Car Washing...what are your tips and tricks

[fredp]

You might want to look into getting your cars ceramic coated by a authorized detailer - https://gtechniq.com/automotive/. In the long run easier to keep the car clean and preserve the paint from all of the stated issues.

 

[Canyonero!]

In my case the AGT is my daily driver and there is no way I have the time to go the hand carwash 2 or 3 times a week in the winter, or 1 or 2 times a week in the summer.

Man, that's OCD-level washing.

I only wash mine once a week. Sometimes skip a week.

 

[Electrified]

Man, that's OCD-level washing.

I only wash mine once a week. Sometimes skip a week.

The winter is when I get crazy with it as I hate getting salt on my clothes while getting in and out of the car, and I just hate driving a car that is salty white.

 

[Volund]

The winter is when I get crazy with it as I hate getting salt on my clothes while getting in and out of the car, and I just hate driving a car that is salty white.

Car washing in winter is extremely difficult... I don't even know how I survived last year.
My garage isn't heated, and so it's even harder to wash because the water just freezes. If you wash in the day, the sun dries the soap residue on it cause the car is hot. There's no win-win

 

[SDHacker]

Man, that's OCD-level washing.

I only wash mine once a week. Sometimes skip a week.

Wash mine about once a month...sometimes skip a month. I'm lucky the car doesn't read this forum to know how neglected and abused it is.

 

[Canyonero!]

Car washing in winter is extremely difficult... I don't even know how I survived last year.
My garage isn't heated, and so it's even harder to wash because the water just freezes. If you wash in the day, the sun dries the soap residue on it cause the car is hot. There's no win-win

I built a detailing station so I can hose it off in the winter. Have a DI unit for spot-free rinsing.

I mean, if you're gonna spend six figures on a car, then why not?

 

[Volund]

I built a detailing station so I can hose it off in the winter. Have a DI unit for spot-free rinsing.

I mean, if you're gonna spend six figures on a car, then why not?

But that doesn't remove the salt, and idk if that would still gelp with temperature regulating and not having the water freeze on the car. But the salt is a bigger issue

 

[Amster]

Wash mine about once a month...sometimes skip a month. I'm lucky the car doesn't read this forum to know how neglected and abused it is.

Two months! The least I've had it washed is about a month, but usually about two weeks. I'm really happy when it looks as clean and shiny as the day it left the delivery center.

 

[blueice89]

Also another link to automatic car wash the 3d video is awesome

https://x.com/investyoung/status/1670574204159401984?s=46&t=0K1GwlA8nDFxFHkMTe-aCQ

 

[Fischman]

I only do rinseless wash McKees N914, Rag company ultra black cross cut sponge, then apply adams detail spray on wet car, then towel dry with rag company gauntlet. P&S brake buster on wheels and done. Works great, no streaks or micro scratches.

 

[Electrified]

Also another link to automatic car wash the 3d video is awesome

https://x.com/investyoung/status/1670574204159401984?s=46&t=0K1GwlA8nDFxFHkMTe-aCQ

That's the same type of wash my Lucid has gone through for the past year, the car loves it!

 

[Canyonero!]

But that doesn't remove the salt, and idk if that would still gelp with temperature regulating and not having the water freeze on the car. But the salt is a bigger issue

I'm in central VA and also in a garage, so the freezing isn't an issue.

But salt is water soluble and should mostly rise off. Maybe not as much if embedded in grime, but that's one of the reasons I set up the station; so I can give it a quick rinse if needed.

 

[Volund]

I'm in central VA and also in a garage, so the freezing isn't an issue.

But salt is water soluble and should mostly rise off. Maybe not as much if embedded in grime, but that's one of the reasons I set up the station; so I can give it a quick rinse if needed.

When I would rinse it off, I'd see the salt residue or road grime still stick. It was this white sheen. And even in my garage it was around 40
I can do a waterless wash, but idk maybe I'll have to for winter

 

[Worldwide Beagle]

Just did my first Lucid full blown water car wash. 2.5 months of ownership . Had my Griots spray detailer to prevent spots, and special thick microfiber dryer towels. The place I use has wonderful soft rinsing water. Had a crowd watching me - actually, looking at , the Lucid. They were most impressed with my Bosch technical shop blower and using it on the trunk and frunk rubber trim and seams.

