Do you use this to hose off the car after soaping or to jet off dirt...


guess you need to get a good one...

Here's an Amazon review

I agree with Jake, I bought one and used it for about 3 hours today and it worked very well. I have read reviews about competitive models not fitting together right, etc, but this went together very easy, worked very well, and everything rolled back together very nicely. I was impressed with how well it cleaned the cement pavers on my patio. I have no need to use the detergent feature but I would only do that if I had a large job, it has to be cleaned out and flushed after use. The wand is plastic but the end is metal and I really think this is a nice unit for the money. It beats buying one with a gas engine as long as 1800 psi is enough, problem with the gas ones is that they cost more and yet another gas engine to get clogged up and needing maintenance. Electric is the way to go.

Update 7/2014: Went to use it today and it was dead. Followed instructions carefully. Bought it 2 years 3 months ago. Went back to Home Depot on a chance, and they understandably would not take it back. Looked at all the BS people have reported and decided to go for plan b which was first, bypassing the inline GFI to see if that solved the problem. It did. Seems the cheap import electronics did not like my garage. By the way I used it 2 years ago for about 3 hours and have not used it since. So I am going to buy an inline GFI to connect to the end of the cord and I should be good to go, at least until the next problem comes up.

 

Both, I use it in lieu of the garden hose method. I power-wash the entire vehicle, then use a high-quality car shampoo, rinse, and now blow dry w/ the heated Master Blaster I recently acquired. Before the Master Blaster I just dried w/ microfiber towels.

 

I just bought a refurb RYOBI from Home Depot for $69. It has the similar stats as the Power Force and Home Depot provides a full warranty. @ $70 it's a risk free investment and if and when it fails I can always swap for a new one locally. This would be prefect for me as I don't keep soaping my car but rather need something to power dust her. Thank for the tip.

Here's a link if anyone else wants one. They have a Ryobi with higher power on roller wheels for $99. I have to think for car paint, more power isn't necessarily better. I opted for the small footprint and portability.

Ryobi Reconditioned 1600 PSI 1.2-GPM Electric Pressure Washer ZRRY141600 at The Home Depot - Mobile

 

Are you warming up to the master blaster yet? I'm still on the fence with mine. Been through three washes with it. It is significantly better on my quartzed car vs my SUV with no hydrophobic coating.

But there are just endless trickles of water out of the nooks and crannies of the F Type body. Even with the master blaster it takes forever to eradicate them. That's why I'm looking at a spotless rinse tank next.

 

Yes, I was completely wrong about it initially because I used it first on an SUV in bad need of a wax job. As someone here (Schwabe, I think) pointed out, water needs to bead up for it to work well, I was just moving sheets of water around, and it took forever.

There is a best-practices technique for using it, and if you start at the top and work down hitting seams, nooks, and crannies before panels, I think it is a big time-saver.

As soon I used it on my DIY polymer-coated F-Type, I was amazed by it and had it dried in less than half the time it took w/ microfiber towels. I used it on my C7 last night, and it was equally amazing because someone had kept it nicely waxed/sealed.

Best for me now is that it is particularly perfect for a black car because every time you touch it you seem to see a new swirl mark. I've also since DIY polymer-coated the SUV, and it now works great on it too.

Use ear protection, it's incredibly loud.

 

There's a month or two in the Bay Area where it's a nightmare and my BRG is yellow. Not the cool pearlescent kind, either. LOL

My 3M coating that I got at the dealer really does seem to do a great job, especially when I wash it in the AM prior to commute just to kick the dust off. It's sort of overkill, and I wonder if those dusting brushes that were recommended earlier in the thread are a wonderful and perfect solution, or could those ever scratch your car by just moving dust and grit around?

I am going to buy one if people say it makes a huge difference. I imagine it does, but just want to make sure the brush doesn't scratch, etc.

 

It is. The only reason I'm not doing the same is my SO forbade me from washing the car more than 3 times a week.

I still secretly polish exhaust tips every day. Shhhh! Don't tell.

 

This was just great. She would laugh if she read this. =)

 

Just a few hints or reminders after a very enjoyable couple of hours washing and cleaning the car this morning:

Whenever I clean (not wash) my wheels, I don a pair of Curad Powder-Free Exam Gloves (I also keep a few pairs in the car...in case). I use a new pair when I apply a gentle coat of SONAX Tire Gel.

