Car Washing...what are your tips and tricks

[Electrified]

I'm flying out to get mine used, so he's already put like 2k miles on it, so that's why I'm being paranoid. Originally I was going to have my Touring delivered directly to my detailer for a full body PPF lol

Don't be paranoid, it's a car and like any car it's meant to be driven and it's not going to be perfect because nothing is perfect in this world.... but I will say that the 2,200 miles I have put on my AGT have been very enjoyable and I trust your miles will be too!

 

[Volund]

So I forgot I had a stack of stuff I got for free a few months ago, any of this stuff good?

 

[scharnhorst]

So I forgot I had a stack of stuff I got for free a few months ago, any of this stuff good?

Yeah Meguiars stuff is usually fine. Car detailing stuff is like anything else, there are premium products you pay a premium for... are they better than say meguiars, sure but there are definitely diminishing returns for the cost of premium stuff.
I personally like to buy things are dedicated to their tasks. So i don't like ceramic detailers that also do coatings, because i already coated my car. But if you coat your car you can spray that stuff periodically on top of it to give it some quick slickness and add a sacrificial barrier on top of your coating.

 

[Bunnylebowski]

Meguiars back to black is helpful for cleaning the hood air vents. A Lucid tech recommended their stuff to me. Skip all the ones that have added wax though if you’re gonna ceramic/PPF the car. For me it’s ONR 4 LYFE haha. I keep a pre-mixed spray bottle of it in the trunk and some microfiber towels, great for spot detailing/bird doo removal.

 

[Volund]

Meguiars back to black is helpful for cleaning the hood air vents. A Lucid tech recommended their stuff to me. Skip all the ones that have added wax though if you’re gonna ceramic/PPF the car. For me it’s ONR 4 LYFE haha. I keep a pre-mixed spray bottle of it in the trunk and some microfiber towels, great for spot detailing/bird doo removal.

Any tips for road Salt and snow/debris removal as I go on my road trip?

Getting the crazy white patchiness all over the body from harsh snow and road salt

 

[Bunnylebowski]

Any tips for road Salt and snow/debris removal as I go on my road trip?

Getting the crazy white patchiness all over the body from harsh snow and road salt

It hasn’t snowed here yet, and my last car was a lease so I just took it to car washes, which was a bad idea but I just wasn’t motivated enough at the time haha. I’m planning on just using ONR in a spray bottle to wipe off the worst parts but that may not be a good idea as I don’t want to drag anything abrasive from the road mess across the paint. Anybody else got any ideas for winter removal aside from foam cannon/pressure washer?

 

[dawktah LucidGT]

Well, for those of us living where it's below freezing you can't do anything unless you can wash and dry indoors.

 

[lsbuffs]

They absolutely use harsh chemicals. When i use them it is strictly for the high pressure rinse. I've also tried their deionized water... usually not great.
I'm a convert to the ONR or Mckees 37 rinseless washes. I love the stuff. I have a little foam sprayer, also a bucket with that stuff. Those two things together I can wash a car in about the same time could before using a hose. I also like I can work on a section of the car, clean it, and then stop if something comes up. If you use a hose you need to get it done, no real stopping if you dont want water spots.

My one caveat is, super dirty cars I still think pre rinse with high pressure better than just using rinseless without that step.

I've been using ONR for years and somehow had never heard of McKee's 37 until you mentioned it. Is one better than the other? Thinking I may give McKee's a try, even though I have no issues with ONR.

 

[Volund]

It hasn’t snowed here yet, and my last car was a lease so I just took it to car washes, which was a bad idea but I just wasn’t motivated enough at the time haha. I’m planning on just using ONR in a spray bottle to wipe off the worst parts but that may not be a good idea as I don’t want to drag anything abrasive from the road mess across the paint. Anybody else got any ideas for winter removal aside from foam cannon/pressure washer?

Well, for those of us living where it's below freezing you can't do anything unless you can wash and dry indoors.

So you can't just soap it down, and lubricate the whole car and then use a rag across the whole car to make sure you're removing all of the deposit and then pressure rinse all of the soap off?

I would assume it would dilute and remove the salt and dirt

 

[emoylv]

Thanks! I think it was you that recommended those pink edgeless microfiber towels? They’re great. It’s funny my cleaning regimen has changed a lot since I got the car, now I mostly just wash with ONR, only break out the pressure washer/foam cannon every 6 weeks or so.

Costco carries a decent bundle of microfiber towels for a great price, but first thing you have to do is rip the tag off the towel. It's NOT made of microfiber and will scratch the paint!

 

[Maverick]

Costco carries a decent bundle of microfiber towels for a great price, but first thing you have to do is rip the tag off the towel. It's NOT made of microfiber and will scratch the paint!

Definitely agree with that!! I thought that they would be similar to the pricier ones @hydbob recommended initially on this thread, but they're much thinner and that tag is absolutely ridiculous. They also tend to leave yellow cloth remnants on the car. I still use them here and there, but while you get a ton of them, I really like these:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00A8MZ7IA?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

 

[emoylv]

Definitely agree with that!! I thought that they would be similar to the pricier ones @hydbob recommended initially on this thread, but they're much thinner and that tag is absolutely ridiculous. They also tend to leave yellow cloth remnants on the car. I still use them here and there, but while you get a ton of them, I really like these:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00A8MZ7IA?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

Thanks for the tip! I think I will try these. Chemical Guys make good stuff, like the Honeydew Foam Wash.

