DETAILED ARTICLES:
Washing & Drying
Washing a vehicle is undoubtedly the most important step in the paint maintenance process. Whether it’s a prep wash before a thorough polishing and correction or just a maintenance wash, it’s the step overlooked by many who are trying to rush through the job to get to polishing, waxing, driving, etc. Washing is the most important step of the process because it’s during washing that paint is not only cleansed of the dirt, grime, dust and grease acquired from every day driving, but also damaged by improper techniques, tools and supplies. If washed improperly, the paint surface will acquire more defects, such as water spots and scratches, than it will during regular driving periods. This is due to the fact that during washing a mitt is in contact with the paint, and improper use of the materials (soap, mitt, water, bucket) leaves a huge possibility that all the dirt and grime that’s accumulated on the paint will be pushed and pulled all over the paint surface, creating scratches and leaving a dull finish. Thus, everyone should invest in the proper supplies as well as the time to learn how to correctly wash the vehicle and clean it well instead of making it worse.
Many people have adopted the 2-bucket method, using one rinse bucket and one soap/wash bucket. The idea is that you soak the wash mitt in the wash bucket, wash a section of the car, rinse the mitt off in the rinse bucket, then go to the wash bucket again and wash a section again, etc. While this is good practice, definitely better than using just one bucket, it’s not perfect so to speak. The idea behind the 2-bucket method is that dirt trapped in the mitt after washing down a section will be released into the rinse bucket, so it’s not brought back to the paint. Problem is all that dirt (depending on how dirty a car is) is usually not going to completely come out into the rinse bucket. The best way to do it is to rinse the mitt with the nozzle thoroughly after washing a section, which will ensure most, if not all, trapped dirt is rinsed out. After that, you can rinse out the mitt in the rinse bucket. I actually rinse the mitt with the nozzle after washing a section, and then move it around a bit in the rinse bucket, then a quick spray with the nozzle again. The main thing is that the soap/water solution in the wash bucket should be as clean at the end of the wash as it was when you started.
Necessary Tools & Supplies for the job:
(1) Hose (long enough to reach around entire car after being connected to a water source)
(1) Spray nozzle for the hose
(1) Shut-off valve between hose and nozzle (helps keep stream set on nozzle throughout the wash)
(2) 5 gallon buckets (one for rinsing the mitt and one to hold the soap and water used for washing)
(2) Grit guard bucket inserts (one for each bucket)
(2) Sheepskin wash mitts (one is used for the upper panels and one for lower/dirtier parts)
(1) Bottle of quality car soap
(2-4) Waffle weave drying towels
Additional:
Numerous quality micro fiber towels (used for final wipe down with QD)
Quick Detailer of choice (used for final wipe down with m/f towels)
Wheel cleaner
(2) Wheel brushes
All-Purpose cleaner APC (used for wheel wells and lower plastic panels)
Bug & Tar Remover (used for stubborn stuff like tar, bug splatter, tree sap, etc.)
Tire brush
Multi-purpose brush
Optional:
Water purifier system (eliminates or lowers the possibility of water spots)
Foam Gun (aids in the washing process in that more grime is removed before the paint is washed)
Blower/vacuum (aids in drying the vehicle in smaller areas, crevices, and door jambs)
Smaller brush (for lug nuts)
Process of the two-bucket method wash before doing correction:
[(*) denotes steps to be skipped when doing only a maintenance wash]
Preparation:
1. Attach hose to water source, shut-off valve to hose, and nozzle to shut-off valve
2. Place a grit guard in each bucket and mark (with a Sharpie or similar) one bucket “R”inse and the other “W”ash.
3. Pour about 3 gallons of water into the wash bucket after cleaning out the bucket first (the 3 gallons doesn’t matter but 4 gallons is what I use as the amount of water to use with a certain amount of soap in the 5 gallon wash bucket… best way to mark the 4 gallons is to, when bucket is first used, measure out 4 gallons using either 32oz. bottles, gallon of milk, etc., then once the 4 gallons of water are in the bucket, mark off the level by making a small cut inside the bucket, placing some water-proof tape, etc… once that’s done once you can easily fill to the specified level in the future)
4. Pour about 2-3 ounces of the car wash soap into the wash bucket (most manufacturers call for 0.5-1.0 oz. of soap per gallon of water, so always follow directions as specified on the bottle of soap)
5. Now turn on the shut-off valve, and set the nozzle to a high pressure stream
6. Pour more water in with the high pressure stream, moving the nozzle all around the bucket in order to dilute all the soap solution you just placed inside.
