect is also becoming difficult to connect. I don't know if there is a better quality on the market?

Also agree that Griots has some good products. Their Vinyl and rubber dressing is very good as well as their detailing spray.

 

The brass fitting looks like it threads into the handle. Have you tried tightening it. Also, the rubber seals on quick disconnects have to be lubricated on a regular basis with silicone grease. Otherwise, they get hard to hook up. If you are looking for an excuse to buy a new sprayer, ignore everything I just said.

 

took mine in for a service and they cleaned it up real nice. I noticed they cleaned the wheels and outside facing tire with something that made it more shiny, if that's an accurate term. My wheels are black so it looked more pronounced. It looked different than when i typically wash with soap/water. Any idea what they could have used?

 

Armor All certainly makes the tire look darker and more glossy, though I've heard Armor All itself may not be a great product. I personally don't use anything on the tires.

 

They probably used a tire dressing of some kind. There are gels and sprays and other types. I like the Griots vinyl and rubber dressing. Sprays on, wipes off. Not a super gloss but more of a satin look. Much more like a new tire in my opinion.

 

Just a personal preference: I'm not a fan of shiny tires. In my mind, they're supposed to be matte black. They don't look like they'll grip well if they are gloss black. I just wash them with the same car shampoo as the body (last).

 

Invest in a pressure washer, foam cannon and a wool wash pad. I use Adams products, the are all very good, all made is the USA. They have videos of most all their products too. When you have a day to spend I would wash it, using some dawn dish soap along with the auto shampoo, to remove any old wax. Then clay the car and use a good acrylic sealer. Since the car has to live outdoors, the acrylic sealer will last longer and protect better than wax. For additional shine you can give it a coat of wax over the sealer.

It should clean up nice with paint sealer and if you Adams H20 guard and gloss when you dry after you wash, it will stay looking like new.

Adam's Polishes | Premium Car Care Supplies

 

Also, a couple of 5 gallon buckets with grit guards. And only micro fiber towels, Korean preferable over Chinese. Bought some from the Rag company, they are great, and reasonably priced. Their platinum pluffle is a great drying towel.

The Rag Company | Premium Quality Microfiber Towels and More!

 

I agree, plus most of those tire products make the tires look good at first.....but after awhile they just seem to discolor and attract dirt and dust making both the rims and tires look worse than if they had just been washed and left alone.

2 cents,
Dave

 

As already mentioned by the other members, wash often. In between washes, use something like:

http://www.meguiars.com/en/automotiv...mhETdXaXmm1.97

with microfiber towels.. It will help keep the car looking nice between full washes.


Something like:


There are several products on the market in this space.

 

Sonax also makes a superior tire treatment. It is extremely long-lasting, through many rain storms and washes, and does not turn the tire into a brownish color like many I've used.

It's labeled "gloss," but once dry it's just a nice satin black. I only feel the need to use it every other month because it keeps the tires looking good for a long time.