Car Washing...what are your tips and tricks

[Negan1000]

McKee's 37 N-914 Rinseless Wash (Rinseless/Waterless/Clay Lube/Detail Spray)​

Dilute 2 tablespoons with 1 gallon distilled water. Spray and dry with microfiber one panel at a time.

 

[Volund]

McKee's 37 N-914 Rinseless Wash (Rinseless/Waterless/Clay Lube/Detail Spray)​

Dilute 2 tablespoons with 1 gallon distilled water. Spray and dry with microfiber one panel at a time.

How does this compare to ONR?

 

[Amster]

Oh and in addition, prior to using ONR mix I spray my front bumper with 3S bug spray.. let it sit for a minute.. then do ONR...this protocol is what I found most efficient... I'm done in about 15-20 mins tops

I finally got a bottle of ONR and washed the car with it this afternoon. It was SO easy and fast. I'm still amazed. This will definitely be a weekly thing now. I love the great knowledge available here!
What is 3S bug spray? I can't find a product with that name.

 

[lucidtouringman]

I finally got a bottle of ONR and washed the car with it this afternoon. It was SO easy and fast. I'm still amazed. This will definitely be a weekly thing now. I love the great knowledge available here!
What is 3S bug spray? I can't find a product with that name.

That's fantastic... yeah I love ONR too for that reason...
Sorry typo.. not 3S.. but 3D bug spray... here..

3D Bug Remover - All Purpose Exterior Cleaner & Degreaser to Wipe Away Bugs on Plastic, Rubber, Metal, Chrome, Aluminum, Windows & Mirrors, Suitable for use on Car Paint, Wax & Clear Coat 16oz.

https://a.co/d/8TO6vX6

 

[JerseyStrong]

I take mine to a local handwash. I don’t trust it to a “brushless“ commercial carwash. I have had the rear wiper on my Flex damaged and a hard to find Thunderbird ensign iripped off my ‘04 by them.

 

[stealth]

If I may bump this informative thread with some questions I have been unable to answer after reviewing all previous posts.

1. Is a pressure washer safe or advisable to use on the car? (assume proper handling, equipped with wide tip, suitable psi)

2. Can a rinseless wash, like ONR or N-914, be used effectively to remove road salt or road dirt?

3. How often should/can one use a rinesless wash in-between full rinse washes?

4. Any recommendations to safely spot clean the car while on the go? E.g. large bird poop on trunk or dirt splat on hood, but rest of car is clean.


For background, I learned the hard way having a local mobile detail company do some washes on my Air along with my own ignorance of how to safely wash the Air to prevent minor scratches and marring. I took to a professional shop in Tysons VA that did a minor paint correction, already on a two month old car, and it is back to brand new. Mine is a Black Air parked outside 24/7. The car is breathtaking when mirror clean and I want to sustain the exterior looking that way if possible.

 

[fredp]

If I may bump this informative thread with some questions I have been unable to answer after reviewing all previous posts.

1. Is a pressure washer safe or advisable to use on the car? (assume proper handling, equipped with wide tip, suitable psi)

2. Can a rinseless wash, like ONR or N-914, be used effectively to remove road salt or road dirt?

3. How often should/can one use a rinesless wash in-between full rinse washes?

4. Any recommendations to safely spot clean the car while on the go? E.g. large bird poop on trunk or dirt splat on hood, but rest of car is clean.


For background, I learned the hard way having a local mobile detail company do some washes on my Air along with my own ignorance of how to safely wash the Air to prevent minor scratches and marring. I took to a professional shop in Tysons VA that did a minor paint correction, already on a two month old car, and it is back to brand new. Mine is a Black Air parked outside 24/7. The car is breathtaking when mirror clean and I want to sustain the exterior looking that way if possible.

I can't address your questions directly. But, to avoid some of these issues I got my car completely ceramic coated and applied PPF = paint protection film to the front clip/quarter panels. From my observation, the ceramic coating does a good job repelling dirt, spots, etc. I only go to a brushless car wash (hard to find) or hand car wash. My car is white and doesn't show dirt as much but after snow/sleet/rain I know when it's time to wash, i.e. - no regularly wash schedule.

 

[segbrk]

I'm unfortunately ceramic-less, since I'm leasing.

If I may bump this informative thread with some questions I have been unable to answer after reviewing all previous posts.

