Share your washing approach

[Blue131]

Curious to learn more about how everyone is maintaining their cars in between visits to a detailer? Is it a run through an automated wash, something more involved, or are you entirely DIY for detailing?

I'll get us started. I had my Emira paint corrected, full body PPF, then ceramic coated to limit the amount of damage I can do between detailing. I'm resorting to a rinseless wash every 2-3 weeks with spot cleaning in between as needed (experimenting with both Armour Supply Hero and Feynlab v3). My options for washing are limited given HOA rules, but so far am enjoying the results I'm getting from the rinseless especially with the Feynlab dealing with the brake dust being generated

 

[MickOpalak]

You're going to get a lot of posts like this...

Oh no, you're doing it all wrong. To get your car clean correctly, you need to...

 

[Blue131]

You're going to get a lot of posts like this...

Oh no, you're doing it all wrong. To get your car clean correctly, you need to...

That's fair and I'm ok with other POVs. I'm still learning what works for me and genuinely interested in knowing what works for others. I might not adopt it, but good to know what other products and approaches are being done

 

[DBLE07]

That's fair and I'm ok with other POVs. I'm still learning what works for me and genuinely interested in knowing what works for others. I might not adopt it, but good to know what other products and approaches are being done

Curious to learn more about how everyone is maintaining their cars in between visits to a detailer? Is it a run through an automated wash, something more involved, or are you entirely DIY for detailing?

I'll get us started. I had my Emira paint corrected, full body PPF, then ceramic coated to limit the amount of damage I can do between detailing. I'm resorting to a rinseless wash every 2-3 weeks with spot cleaning in between as needed (experimenting with both Armour Supply Hero and Feynlab v3). My options for washing are limited given HOA rules, but so far am enjoying the results I'm getting from the rinseless especially with the Feynlab dealing with the brake dust being generated

I’ve been using Maguires Car Shampoo with a microfiber sponge to clean it, battery powered leaf blower to get the excess water off the body and to blow it out of the cracks, microfiber edgeless towel to dry it. Maguires gel on the tires with an applicator sponge.

For wax, I really like the Collimite 476s every 6-12 months. In between waxes, after washing, I’ll do a Collimite Speed Wax 845.

I have not polished it yet, only had it a year, but likely stick to a Collimite product.

Nothing touches the car when it’s dry, only a good soaking wash.

 

[kitkat]

What are these visits to the detailer?

I cover the car in soap water, I scrub it with a sponge, and then it gets rinsed off and dried.

 

[Orchardbike]

Bilt Hamber touch-less snow foam, then rinse. Then AutoGlym shampoo and contact wash with noodle mitt then rinse. Blower and towel dry. Then either Collinite ceramic beadcote or AutoGlym High Definition wax.

 

[Stevie I wonder]

I just wash my car like every other vehicle I've ever owned,a warm bucket of soapy water,a sponge,rinsed off with a hose then leathered off.
Give it the occasional wax...and all is good.

 

[Blue131]

What are these visits to the detailer?

I cover the car in soap water, I scrub it with a sponge, and then it gets rinsed off and dried.

I'm a tad OCD and maybe a little vain. Rock chips and swirl marks really bother me so I'll take the extra steps to avoid seeing them

 

[harleyujoe]

Well I drive mostly on days that people work and when driving I stay 6 to 7 cars back and jeeps /trucks I stay back 10 vehicles
back to stop stones from hitting that low Emira front end...
The first week I received the car I clay barred the whole car and what a difference and put a Adams Ceramic on ..
If I do anything after a few drives I usually power wash rinse the car and dry it with electric leaf blower and leave a little
water on it to final towel dry it...Then I may use Adams Spray to help when I am towel drying...
The wheels did the same thing and removed them and clay barred them and put ceramic on. them...
The whole summer have done few power washing rinses and the car makes me smile when I pull it out..
The car when I received it had sticky areas from the protective shipping and they did not remove all of it..

 

[kitkat]

I'm a tad OCD and maybe a little vain. Rock chips and swirl marks really bother me so I'll take the extra steps to avoid seeing them

You have PPF friend, you don't need to worry that much about those lol.

