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CamaroDreams07 · 07-12-2013, 03:34 PM

Maintenance Wash and Dry (when all you’re doing is washing the car)

Obviously, the most basic step in detailing is the wash. This is the foundation on which everything else is built. Washing a car might seem simple, but this is where 90% of damage occurs. People washing carelessly or improperly cause themselves tons of work later on in paint correction.

Before you even start to wash, the first step is to thoroughly rinse the car. This removes most loose debris, sand, dirt, etc. The next step in my method is to use a foam gun to apply a layer of soapy foam onto the entire car. Since you’re using a pH neutral soap (You are, aren’t you?), this doesn’t actually “clean” anything. What it does is add a layer of lubricity to the entire vehicle, allowing your mitt to glide across much easier and reducing the chance of marring.

Most detailers will recommend a two-bucket wash method. What this basically means is that you will have two buckets, each with grit guard inserts. In one bucket you will have your car wash soap and water, in the other just plain water. The idea here is that you will dip your wash media in the soapy bucket, wash a panel, then rinse the wash media off in the plain water bucket before going back to the soapy bucket. This reduces the dirt and grime that is put back in the soapy bucket, and in turn, keeps you from washing the car with dirty water or wash media.

The next step is to rinse the car. If you don’t know how to rinse a car, please read no further as I cannot help you

After you've rinsed off the soap, it's a really good idea to do a pooling or sheeting rinse. This is done by taking low pressure water and letting it flow over the car. On a waxed or sealed car, this will actually reduce the amount of water considerably, essentially drying your paint with water. Search on YouTube if you're not sure what I mean.

Next you are presented with the challenge of drying your car. Before you go reaching for a bath towel, please click on the link to the product thread above and select an appropriate towel. There are two acceptable methods for drying a car. The first is air drying. Using something akin to a leaf blower or specific car drying blower, you blast most of the water off the surface and out of crevices. All that is then left is to wipe the car down with detail spray to eliminate any spots or left over water droplets.

The other method is to towel dry. I firmly stand behind my opinion that towel drying is absolutely fine when you do it PROPERLY. My method is to mist the entire vehicle with detail spray (note the word mist, not slather, soak, or drench), then carefully lay the towel on the paint and drag it across. You don’t want to apply any pressure or go rubbing the towel every which way across the paint. A gentle pull of the towel across the paint will remove most of the water, then flipping to a dry side of the towel will leave a streak-free finish.

Tips:
-Always wash in shade, when paint is cool
-Wash wheels and tires first, with separate wash media and bucket
-Each time you put your wash media into either bucket, rub it against the grit guard to release as much dirt from it as possible.
-Try not to allow soap or water to dry on the car before you are ready to completely dry the vehicle
-When using a quality soap, it’s almost always better to leave the soap on the entire vehicle until you’re reading to rinse, instead of rinsing as you go. This helps keep water spots at bay.
-Divide the car into halves vertically. Wash around the top half of the car first, then go around the vehicle again getting the bottom half. This helps in avoiding spreading contamination from the dirty bottom half to the top.
-Use a sheeting rinse to remove most of the water prior to drying. Google or YouTube that if you’re not sure.
-Apply a LIGHT mist of detail spray around the entire car before towel drying. This adds lubricity and reduces water spotting.

Strip Wash

If you’re planning on going on with claying and polishing, etc., you want to perform a strip wash. The idea here is to rid the car of any existing wax or sealant and provide a clear surface of bare paint on which to work.

The procedure is EXACTLY the same as above, except you’ll use a different soap. While quality car wash soaps are specifically designed to be pH neutral so as not to strip wax, here you want something aggressive enough to actually cut through the wax.

You have a couple options. I use Dawn dish soap in my wash bucket. This cuts through wax, grease, whatever might be on your paint. When used only occasionally, there is no risk of damage to your plastics, rubbers, or paint- regardless of what the Chicken Littles will tell you. Your other option is to mix a few ounces of an All-Purpose Cleaner in with your normal car wash soap. This does the same job.

There are also dedicated strip washes, but I don’t recommend spending the money on them.