1. Is a pressure washer safe or advisable to use on the car? (assume proper handling, equipped with wide tip, suitable psi)

I've had no issue using a pressure washer in the summer. As you said, wide tip, suitable psi, suitable distance. Also note the warning in the manual:

Do not aim water hoses directly at window, door, or hood seals, or through wheel apertures onto brake components.

2. Can a rinseless wash, like ONR or N-914, be used effectively to remove road salt or road dirt?

I believe so. I use ONR all the time and haven't seen any scratching. Overspray to soak and lift the grit, wipe gently, clean your cloths often, etc.

3. How often should/can one use a rinesless wash in-between full rinse washes?

I give my car an ONR bath once a week. In winter, that's all I do, since my hoses are winterized. When it's warmer out I'll start with a water rinse, mostly dry with an electric leaf blower, ONR for a nice shine, and wipe dry. Still weekly. With the leaf blower, it doesn't take much more time.

4. Any recommendations to safely spot clean the car while on the go? E.g. large bird poop on trunk or dirt splat on hood, but rest of car is clean.

I have a couple microfiber cloths in my glovebox for small non-scratchy things, but otherwise I just wait til I get home.

 

[hydbob]

I'm unfortunately ceramic-less, since I'm leasing.


I've had no issue using a pressure washer in the summer. As you said, wide tip, suitable psi, suitable distance. Also note the warning in the manual:



I believe so. I use ONR all the time and haven't seen any scratching. Overspray to soak and lift the grit, wipe gently, clean your cloths often, etc.

I give my car an ONR bath once a week. In winter, that's all I do, since my hoses are winterized. When it's warmer out I'll start with a water rinse, mostly dry with an electric leaf blower, ONR for a nice shine, and wipe dry. Still weekly. With the leaf blower, it doesn't take much more time.

I have a couple microfiber cloths in my glovebox for small non-scratchy things, but otherwise I just wait til I get home.

To add to this, you can keep a small bottle of diluted ONR for road trips if you really care to get it off ASAP.

 

[stealth]

I'm unfortunately ceramic-less, since I'm leasing.


I've had no issue using a pressure washer in the summer. As you said, wide tip, suitable psi, suitable distance. Also note the warning in the manual:



I believe so. I use ONR all the time and haven't seen any scratching. Overspray to soak and lift the grit, wipe gently, clean your cloths often, etc.

I give my car an ONR bath once a week. In winter, that's all I do, since my hoses are winterized. When it's warmer out I'll start with a water rinse, mostly dry with an electric leaf blower, ONR for a nice shine, and wipe dry. Still weekly. With the leaf blower, it doesn't take much more time.

I have a couple microfiber cloths in my glovebox for small non-scratchy things, but otherwise I just wait til I get home.

Appreciate all this info. Admittedly, it is hard to discover methods/tools that have unanimous consensus when it comes to car care, though your routine, schedule, and methods seem to match what I have formulated in my head as the plan going forward now that I have the car back in good shape. I am also leasing; otherwise, I would have invested in PPF to help with exterior maintenance.

I realize how much I have to learn re: properly washing the Air and am grateful for everyone on the forum to share their wisdom. Thank you!

 

[DeaneG]

Be careful in removing bird poop, it often contains grit the bird has ingested.

 

[Worldwide Beagle]

If I may bump this informative thread with some questions I have been unable to answer after reviewing all previous posts.

1. Is a pressure washer safe or advisable to use on the car? (assume proper handling, equipped with wide tip, suitable psi)

2. Can a rinseless wash, like ONR or N-914, be used effectively to remove road salt or road dirt?

3. How often should/can one use a rinesless wash in-between full rinse washes?

4. Any recommendations to safely spot clean the car while on the go? E.g. large bird poop on trunk or dirt splat on hood, but rest of car is clean.


For background, I learned the hard way having a local mobile detail company do some washes on my Air along with my own ignorance of how to safely wash the Air to prevent minor scratches and marring. I took to a professional shop in Tysons VA that did a minor paint correction, already on a two month old car, and it is back to brand new. Mine is a Black Air parked outside 24/7. The car is breathtaking when mirror clean and I want to sustain the exterior looking that way if possible.

As luck would have it, I just installed my new pressure washing and car detailing set up. I have spent hours (or days) researching, watching some of the GOOD YouTube videos and learned a lot.