I'm not that OCD when it comes to drying my F-Type and usually just use an assortment of micro-fiber towels. The thing I wish to remind others - especially new-comers of - is to remember to open the bonnet/hood after washing to clean and dry off parts of the engine - and body - which cannot be cleaned or dried off otherwise. I then open the boot/trunk and do the same around the edges and around where the windshield washer fluid goes (I'm always a bit surprised how much water/suds gets in there). I also raise the spoiler and dry and clean underneath that since it's easy to forget to do so.

Hope something here helps (someone).

 

Don't forget to raise the spoiler and clean under its tail.

 

I know this is a stupid question, but going to ask anyway. How do you raise the rear spoiler to clean while parked?

 

There's a button on the center console near the shifter with an icon of the spoiler and a small arrow. With the ignition on, car not moving, hold the button down until the spoiler is all the way up. Spoiler will automatically go back down when you move the car.

 

Awesome. Thank you. Will try that tomorrow.

 

U, you shall kindly note that I did mention that in the last sentence in my post, and was actually going to write how to raise it - figuring someone would ask - but Liz was pressing me to get off the computer and "into the world". Thanks for the reminder though and instructions for others nevertheless.

Now, back into the world (and into my hammock).

P.S. The last thing I do after completing washing the car is to take a cloth (micro fiber, whatever) and quickly and gently clean the thin edges of the wheel wells..which are always filthy.

 

Sorry. I have ADD. If it's over 3 sentences, I lose focus.

 

In over 3 years of ownership, I have never remembered to do this. Happily, the spoiler is only up at over 60/40MPH, so it isn't likely anyone will see how unclean it is underneath.

 

I be bumpin' today, people. Pardon that.

Bumping this thread for any new products. I've just opened about a dozen tabs and was going to go on a spree.

I am really looking at the pressure washer vs garden hose spray nozzle.... the one listed worked, Polaris? the Ryobi? Not too strong a pressure for an XPel coating, I assume?
This one has a built in foam gun attachment: https://smile.amazon.com/Pressure-Ef.../dp/B07G471P7J

And could someone expound why a masterblaster method of drying is better than microfiber towels? Is it just that it's less work?

 

I'd advise against an electric pressure washer, based on my own experiences; they are just not robust compared to gas powered units. I had a series of electric models fail in quick succession. Then I bought a Briggs & Stratton gas powered model about 7 years ago. With proper maintenance (the most important item being pump protection with antifreeze in the winter), it has been bulletproof. [Edit] LOL realized I posted pretty much the same thing earlier on this thread. Oh well, at least I'm consistent...

Re: the air drying - the goal is to avoid physically touching the car as much as possible, as that is the cause of swirling and marring (which will always occur to some degree no matter how good your washing and drying technique).

 

I've had two electric pressure washers. One lasted quite a long time and died likely from my own misuse. I ran it with the water turned off and it never got full pressure after that. It was a Karcher upright. I replaced it with a lighter duty of the low, four-wheeled style, and that just stopped working properly within the first year. It was still a Karcher, but not in the same tier of quality or usage. I haven't replaced that one yet, but was recently researching. I'd like to stick with electric for the convenience but the jury is still out. I don't use it enough to justify something expensive.

As to the Masterblaster method of drying, I have the smallest one, intended for motorcycles and the like. The primary advantage for me is that towel drying gets the surface only. Ever dry completely and then go for a drive, only to have water come out from the mirrors, around the headlights, trim, all panels gaps, etc. and spatter all over the car? The Masterblaster is great for that.

 

I agree with most of the advice above though:-
(1) not a sonax fan, much prefer P21 for wheel cleaning. Works just as well, maybe better, and I don't choke inhaling sonax chemicals. I have also moved to using a cheap microfiber towel to clean the wheels, it gets into spokes, spaces and behind the facade better than a brush.
(2) I was disappointed with my master blaster, very expensive and not really better than my cheap wetdry vac from home depot.
(3) Just bought a steam cleaner for interior cleaning (away from electricals of course) - sorted the cupholder and some scuffs that nothing else could. No point having a beautiful exterior is the interior doesn't match
(4) if you have the money, as discussed above, nothing beats a wrap like xpel +/- ceramic coating - amazing. I still freak out if a bird dumps on the car and deal with it asap. But, my car still looks brand new.