OT: Washing your car

[Elefantino]

There is a great deal of serenity and satisfaction in squeezing soap into a bucket, filling it with water, dumping in a sponge and washing a car.

Careful drying is fulfilling, too. And it's always fun to see the water bead and roll off, letting you know your wax is still at work.

Always an hour well spent.

[dgauthier]

Originally Posted by Elefantino

There is a great deal of serenity and satisfaction in squeezing soap into a bucket, filling it with water, dumping in a sponge and washing a car.

Careful drying is fulfilling, too. And it's always fun to see the water bead and roll off, letting you know your wax is still at work.

Always an hour well spent.

Pfah! An hour! Luxury...

It always takes me 5 hours to wash a car properly. One should always wash in the shade, so I start at 10 pm and finish at 3 am. I used to use only the softest cotton diapers, but now that our daughter is grown I use recycled high quality terrycloth bath towels. To ensure I don't drag grit over the finish, I constantly change the water, soap, and cloths with each section: roof and windows, hood and trunk, left side top half and front grill, right side top half and rear, sides bottom half, wheels, then finally tires and wheel wells. Dry while wiping the interior with the damp towels, and then all the exterior top surfaces get a gentle polish to remove those little bumps that stick to the finish.

Car looks great. It's less serene, though...

[Plum Hill]

I park it outside when it rains.

[Likes2ridefar]

I’ll stick with the 5 dollar drive thru

[enr1co]

Have it down to less than an hour and nearly touchless for a black car with help from my pressure washer, foam cannon and leaf blower for drying

After blow drying, use Griots Garage quick detail spray and super thick micro fiber cloths for a quick shine.

[mtechnica]

PSA: look up a product called ONR it’s a game changer.

[pjm]

Originally Posted by mtechnica

PSA: look up a product called ONR it’s a game changer.

I use Optimum No Rinse all the time. The metallic paint on my Mazda really seems to pop when I clean the car with it. But it has its place, its not for a super dirty car.

[jlwdm]

Foam cannon.
Multiple Chemical Guys mitts. Never put a dirty mitt in water. Use a new one.
Hose off with no nozzle.
Griots Garage microfiber towel that holds 5 gallons of water. I have a blow dryer but never use it.

Jeff

[Seramount]

apparently some people don't see the need to wash their cars (or bikes, but that's a different thread)...

often see rides that have mildew on the paint.

if I remember my biology correctly, mildew (and most other types of mold) produce organic chemicals (some are solvents) as part of their metabolic processes.

can't imagine those are good for paint.

[Ken Robb]

I take it to a car wash. I HATE washing cars. OTOH my "rich" uncle found it very satisfying to work 1/2 day on Saturday, pick up some excellent hot baked ham and rye bread on his way home, have a yummy lunch then wash his very nice car while listening to college football on the radio. He could definitely afford to have it done but he LOVED doing it himself.

[witcombusa]

Cars take 20 minutes, that is enjoyable usually. Street/ADV motos, 45 minutes, satisfying.
Dirt bikes coming home after a Spring mud race.... maybe 3 hours of pain

[p nut]

I used to take my time washing and waxing. No time any more. 8 quarters at the local car wash. Soapy spray gun. Rinse. High-pressure “wax” (I’m sure it does nothing), then get in the car and hit the blow dry button next to the brake pedal.

[mcteague]

Originally Posted by dgauthier

Pfah! An hour! Luxury...

It always takes me 5 hours to wash a car properly. One should always wash in the shade, so I start at 10 pm and finish at 3 am. I used to use only the softest cotton diapers, but now that our daughter is grown I use recycled high quality terrycloth bath towels. To ensure I don't drag grit over the finish, I constantly change the water, soap, and cloths with each section: roof and windows, hood and trunk, left side top half and front grill, right side top half and rear, sides bottom half, wheels, then finally tires and wheel wells. Dry while wiping the interior with the damp towels, and then all the exterior top surfaces get a gentle polish to remove those little bumps that stick to the finish.

Car looks great. It's less serene, though...

No car is worth that much time IMO.

Tim

[zmudshark]

This is a rabbit hole I recently went down, having bought a new car for the first time in 18 years. Mine came with the DISO - dealer installed swirl option, so I delved into the world of paint correction and proper washing.

ONR and microfibers are your friend. Two buckets and grid guards. There’s Reddit forum dedicated to detailing.

It is a deep rabbit hole, know when to say ‘enough’.

I bought a Mazda, if you bought a Ferrari, I’d spend 2 weeks making it blindingly smooth.

[zmudshark]

Originally Posted by dgauthier

Pfah! An hour! Luxury...

It always takes me 5 hours to wash a car properly. One should always wash in the shade, so I start at 10 pm and finish at 3 am. I used to use only the softest cotton diapers, but now that our daughter is grown I use recycled high quality terrycloth bath towels. To ensure I don't drag grit over the finish, I constantly change the water, soap, and cloths with each section: roof and windows, hood and trunk, left side top half and front grill, right side top half and rear, sides bottom half, wheels, then finally tires and wheel wells. Dry while wiping the interior with the damp towels, and then all the exterior top surfaces get a gentle polish to remove those little bumps that stick to the finish.

Car looks great. It's less serene, though...

You’ve never been to a car detailing forum.