1. Yes, the correct pressure washer is the perfect way to wash the car. All top detailers do. Gotta find the correct one and set it up. Most pressure washers are geared to high pressure and lower water volume. You want the opposite. Wisdom now is that you want about 1000 psi and about 1.5 or more GPM, using a 40 degree nozzle. Electric pressure washers are great for this. The Karcher P1700 and P1800 are great low end ways to start out, outfitted with a better hose, short gun and bigger nozzles. Some like the small Ryobi. The Active 2.0 is a great machine out of the box., again, get a better hose and good short gun. The Porsche of car washing pressure washers are the Kranzle - made in Germany - staring at $1200. I have a Kranzle K1622TS. Most of my hard parts are stainless steel from MTM Hydra - from Italy: gun, want, nozzles, quick disconnects. Veloci, the MTM importer in the US, makes some of the best hoses.

2. I went the route of a foam cannon. I thought it was goofy until I used it. Its amazing when you car is caked with mag chloride. Once you use a foam cannon, you will not go back. The foam, if done correctly, floods the car with ph neutral soap that prevents scratching when you use microfiber mitt to wipe the car. The technical term is lubricity. {Something ONR is also known for} Just using Foam, with out some wiping, only works to take off dust.

3. If you watch some of the YouTubes from REAL high end detailers - not that asshole Pan, they all use pressure washers for Ferraris, Maserati, Lambo, etc. The key is, as you said: 1000 PSI, wide nozzle.

4. IMHO, I do not find ONR mixed to the rinse-less wash dilation ratio to be great for mag chloride road salt. ONR, from what I have read, was not meant for REAL DIRT.

If you have any questions about pressure washer setups, let me know. I have discount codes for Clean Garage and Veloci/MTM Hydra.

 

[Worldwide Beagle]

I can't address your questions directly. But, to avoid some of these issues I got my car completely ceramic coated and applied PPF = paint protection film to the front clip/quarter panels. From my observation, the ceramic coating does a good job repelling dirt, spots, etc. I only go to a brushless car wash (hard to find) or hand car wash. My car is white and doesn't show dirt as much but after snow/sleet/rain I know when it's time to wash, i.e. - no regularly wash schedule.

Please note that in some ways, brushless car washes are worse for your finish/chrome/wheels that cloth agitation/brushed car washes. For a brushless car wash to get your car clean, it has to use both HIGH and LOW pH cleaners. Both caustic and acidic. A pH neutral soap will NOT clean dirt without agitation. I represented a chain of car washes years ago. There are some really high quality ones, but few and far between.

 

[Worldwide Beagle]

Be careful in removing bird poop, it often contains grit the bird has ingested.

One bird's grit is another bird's invasive species of seed

 

[stealth]

To add to this, you can keep a small bottle of diluted ONR for road trips if you really care to get it off ASAP.

This is a great idea and I recall in an earlier post someone else saying they also did this for on the go spot cleans.

 

[stealth]

As luck would have it, I just installed my new pressure washing and car detailing set up. I have spent hours (or days) researching, watching some of the GOOD YouTube videos and learned a lot.

1. Yes, the correct pressure washer is the perfect way to wash the car. All top detailers do. Gotta find the correct one and set it up. Most pressure washers are geared to high pressure and lower water volume. You want the opposite. Wisdom now is that you want about 1000 psi and about 1.5 or more GPM, using a 40 degree nozzle. Electric pressure washers are great for this. The Karcher P1700 and P1800 are great low end ways to start out, outfitted with a better hose, short gun and bigger nozzles. Some like the small Ryobi. The Active 2.0 is a great machine out of the box., again, get a better hose and good short gun. The Porsche of car washing pressure washers are the Kranzle - made in Germany - staring at $1200. I have a Kranzle K1622TS. Most of my hard parts are stainless steel from MTM Hydra - from Italy: gun, want, nozzles, quick disconnects. Veloci, the MTM importer in the US, makes some of the best hoses.

2. I went the route of a foam cannon. I thought it was goofy until I used it. Its amazing when you car is caked with mag chloride. Once you use a foam cannon, you will not go back. The foam, if done correctly, floods the car with ph neutral soap that prevents scratching when you use microfiber mitt to wipe the car. The technical term is lubricity. {Something ONR is also known for} Just using Foam, with out some wiping, only works to take off dust.

3. If you watch some of the YouTubes from REAL high end detailers - not that asshole Pan, they all use pressure washers for Ferraris, Maserati, Lambo, etc. The key is, as you said: 1000 PSI, wide nozzle.

