quote:

Originally posted by Prefontaine:
Some take it so far to use 0 PPM water. To me it’s unnecessary. I use tap. Wet the vehicle down. Wash with soap/mit, 2 bucket method. Then wash it off. Then my next step takes care of all the water. I fire up the Leaf Blower. I use it all over the vehicle, wheels, name it. Then it’s a 1 microfiber towel to dry and it’s super fast as there is almost no water left. So if you don’t have a leaf blower, you can buy a lower cost electric version. I use my 2 stroke Stihl, that I use for the yard after I mow.

My vehicles are ceramic coated so I just spray P&S bead maker after wash, and wash it off with another microfiber. I can do this whole process in less than an hour on a car. Truck takes longer because of size.

This to a T for me too

I use a foam cannon and pressure washer. Foam, rinse, foam again and hand wash with mits.

I use drizzle mode on my Dramm hose nozzle to sheet the majority of the water off. Then leaf blower for the rest.

Tech 582 spray and microfiber buff. My black 2024 sedan remains swirl free.

Start with ceramic coated vehicles.

Foam with pressure washer and foam cannon first (rather than rinse). Let dwell. I'm using Chemical Guys Honeydew Snowfoam, but I don't actually think the soap here actually matters very much.

Two bucket wash with microfiber towel. I put an ounce of ONR (Optimum No Rinse) into the wash bucket as a wash boost. Same CG Honeydew in the wash bucket as well. Grit guards in the buckets for funsies.

Pressure washer rinse.

Leaf blower to push the water off.

Go back with 10-12 microfiber towels and 1 or 2 spritzes of Adams Graphene CS3 per panel as my drying aid and ceramic coat maintenance.

I wash with softened (but not deionized water). Deionizer would be nice, but seems pretty expensive for what it is. Water going into the house is softened anyway, I just had an additional valve plumbed through the wall. The foam/soap/boost stays slicker and the water spots aren't as bad. The total dissolved solids (TDS) is still about the same as straight tap water, but doesn't dry up into the tougher white calcium spots.

I maintain with Adams Graphene Detail Spray between washes, and ONR in a spray bottle if my windshield gets dirty. (The ONR is really economical, so I can use the sprayer liberally on the windshield to remove bugs).

I had my paint corrected and a ceramic coating put on three years ago. I always wash by hand with a foam cannon and a bucket with a guard at the bottom.

After rinsing, I get most of the water off with a leaf blower, then I spray a mixture of this on the car and dry off with a microfiber towel. I use it as a drying spray. It's diluted 1:2 with distilled water. Has worked great for years. Driving in the rain, the water just rolls off the car. Works on plastic and glass as well. I finally bought my second bottle. I usually wash my car biweekly. Maybe once a month at home, but it's usually every other Sunday at work.

I wash my car at home and found that using a hose-end water filter helps with water spots. Also, drying with a good microfiber towel and a quick detailing spray afterward can keep your car looking spotless.

County water is heavy with solids, my car is such a dark gray, its almost black and I'm too lazy to do the after-wash special fluids wipedown.

Car looks like a reverse Dalmation.

I'm to lazy for all this.

Shop down the street will do a hand wash, vacuum and interior wipe for like $35. I walk next door to the Mexican restaurant and grab a taco or two while they work. They do a pretty good job for the $35.

I usually only take it maybe once a month or so. Not like I'm taking my Model 3 mudding or something.

Like others have said...

I use an RV filter, Amazon or Walmart, and attach at spigot then hose to it. Helps with hard water spotting but it's not CR or DI. No matter your technique you can't let unfiltered tap water dry on surface especially in direct sunlight. To help avoid this follow what many have said already. Using a blower, micro fiber towel with a drying aid, which is a lubricant to help reduce scratches and usually applies a sacrificial layer of protection, will greatly reduce your chances of water spots.

This guy is extreme for most but his process is dead on. And he likes what he likes at what price it is. I use his Drying aid spray and find it much more usable and forgiving in its application then the P&S Bead Maker. Bead Maker can be finicky with humid or hot climates. The OG drying aid works better for me in those climates. His videos of his "Process" are excellent though extreme for most unless your into keeping an extremely clean vehicle.

https://www.obsessedgarage.com/ and they have a YT channel.

My method

RV filter
Pressure washer with 40 nozzle to pre rinse
Pressure washer with foam cannon to soap
Two bucket wash, one with soap water other plain rinse water
Rag company wash pad
Pressure washer rinse with 40 nozzle
EGO blower to knock off most water but not completely dry
Finish drying with OG drying aid and micro fiber towels

I've done this for 3yrs on a black Jeep, bought new, and have no swirls. I've never waxed and it beads water like a ceramic coating and is very slick to touch. Great shine also. Always getting compliments.

Enjoy the process, I do.

quote:

Originally posted by rangeme101:
Enjoy the process, I do.

I used to really enjoy the process. I need to get back to enjoying it.