 

[seriously]

Does anyone have a solution to wash the wheels only? I find that the car stays clean pretty well, but the wheels get dusty fast.

 

[Kaz]

I use waterless wash using Frothe from AmmoNYC if I even need to wash, usually just spray wash n wax from Meguiars since it smells so good

 

[me73]

There is NO WAY I'd live in a neighborhood with an HOA that kept me from washing my car. That's ridiculous.

 

[daSchtick]

Since I have become a huge fan of P&S Rinseless Wash, I have been primarily using that. I have also become completely sold on the microfiber rags from The Rag Company. I have found that the final results are not only quicker to achieve, but the solution leaves a far nicer finish that looks like I freshly coated it, and boosts water repellency on the windows as well. These days, the only time I perform a traditional soap/water wash is if the car has had muddy water dry on it from something like a long road trip in a rain storm. However, If I can rinse the car with my power washer while the dirt is still wet, I will typically rinseless wash afterward.

My process may sound totally backwards, but I am really happy with the results. I will usually start by gently rinsing the surface of the car from a slight distance with a wide fan tip on my power washer. I then move closer to rinse the wheels/brakes/tires and wheel wells. I have found that this pre-rinse significantly reduces the amount of dirt that I am removing with the rinseless wash.

With the car still wet, I then perform the rinseless wash from top to bottom in sections. This involves application of rinseless wash using a pump sprayer, as well as washing the car using this solution from a bucket as well using a microfiber wash pad. I immediately dry each panel with one of many microfiber towels, and work my way toward the bottom and rear of the car. I then use the damp towels to clean the interior and door jams. Lastly, I use my wheel wash pad and towels to hand wash the wheels, tires, brakes, and wheel wells. The hardest part is fully cleaning the barrels of the rims, simply due to access. However, I have gotten good at sliding a damp towel through these areas, and everything comes off quite easily since I removed the wheels to fully coat them immediately upon delivery.

 

[Blue131]

Since I have become a huge fan of P&S Rinseless Wash, I have been primarily using that. I have also become completely sold on the microfiber rags from The Rag Company. I have found that the final results are not only quicker to achieve, but the solution leaves a far nicer finish that looks like I freshly coated it, and boosts water repellency on the windows as well. These days, the only time I perform a traditional soap/water wash is if the car has had muddy water dry on it from something like a long road trip in a rain storm. However, If I can rinse the car with my power washer while the dirt is still wet, I will typically rinseless wash afterward.

My process may sound totally backwards, but I am really happy with the results. I will usually start by gently rinsing the surface of the car from a slight distance with a wide fan tip on my power washer. I then move closer to rinse the wheels/brakes/tires and wheel wells. I have found that this pre-rinse significantly reduces the amount of dirt that I am removing with the rinseless wash.

With the car still wet, I then perform the rinseless wash from top to bottom in sections. This involves application of rinseless wash using a pump sprayer, as well as washing the car using this solution from a bucket as well using a microfiber wash pad. I immediately dry each panel with one of many microfiber towels, and work my way toward the bottom and rear of the car. I then use the damp towels to clean the interior and door jams. Lastly, I use my wheel wash pad and towels to hand wash the wheels, tires, brakes, and wheel wells. The hardest part is fully cleaning the barrels of the rims, simply due to access. However, I have gotten good at sliding a damp towel through these areas, and everything comes off quite easily since I removed the wheels to fully coat them immediately upon delivery.

I've heard good things about P&S too, just working through what I have first and may give that shot so I don't have to justify to the family why I have umpteen bottles of things that supposedly do the same thing.

Have you had any issues with water getting where it shouldn't be with the power washer? I'll admit the line about pressure washing in the owner's manual got me nervous and has kept me away from the coin op wash bays. It might just be CYA for Lotus, but I didn't want to be the one to test it lol.

 

[daSchtick]

Well I drive mostly on days that people work and when driving I stay 6 to 7 cars back and jeeps /trucks I stay back 10 vehicles
back to stop stones from hitting that low Emira front end...