4. IMHO, I do not find ONR mixed to the rinse-less wash dilation ratio to be great for mag chloride road salt. ONR, from what I have read, was not meant for REAL DIRT.

If you have any questions about pressure washer setups, let me know. I have discount codes for Clean Garage and Veloci/MTM Hydra.

This is next level and congrats on the new pressure washing setup! Much respect for your getting top shelf hardware.

Some of the rabbit holes I went down did say that Kranzle, specifically the model you have, is the cream of the crop. That said, I don’t know if I am ready for that type of investment having never owned a pressure washer. I am seriously considering getting an entry level one if it is the best way to rinse the car and would aspire to get a Kranzle if/when I master the techniques. Tempting as it is, I don’t want to be like a new golfer who spends a small fortune on the nicest clubs available at the pro shop, but hasn’t yet gotten down any fundamentals of the swing… e.g. Tiger Woods would still destroy all of us even if he were using a crappy set of ultracheap clubs from Amazon. All that to say, IMO good techniques earn good tools and good tools deserve good techniques.

Here is another rookie question - Lucid and forum members recommend not to exceed 1000 PSI from the pressure washer and I understand you cannot adjust the pressure itself at the unit. So, if a pressure washer is marketed at, say 2100 PSI and 1.2GPM, or like the Kranzle, 1600 PSI and 1.7GPM, are you achieving the ~1000 PSI by using a wider tip, by handling at a further distance away from the car, or by some combination of equipment and technique?

And yes, YouTube does seem full of many car detailing charlatans. So much harder to sift through noise online these days.

 

[Worldwide Beagle]

Here is another rookie question - Lucid and forum members recommend not to exceed 1000 PSI from the pressure washer and I understand you cannot adjust the pressure itself at the unit. So, if a pressure washer is marketed at, say 2100 PSI and 1.2GPM, or like the Kranzle, 1600 PSI and 1.7GPM, are you achieving the ~1000 PSI by using a wider tip, by handling at a further distance away from the car, or by some combination of equipment and technique?

And yes, YouTube does seem full of many car detailing charlatans. So much harder to sift through noise online these days.

Great question and you are so close.

Tip Orifice Nozzle size is the way to go - don't rely on distance!

First, almost all electric pressure washers NEVER reach their max pressure. Maybe if you measure just out of the pump body, but not at the wand. If you watch the tons of YouTubes from Obsessed Garage, you will see that most that claim 1800 or 2000 will output more like 1200 to 1500 - and that is with the factory nozzle. Karcher, Ryobi and Sunjoe all use as small an OEM nozzle as possible to boost pressure. MOST newbies THINK pressure is very important. For car washing, ITS NOT. OEMs use a tiny nozzle on purpose to get high pressure for advertising. On the other hand, with a big orifice, you get lower pressure but MORE water - and its water that cleans cars (we are not blasting off rust)

Note: on low end PWs, there is an inverse correlation with nozzle size vs GPM. But on the top machines, like Kranzle and AR, you reach a point where continuing to open up the nozzle lower pressure below 1000psi but will not increase GPM. See the attached spreadsheet for the happy mediums.

Note: fan width is also important. 40 degrees for general washing and rinsing. I also use, on occasion, a 25 degree for wheels, wheel wells, undercarriage, rocker panels - being careful on distance. With 1000 psi and a 40 deg, you do not have to be so careful - still don't get 1 inch away from window seals .

So, it really is 99% nozzle/orifice size and fan width. I have attached the spreadsheet OG did testing a hundred pressure washers. When using ANY and EVERY electric pressure washer made for car washing, you will always go up a bit in orifice size. My Kranzle came with a 2.8 and I use a 3.5. It lowers the pressure to about 1000 psi and raises the GPM. The lower end Karcher P1700 and P1800 (excellent starter units) come with a 1.8 orifice, and you need to go up to a 3.0. That brings the pressure way down to 1000 and gets the GPM as high as it will get. Even the Active 2.0, a very popular machine made for car washing, comes with a 4.0 and you should use a 5.0 to lower pressure to 1050 and boost GPM.

So, its using proper equipment for a dedicated setup. With 1000 psi and a 40 degree nozzle, you can get inches away the finish with no issues. You can easily tell if the set up is safe: put your hand in front of the flow. 1000 psi with a 40 or 25 degree nozzle will NOT hurt.