I use Chemical Guys stuff almost exclusively on the Corvette. Same process LWT16 described almost to the letter.

There are products like this if you have hard water https://www.water-filter.com/a...EA7LJIPVaINLIo5jfOKL

We have an exceptional no touch car wash in the next small town over,
On the way in too the big city that we use for both vehicles.

People in our tiny town have been complaining on Facebook, for three weeks that their water has been smelling like bad eggs.
Really bad eggs.


But it's not in my water, at all.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: bendable,

Lots of good tips here.

Subscribed!

This is what I use. https://www.water-filter.com/a...-_y-cJtojvBaaeDHNozR

Seems to work well. I also try to keep my car wet until I'm finished with washing, theb go over it with a microfiber drying towel.

ARman

quote:

Originally posted by vthoky:

quote:

Originally posted by architect:
My '88 RX-7

With a statement like that, you'd better show some pics, mister!

Not until I get it fixed up and painted! Needs mechanical work too, and it's been sitting outdoors for about six years, although I did start it up about 3 years ago.

Health and age preclude my doing the necessary work myself, and finding a mechanic that I trust hasn't happened yet. Not to mention that parts are getting very very scarce.

I wash like a few in this thread.
For regular wash, pressure rinse - foam cannon - 2nd rinse - foam and mitt wash with ONR in the bucket.
(I use 1 mitt per panel, I’ve got a large bag full)
Final rinse, blow it dry and get the Griots PFM towel out. 1 PFM would probably dry 4 cars without needing to be wrung out.
Hit it with some Bead Maker and call it a day.

If I want something that lasts longer than Bead Maker, like before winter, I’ll rinse - decon with Carpro IronX - wash as above - rinse then blast on a layer of Carpro Hydro2 - dry.
Apply Bead Maker over that and the surface is slicker than snot!
The problem for me is: A-finding enough shade to do the process. B-It’s been raining damn near every day!

Rarely, and it’s because of our hard water, the weather conditions have to be about perfect to get through a pickup truck (black no less) without water spotting. Watching this thread with interest.

Tech582 is a huge time saver and works much better than I thought it would. Meguiars Detailer Hyperwash is 30 bucks a gallon at Harbor Freight. It foams really well in a cannon.

Actually, Harbor Freight has an impressive selection of detailing/car washing supplies. I’ve done some light paint correction with their gear and haven’t been disappointed yet.

quote:

Originally posted by Prefontaine:
Some take it so far to use 0 PPM water. To me it’s unnecessary. I use tap. Wet the vehicle down. Wash with soap/mit, 2 bucket method. Then wash it off. Then my next step takes care of all the water. I fire up the Leaf Blower. I use it all over the vehicle, wheels, name it. Then it’s a 1 microfiber towel to dry and it’s super fast as there is almost no water left. So if you don’t have a leaf blower, you can buy a lower cost electric version. I use my 2 stroke Stihl, that I use for the yard after I mow.

My vehicles are ceramic coated so I just spray P&S bead maker after wash, and wash it off with another microfiber. I can do this whole process in less than an hour on a car. Truck takes longer because of size.

This is pretty much my method too. I have hard water & my shop doesn't run through the softener - I've never had much issue with spots as long as I dry quick with or without softener. With drying aids/spray wax/coating boosters, it's a non-issue completely. If you are getting spots with good technique, I suspect you need a polish.

Adam's graphene ceramic on 1yr old jeep GC (wife's, applied when new Feb '23) and on my 2015 Sierra, applied at 140k just after that. Both black, both look great, wash easy. Wife runs hers through the automatic once a week, mine gets washed a couple times a year whether it needs it or not. Prior to the Adam's, it was waxed by the dealer when it was new....

For walmart-available, meguiar's ceramic spray wax (that's not the full name, blue bottle) works really good as a drying aid / shine booster. I want to try the P&S, but I have a gallon of Adam's Graphene boost that I'm trying to use up. It works, but it's a bastard to apply (streaks). It looked like hell when I used it the 1st time & ran out of time on my truck until it rained the next day while I was at work. Afterward, it looked like I had JUST detailed it. It looks great & lasts for a spray on, but I have not found a good way to put it on & not teach my 6 year old some new phrases.

Also, the Adam's ceramic on windows (auto, house, otherwise) is excellent inside & out. I've used the glass-specific & the normal (bottle & spray) and all work extremely well. I bought a bottle of the spray-ceramic, so I'm not buying the glass-specific any more.

I have hard water here. Trick is to keep car wet the entire time you're washing.....Including areas you already cleaned, and then dry off with an Absorber chamois, no water spots.

I picked up some Chemical Guys snow foam was today, plus a new wash mitt. I've got a handful of new microfiber towels here already, and I'm looking forward to the weekend. The new ride is going to get its first wash since purchase, and I'm kind of excited about it.

The forecast calls for rain Saturday and Sunday, but Monday looks like a beautiful day for some car care.

Thanks for the tips, y'all!