 

[Volund]

So you can't just soap it down, and lubricate the whole car and then use a rag across the whole car to make sure you're removing all of the deposit and then pressure rinse all of the soap off?

I would assume it would dilute and remove the salt and dirt

Anyone else have any tips for winter care?

 

[emoylv]

Anyone else have any tips for winter care?

I use the Chemical Guys Honeydew Wash with a TriNova foam cannon. I don't pre-rinse the car. My neighbor is a car nut, and he says to foam a "dirty" car so the foam can adhere to the dirt. I tried it, and that's my method of car washing since. Saves one step and a bit of water, too. Two buckets of clean de-ionized water, blow dry with a garden leaf blower, finish dry with microfiber towels. Griot's Glass Cleaner, TriNova Tire Shine Spray, Black Wow for black exterior trim.

 

[dawktah LucidGT]

So you can't just soap it down, and lubricate the whole car and then use a rag across the whole car to make sure you're removing all of the deposit and then pressure rinse all of the soap off?

I would assume it would dilute and remove the salt and dirt

I've never went outside to wash a car once temps dip below 45 degrees F.

 

[Bunnylebowski]

I've never went outside to wash a car once temps dip below 45 degrees F.

Yeah normally I would foam cannon/pressure wash, but you make a good point about freezing temps. The Lucid has a remarkable number of water hiding spots that could then freeze up so I wouldn’t spray water on the car at temps near freezing, I’ll only use spray cleaners/ONR spray bottle with some microfibers to wipe off the worst parts I think. I’ve got those bottles in the Lucid swag bag in the trunk, hopefully they don’t burst with freezing temps but at least they’re in the bag which is zippered shut.

 

[scharnhorst]

I've been using ONR for years and somehow had never heard of McKee's 37 until you mentioned it. Is one better than the other? Thinking I may give McKee's a try, even though I have no issues with ONR.

https://www.amazon.com/McKees-37-Rinseless-Waterless-Detail/dp/B08N845CMJ

Yeah i've used ONR and Mckees and now Mckees is my go to. Whole reddit detailers area and that is where i first heard about it as a lot of people were singing it's praises, and now i'm one too.

It isn't some crazy night and day difference by any means. But if you had to choice to buy one or the other after you've run out, i'm buying Mckees.

 

[Volund]

Yeah normally I would foam cannon/pressure wash, but you make a good point about freezing temps. The Lucid has a remarkable number of water hiding spots that could then freeze up so I wouldn’t spray water on the car at temps near freezing, I’ll only use spray cleaners/ONR spray bottle with some microfibers to wipe off the worst parts I think. I’ve got those bottles in the Lucid swag bag in the trunk, hopefully they don’t burst with freezing temps but at least they’re in the bag which is zippered shut.

My thinking behind this was that, you don't want to keep the salt and snow and crap on your paint for a long time to cake in, you know?

So that's why I'm trying to find a method to at least take care of it temporarily until it warms up enough to spray water on it.
But the whole bottom 1/3 of the car around wheel level to down is like white from rock salt and other crap

This is the stuff I'm talking about
(example)

 

[Electrified]

Yeah normally I would foam cannon/pressure wash, but you make a good point about freezing temps. The Lucid has a remarkable number of water hiding spots that could then freeze up so I wouldn’t spray water on the car at temps near freezing, I’ll only use spray cleaners/ONR spray bottle with some microfibers to wipe off the worst parts I think. I’ve got those bottles in the Lucid swag bag in the trunk, hopefully they don’t burst with freezing temps but at least they’re in the bag which is zippered shut.

I've never seen a car hold water like the AGT, and neither has detailer who ceramic coated the car.

My thinking behind this was that, you don't want to keep the salt and snow and crap on your paint for a long time to cake in, you know?

So that's why I'm trying to find a method to at least take care of it temporarily until it warms up enough to spray water on it.
But the whole bottom 1/3 of the car around wheel level to down is like white from rock salt and other crap

View attachment 6925
This is the stuff I'm talking about
(example)

Take it to a car wash and hit it with a rinse, also fill a bucket with rinse water and then foam/soap the car and then wipe with a good wash mitt that you wetted in the bucket of water, rinse the mitt in the bucket as needed, rinse all soap off the car and dry with a quality drying towel.

Or take the car to a hand wash like I did today and the watch some asshole step out of the car walk down the line and retrieve the Motor Trend driver side floor mat, and yes the jagoff had filthy shoes that turned the carpet black, I was pressed on time and will go back tomorrow to get the carpet cleaned.

This outfit sells quality wash mitts and drying towels.

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[Volund]

Not the best pics, but it'll give you an idea. Keeping this car clean the Boulder winter is going to be a real chore.

View attachment 8035

View attachment 8036


View attachment 8037

Scotchgard is your friend.

Wanted to stick this here and further add on:
Utah is super cold, a ton of salt, a lot of tar, road debris, rocks, you name it..
You track so much dirt and crap into the car it's very hard to keep the interior clean, not just the exterior.

I bought this adhesive carpet protectors and it has really done wonders

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01J8PCKH8?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

And when winter is over, I plan to just tear it out, leaves no residue, and it's very durable and thick. There's also a large amount of it, so it'll last you many years to come.

But I did scotchguard around the corners where it doesn't reach, and then this plastic adhesive in the middle, and so far interior is looking spotless!!
Also a quick note, I got very thin seat protectors for the front and back, that way I'm not blocking airflow, heated seats, or massagers, but protecting excessive rubbing against the leather seats.

Call me overprotective, but I am really babying the car lol