Take a look at the enclosed spreadsheet from OG. Matt did a SHITLOAD of MONTHS of work on a hundred PWs to produce it. Its the holy grail of information on electric pressure washer set up for car detailing.

 

[lucidtouringman]

I read this thread so hard... I went and ONR'd my car

 

[Bunnylebowski]

If I may bump this informative thread with some questions I have been unable to answer after reviewing all previous posts.

1. Is a pressure washer safe or advisable to use on the car? (assume proper handling, equipped with wide tip, suitable psi)

2. Can a rinseless wash, like ONR or N-914, be used effectively to remove road salt or road dirt?

3. How often should/can one use a rinesless wash in-between full rinse washes?

4. Any recommendations to safely spot clean the car while on the go? E.g. large bird poop on trunk or dirt splat on hood, but rest of car is clean.


For background, I learned the hard way having a local mobile detail company do some washes on my Air along with my own ignorance of how to safely wash the Air to prevent minor scratches and marring. I took to a professional shop in Tysons VA that did a minor paint correction, already on a two month old car, and it is back to brand new. Mine is a Black Air parked outside 24/7. The car is breathtaking when mirror clean and I want to sustain the exterior looking that way if possible.

Ah hello fellow black car owner. The only thing I can add to this otherwise helpful series of recommendations you can cherry pick from, is if you’re using a foam cannon/pressure washer, use a mixture of chemical guys black light (30%) and chemicals guys snow foam (70%) and your car will look like this obsidian mirror…..although most of the time I use ONR as does the detailing shop I use and that gets you most of the way there.

 

[stealth]

Great question and you are so close.

Tip Orifice Nozzle size is the way to go - don't rely on distance!

First, almost all electric pressure washers NEVER reach their max pressure. Maybe if you measure just out of the pump body, but not at the wand. If you watch the tons of YouTubes from Obsessed Garage, you will see that most that claim 1800 or 2000 will output more like 1200 to 1500 - and that is with the factory nozzle. Karcher, Ryobi and Sunjoe all use as small an OEM nozzle as possible to boost pressure. MOST newbies THINK pressure is very important. For car washing, ITS NOT. OEMs use a tiny nozzle on purpose to get high pressure for advertising. On the other hand, with a big orifice, you get lower pressure but MORE water - and its water that cleans cars (we are not blasting off rust)

Note: on low end PWs, there is an inverse correlation with nozzle size vs GPM. But on the top machines, like Kranzle and AR, you reach a point where continuing to open up the nozzle lower pressure below 1000psi but will not increase GPM. See the attached spreadsheet for the happy mediums.

Note: fan width is also important. 40 degrees for general washing and rinsing. I also use, on occasion, a 25 degree for wheels, wheel wells, undercarriage, rocker panels - being careful on distance. With 1000 psi and a 40 deg, you do not have to be so careful - still don't get 1 inch away from window seals .

So, it really is 99% nozzle/orifice size and fan width. I have attached the spreadsheet OG did testing a hundred pressure washers. When using ANY and EVERY electric pressure washer made for car washing, you will always go up a bit in orifice size. My Kranzle came with a 2.8 and I use a 3.5. It lowers the pressure to about 1000 psi and raises the GPM. The lower end Karcher P1700 and P1800 (excellent starter units) come with a 1.8 orifice, and you need to go up to a 3.0. That brings the pressure way down to 1000 and gets the GPM as high as it will get. Even the Active 2.0, a very popular machine made for car washing, comes with a 4.0 and you should use a 5.0 to lower pressure to 1050 and boost GPM.

So, its using proper equipment for a dedicated setup. With 1000 psi and a 40 degree nozzle, you can get inches away the finish with no issues. You can easily tell if the set up is safe: put your hand in front of the flow. 1000 psi with a 40 or 25 degree nozzle will NOT hurt.

Take a look at the enclosed spreadsheet from OG. Matt did a SHITLOAD of MONTHS of work on a hundred PWs to produce it. Its the holy grail of information on electric pressure washer set up for car detailing.

Wow, this is hugely helpful and makes sense. I need to get the right orifice, degree nozzle, and focus on amount of water. Coming from an hose head with adjustments between “Shower” “Jet” and “Mist” etc, this still does feel like a big step up, though less daunting thanks to this thread.
Appreciate this detailed explanation and the PDF from Obsessed Garage. This is great and it is apparent how much methodical work took place to come up with a sheet like that. Thank you for posting it here for reference.