 

[Volund]

Just did my first Lucid full blown water car wash. 2.5 months of ownership . Had my Griots spray detailer to prevent spots, and special thick microfiber dryer towels. The place I use has wonderful soft rinsing water. Had a crowd watching me - actually, looking at , the Lucid. They were most impressed with my Bosch technical shop blower and using it on the trunk and frunk rubber trim and seams.

I usually wash mine at home and then dry in the garage. But to prevent the water or soap drying on the car I avoid washing it until an hour before sun sets. I think I'm being quite anal about it because I have ppf on the entire car lol

 

[Neurio]

I usually wash mine at home and then dry in the garage. But to prevent the water or soap drying on the car I avoid washing it until an hour before sun sets. I think I'm being quite anal about it because I have ppf on the entire car lol

I wash and dry mine in my driveway. I need to wait until relatively close to sunset, or my car dries itself before I can thanks to the ridiculously strong California sun. I always spray this stuff (https://shinesupply.com/products/throttle-detail-spray-16oz) on it while drying, so I get rid of any water spots on my PPF/ceramic in the process. I often have to clean my windows after drying too because of water spots.

There's nothing anal about keeping a car spotless immediately after you just put in the effort to make it clean.

 

[Bunnylebowski]

I wash and dry mine in my driveway. I need to wait until relatively close to sunset, or my car dries itself before I can thanks to the ridiculously strong California sun. I always spray this stuff (https://shinesupply.com/products/throttle-detail-spray-16oz) on it while drying, so I get rid of any water spots on my PPF/ceramic in the process. I often have to clean my windows after drying too because of water spots.

There's nothing anal about keeping a car spotless immediately after you just put in the effort to make it clean.

Thanks for the tip, just ordered the throttle spray. My black car shows spots sooooo easily, so that should help.

 

[Neurio]

Thanks for the tip, just ordered the throttle spray. My black car shows spots sooooo easily, so that should help.

I don't think the Throttle itself gets rid of the water spots per se. I think just spraying it onto the car while it's still damp and then drying with a big microfiber drying towel helps get them out of my ceramic coated PPF.

I use a lot of the Shine Supply products, which were recommended to me by my PPF installer. Their products generally work quite well with my matte wrap without giving it any additional shine (as long as I avoid the products that say they add shine). I also hit it with the Clutch spray every 3 months to rejuvenate my ceramic coating - it definitely works.

Their stuff is a bit more expensive than some of the other companies, but I'm supporting a relatively local business - they're based out of Ventura, which is about 2 hours from where I live.

 

[Volund]

I actually just use
Meguiar's Hybrid Ceramic Spray Wax - SiO2 Hybrid Technology in an Easy-to-Use Spray Application That Delivers Long-Lasting Protection - 32 Oz https://a.co/d/e4e3Kak

Spray on and rinse off and keeps my ceramic coating looking new

 

[Neurio]

I actually just use
Meguiar's Hybrid Ceramic Spray Wax - SiO2 Hybrid Technology in an Easy-to-Use Spray Application That Delivers Long-Lasting Protection - 32 Oz https://a.co/d/e4e3Kak

Spray on and rinse off and keeps my ceramic coating looking new

Aren't you supposed to avoid putting wax over a ceramic coating? From what I've read, wax reduces the hydrophobicity of the ceramic coating and attracts more dust because of the 'waxiness.' It's better to use sprays that rejuvenate the ceramic (like Throttle I mentioned above).

Here's what Shine Supply says about protecting ceramic coatings:

FAQs:
Q - How is Throttle different from Ride Shine detail spray?

A - Ride Shine contains true carnauba wax. Even though wax won't harm your coating, you don't want to use detail sprays containing wax because they can cause the surface to attract dust which alters the self-cleaning effects of the coating.

Q - What makes Throttle unique for ceramic coatings?

A - You don't want a product with polymers, gloss enhancers, or anything that will leave a film on top of the coating. This takes away from the performance of the coating. We found a premium raw material containing a light emulsifier and hydrophobic promoters. Once it comes in contact with any hard surface and is wiped - it immediately flashes and sets up, leaving a crisp finish. This makes it the perfect match for wiping down a ceramic-coated surface.