Washing & drying is perhaps the most important part of detailing. Proper washing technique can help to prevent the formation of marring and therefore extend the period of time between polishing sessions.
The “two bucket method” is widely considered to be the most scratch free method of washing. This method simply involves using one bucket of car wash solution and a second bucket of plain water used to rinse the washing tool. Using a separate rinse bucket will help to keep the dirt off of your wash tool and therefore away from your paint.
As far as drying your car, it is not recommended that you use drying products that do not have a knap such as the California Water Blade or the Absorber. Products such as this can trap particles against your paint causing marring and/or scratching. Towels that have knap will pull any particles on the paint into the knap thus keeping the debris away from the paint.
Never ever place your wash mitt on the ground.
What you’ll need . . .
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Water – you’ll need a water source with a hose and a spray nozzle attached. -
(2) 5 gallon buckets – be sure your buckets are clean. Buckets which have been used for other uses may have chemical residue on their surface which could enter the wash solution and be harmful to the LSP or paint.
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Grit Guard(s) – at least one grit guard will be needed. The Grit Guard will help to assure dirt stays in your rinse bucket and does not get trapped in your wash mitt where it would be rubbed against the paint. One Grit Guard in your rinse bucket is good, but one in your rinse bucket and one in your wash bucket is even better.
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(2) Genuine sheep skin wash mitts – synthetic wash mitts are not as soft and will cause marring in your paint. So, be sure to use genuine sheep skin mitts. Sheep skin mitts do a great job cleaning and have knap which will hold dirt particles away from the paint during washing. However, sheep skin mitts also release dirt better than any other type of wash tool once placed in the rinse bucket. Use one mitt for the top half of the car and a second mitt for the bottom half of your car to help prevent marring. Boar’s hair brushes are also popular but cost quite a bit more than a sheep skin mitt.
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Car wash soap – your choice of car wash soap. Some popular choices include Optimum Car Wash, Poorboy’s Super Slick & Suds, Meguiar’s Gold Class Soap, Top of the Line’s Bubble Bath, and 1Z Einszett Perls. Do not use dishwashing liquid to wash your car. Dishwashing liquid will dry out plastic & rubber exterior trim & seals. Additionally, dishwashing liquid will strip off wax. Even the manufacturers of dishwashing liquid advise consumers against using their products to wash a car.
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Microfiber waffle weave towel – while any type of microfiber towel will work well for drying, waffle weave towels are the most absorbent type of microfiber towel. There are many great waffle weave towels available such as the Cobra Ultimate Guzzler and Big Blue II.
How to get it done . . .
1. Fill two buckets with 2-3 gallons of water and place your Grit Guard at the bottom of the bucket which will be the rinse bucket. If you have two Grit Guards place one in each bucket.
2. Add car wash soap to the wash solution bucket. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions of how much soap to add to the wash bucket.
3. Spray a small amount of additional water into the wash bucket to generate foam.
4. Using your hose nozzle spray the entire car with water. Make your best attempt to spray off as much loose dirt from the car as possible.
5. Dip your wash mitt into the wash bucket.
6. Using the mitt, wash one panel of the car. Move the wash mitt back-and-forth in straight lines following the direction air flows over the panel. Do not apply any downward pressure onto the mitt as this may result in marring. Start with sections at the top of your car and work toward sections at the bottom.
7. Place the wash mitt in the rinse bucket after washing a panel.
8. Once a panel has been washed rinse it with a spray of water from the hose. Be sure that the entire car remains wet while washing. If the water on the surface of the car is allowed to evaporate then water spots may form.
9. When you are ready to wash the next section of the car take the wash mitt out of the rinse bucket and squeeze some of the water out.
10. Continue to wash the car using the technique outlined in steps 5-9 until the entire car has been cleaned. If using two wash mitts be sure to switch to the second wash mitt when cleaning the lower half of the car.
11. Remove the hose nozzle from the end of the garden hose.
12. Using the now nozzle-less hose run a stream of water over the entire car starting from the top and making your way to the bottom. This will cause most of the water on the car’s paint to sheet off leaving very little water on the car. This technique works best on a well waxed/sealed car. Use caution not to touch the metal hose end against the car’s paint as this may result in a scratch.
13. Dry any remaining water on the car’s surface with your waffle weave microfiber towel. To reduce the possibility of marring, do not drag the towel over the car’s paint. Instead, blot the water with the towel. This will help to reduce marring caused by the drying process.