7. The soap will start bubbling and bubbles will eventually start to overflow in the bucket… stop at this point, put the bucket aside (away from the car because you will first wash the wheels, tires and wheel wells, as well as rinse off some loose dirt, and you don’t want that getting into the buckets of water… at this point you might not be at 4 gallons but it’s ok, as you’ll fill up the rest in step 1 of the actual wash process)
8. Place both wash mitts inside the wash bucket and push them down to soak in the soap & water solution
9. Now you can fill the rinse bucket with about 4 gallons of water and set it next to the wash bucket
(NOTE: If it’s not possible to set the buckets far enough from the vehicle while doing the pre-wash, like in a very tight garage, skip steps 1-9 until after the pre-wash)
Pre-Wash:
1. Take the wheel brush and spray it just a bit with the nozzle (only enough so it has some water on the bristles)
2. Take the wheel cleaner (these are usually diluted and placed into spray bottles) and spray the wheel generously to cover the entire wheel surface.
3. While the wheel cleaner is doing its job on the wheel surface, grab the all purpose cleaner (another product usually diluted to a certain ratio with water and placed in spray bottle) and spray the tire and wheel wells
4. Use the wheel brush to clean the face of the wheel, then the other brush for the inside of the wheel (many wheels allow you to reach the inside through the spokes, while many do not, so do what you can)
5. Use a tire brush to scrub the tire clean
6. Use a multi-purpose brush to scrub down the wheel wells (this will be impossible on many sports cars and even some sedans… solution is to either lift the car and extend the spring to gain some room and/or use a damp terry towel (in addition to the APC) to scrub down under there)
7. Rinse everything off with a high pressure stream of water and repeat if necessary
8. Rinse the entire vehicle with high pressure, removing as much loose dirt as possible
*9. Spray lower panels lightly with either a bug & tar remover or a cleaner like P21S Total Auto Wash and rinse down quickly after. (Do this only if some heavier dirt is sticking around, usually by tire areas and front bumper)
>9a. If necessary (if there’s bug splatter, stubborn grease, etc.) use concentrated sprays of P21S TAW over affected areas and use another mitt or grout sponge to wash and rinse off.
10. Rinse down entire car again with high pressure and get ready for the wash.
(NOTE 1: Amount of product (wheel cleaner, APC) used and amount of work required will depend on how dirty the wheels, tires and wheel wells are to begin with.
NOTE 2: If paint surface is heavily soiled with something like tar, tree sap, etc., step 9 will be necessary even for a maintenance wash, after which it can be decided to either do a light clay and polish to clean up any defects caused by the stubborn dirt and removal of that dirt, or simply wax and wait until the next correction)
Wash:
1. Bring both buckets closer to the vehicle and spray another high pressure stream into the wash bucket to fill it up to about 4 gallons and agitate any soap that has settled. Now the wash begins.
*2. Use P21S TAW diluted 1:1 with water and spray half of the roof. (Keep using this on every section prior to washing that section to aid in removal of any previous wax build up)
3. Take one mitt (doesn’t matter which) and wash the half of the roof onto which the TAW was sprayed… use very light pressure and go in a back and forth and/or left to right motion.
4. Take the nozzle and rinse off the area you just washed (if it’s warm or hot outside, especially if the sun is out, rinse the entire car quickly when rinsing the ‘just washed’ section… this will keep water spots away)
5. Take the mitt you just used, rinse it all around with fairly high pressure from the nozzle, then place it into the rinse bucket and leave it there.
6. Take the mitt out of the rinse bucket, spray it very well with the nozzle at high pressure all around to remove any dirt it just picked up, and then toss it inside the wash bucket.