07-12-2013, 03:34 PM	#2
CamaroDreams07 Drives: Slow V6 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: East Lansing, MI Posts: 9,361 View My Garage	Maintenance Wash and Dry (when all you’re doing is washing the car) Obviously, the most basic step in detailing is the wash. This is the foundation on which everything else is built. Washing a car might seem simple, but this is where 90% of damage occurs. People washing carelessly or improperly cause themselves tons of work later on in paint correction. Before you even start to wash, the first step is to thoroughly rinse the car. This removes most loose debris, sand, dirt, etc. The next step in my method is to use a foam gun to apply a layer of soapy foam onto the entire car. Since you’re using a pH neutral soap (You are, aren’t you?), this doesn’t actually “clean” anything. What it does is add a layer of lubricity to the entire vehicle, allowing your mitt to glide across much easier and reducing the chance of marring. Most detailers will recommend a two-bucket wash method. What this basically means is that you will have two buckets, each with grit guard inserts. In one bucket you will have your car wash soap and water, in the other just plain water. The idea here is that you will dip your wash media in the soapy bucket, wash a panel, then rinse the wash media off in the plain water bucket before going back to the soapy bucket. This reduces the dirt and grime that is put back in the soapy bucket, and in turn, keeps you from washing the car with dirty water or wash media. The next step is to rinse the car. If you don’t know how to rinse a car, please read no further as I cannot help you After you've rinsed off the soap, it's a really good idea to do a pooling or sheeting rinse. This is done by taking low pressure water and letting it flow over the car. On a waxed or sealed car, this will actually reduce the amount of water considerably, essentially drying your paint with water. Search on YouTube if you're not sure what I mean. Next you are presented with the challenge of drying your car. Before you go reaching for a bath towel, please click on the link to the product thread above and select an appropriate towel. There are two acceptable methods for drying a car. The first is air drying. Using something akin to a leaf blower or specific car drying blower, you blast most of the water off the surface and out of crevices. All that is then left is to wipe the car down with detail spray to eliminate any spots or left over water droplets. The other method is to towel dry. I firmly stand behind my opinion that towel drying is absolutely fine when you do it PROPERLY. My method is to mist the entire vehicle with detail spray (note the word mist, not slather, soak, or drench), then carefully lay the towel on the paint and drag it across. You don’t want to apply any pressure or go rubbing the towel every which way across the paint. A gentle pull of the towel across the paint will remove most of the water, then flipping to a dry side of the towel will leave a streak-free finish. Tips: -Always wash in shade, when paint is cool -Wash wheels and tires first, with separate wash media and bucket -Each time you put your wash media into either bucket, rub it against the grit guard to release as much dirt from it as possible. -Try not to allow soap or water to dry on the car before you are ready to completely dry the vehicle -When using a quality soap, it’s almost always better to leave the soap on the entire vehicle until you’re reading to rinse, instead of rinsing as you go. This helps keep water spots at bay. -Divide the car into halves vertically. Wash around the top half of the car first, then go around the vehicle again getting the bottom half. This helps in avoiding spreading contamination from the dirty bottom half to the top. -Use a sheeting rinse to remove most of the water prior to drying. Google or YouTube that if you’re not sure. -Apply a LIGHT mist of detail spray around the entire car before towel drying. This adds lubricity and reduces water spotting. Strip Wash If you’re planning on going on with claying and polishing, etc., you want to perform a strip wash. The idea here is to rid the car of any existing wax or sealant and provide a clear surface of bare paint on which to work. The procedure is EXACTLY the same as above, except you’ll use a different soap. While quality car wash soaps are specifically designed to be pH neutral so as not to strip wax, here you want something aggressive enough to actually cut through the wax. You have a couple options. I use Dawn dish soap in my wash bucket. This cuts through wax, grease, whatever might be on your paint. When used only occasionally, there is no risk of damage to your plastics, rubbers, or paint- regardless of what the Chicken Littles will tell you. Your other option is to mix a few ounces of an All-Purpose Cleaner in with your normal car wash soap. This does the same job. There are also dedicated strip washes, but I don’t recommend spending the money on them. __________________ [B] Last edited by CamaroDreams07; 07-19-2013 at 03:47 PM.