>6a. An alternative would be to wash the next section with the other mitt, then after both mitts are placed in the rinse bucket and after the next ‘just washed’ section is rinsed off, rinse off both mitts with the nozzle, place them in the wash bucket, and start over
7. Wash the other half of the roof using steps 2-6 above.
8. Wash one half or one quarter of the hood using steps 2-6.
9. Finish hood using steps 2-6 by either doing the other half or the other 3 quarters one by one.
10. Wash trunk using steps 2-6 above.
11. Wash upper panels (front fender, front door, rear door, rear fender, first on one side, then the other) using steps 2-6 mentioned above and concentrating on sections similar in size to sections mentioned above.
12. Once done with upper panels, start with the lower panels on plan on finishing on the most soiled area.
13. Once done washing all panels, take one of the mitts (or a third mitt, meant for dirtier work) and quickly run on the underside of fenders (usually there’s a 1/4” or 1/2” bend going from panel into the wheel well by each wheel.
14. Put away the mitts and rinse down the entire car, starting from top to bottom and concentrating on the door, trunk, and hood jambs to get any soap and dirt out.
15. Set the nozzle on a very slow stream of water and run it slowly over the entire vehicle… this will help sheet off much of the water, leaving very little to be dried off.
16. Move onto drying.
(NOTE: using the two mitts as described assumes both mitts are equally washed later and either can be used on the paint surface during the next wash… if more care is given to the mitt for upper panels, then the two should stay separate throughout the process, starting by not placing both into the water and soap solution in step 8 during preparation, rather once done with the upper panels, that mitt should be put away and the mitt for lower panels put in the wash bucket to start washing lower panels)
Drying
Drying is the second and last part of the weekly maintenance process. When drying, it’s important to realize that it can easily become the most damaging step if not enough care is taken while working and if dirty towels are used. During washing, there’s at least some lubrication and a mitt to pick up and contain the loose dirt. However, while drying, paint is being wiped with a towel that has shorter nap compared to a wash mitt, and with no lubrication, leaving more chances to introduce swirl marks into the paint. Some paints, Porsches in general, have EXTREMELY soft paint, and any pressure will result in marring that becomes quite noticeable, especially on black paint. On the other hand, Audi paints tend to be very hard, so marring doesn’t happen that easily. However, many cars, such as BMWs, tend to be on the harder side when it comes to paint hardness, but have a few models and paint types that are very soft, like BMW jet black for example. This is why it’s always important to practice proper drying techniques and be careful not to mar the paint
To properly dry a vehicle without introducing any defects, it’s important to use clean towels.
The following process is meant for a maintenance only wash. If claying and polishing is to be done after the wash, all but step 1 of the drying process can be skipped, because the water on the surface will act as an extra lubrication for the clay and drying process after claying will be different (see Claying section for further information. Drying after claying will be discussed in the Claying section)
1. If possible, using a leaf blower (with a filter), air compressor, vacuum, etc., blow out water from crevices around headlights, tail lights, wheels, etc. as well as door, trunk, and hood jambs.
2. Next, quickly wipe down all glass with a regular microfiber towel.
3. Get a microfiber waffle weave drying towel and start drying the roof by folding the towel in half and simply blotting the surface section by section. Simply put the towel down starting at one corner of the roof, tap/press down over the entire area towel is covering, then flip it over to the next section and do the same thing.
4. Use a second waffle weave towel if the first becomes too damp to pick up water effectively.
5. After finishing the entire car like this, you should be left with a few smears of water here and there.
6. Pick up the regular microfiber towels, and little by little wipe down the entire car with these towels and some QD. This way there’s some lube so the paint isn’t’ being wiped while being pretty much dry and the QD wipe down will give it a bit of gloss and shine as well.
7. After the entire car is wiped down, do the same thing to the door jambs, trunk jambs, etc, using the regular mf towels and a QD.
8. Next, pick up any drips, etc. that went onto the paint from the door jambs, etc.
9. Take another waffle weave drying towel and dry the wheels thoroughly.
10. Tires can be dried with regular shop towels (I prefer to use old but clean terry towels)
11. Lastly, go around the vehicle to properly dry/clean the glass as well as dress the tires, wheel wells, plastics, etc.
(NOTE: Use as little pressure as possible throughout the drying process and don’t forget areas like gas cap, etc.)