I am right there with you. I am not huge fan of PPF. I understand it's purpose, but I simply don't like the finish as much as paint, and it slowly dulls over time.

I have found if I simply hang back from traffic, my front end remains chip free. Maybe not practical for a daily driver, but easy for my to do in my special occasion car that is primarily used on backroads.

 

[Blue131]

Does anyone have a solution to wash the wheels only? I find that the car stays clean pretty well, but the wheels get dusty fast.

I've been using my rinseless wash on the wheels as well. I'll go a little more concentrated and do a pre-spray of the solution before hitting it with the wash. I use a ton of towels to make sure I'm not just scraping brake dust around. I'm sure if you have the ability to hose off your wheels first it would only be a benefit

 

[seriously]

Since I have become a huge fan of P&S Rinseless Wash, I have been primarily using that. I have also become completely sold on the microfiber rags from The Rag Company. I have found that the final results are not only quicker to achieve, but the solution leaves a far nicer finish that looks like I freshly coated it, and boosts water repellency on the windows as well. These days, the only time I perform a traditional soap/water wash is if the car has had muddy water dry on it from something like a long road trip in a rain storm. However, If I can rinse the car with my power washer while the dirt is still wet, I will typically rinseless wash afterward.

My process may sound totally backwards, but I am really happy with the results. I will usually start by gently rinsing the surface of the car from a slight distance with a wide fan tip on my power washer. I then move closer to rinse the wheels/brakes/tires and wheel wells. I have found that this pre-rinse significantly reduces the amount of dirt that I am removing with the rinseless wash.

With the car still wet, I then perform the rinseless wash from top to bottom in sections. This involves application of rinseless wash using a pump sprayer, as well as washing the car using this solution from a bucket as well using a microfiber wash pad. I immediately dry each panel with one of many microfiber towels, and work my way toward the bottom and rear of the car. I then use the damp towels to clean the interior and door jams. Lastly, I use my wheel wash pad and towels to hand wash the wheels, tires, brakes, and wheel wells. The hardest part is fully cleaning the barrels of the rims, simply due to access. However, I have gotten good at sliding a damp towel through these areas, and everything comes off quite easily since I removed the wheels to fully coat them immediately upon delivery.

What step are you saving with rinseless washing?

Regular washing = rinse/presoak > soap > rinse > dry
Rinseless washing = rinse/presoak? > soap > dry or is it just soap > dry?

Is that basically it? So your towels get really dirty instead of rinsing the car before drying? I don't really understand the benefit.

 

[daSchtick]

I've heard good things about P&S too, just working through what I have first and may give that shot so I don't have to justify to the family why I have umpteen bottles of things that supposedly do the same thing.

Have you had any issues with water getting where it shouldn't be with the power washer? I'll admit the line about pressure washing in the owner's manual got me nervous and has kept me away from the coin op wash bays. It might just be CYA for Lotus, but I didn't want to be the one to test it lol.

I will admit - the P&S Rinseless Wash and associated towels from the The Rag Company is hard to justify. When my wife discovered that I spent $150 on some 'snake oil and rags' she knew that I was insane! However, if you already have the towels, you really only need to invest in the Rinseless Wash and Rags to Riches for washing the microfiber towels, and since both products have such high dilution rates, the stuff goes really far. I have also turned my wife onto it for cleaning things around the house, as I keep a pump sprayer of it available at all times. It works great on windows, patio furniture, etc. Like I alluded to, the finish left behind by this product looks feels like it was also coated. This is something I have never experienced with typical wash products. That said, I went for gallon bottles on my last purchase, as this should last me many years.

With respect to power washing, I have not had any issues. However, I do use the widest tip, and spray from a distance to minimize the force only any seals. The only place I bring the wand anywhere close is at the wheels and wheel wells. But, this enables me to remove 90% of the brake dust by simply rinsing before washing.

Here is a quick photo of the car after winning 'Top 5' at my local car show last Saturday.

 

[Stevie I wonder]

It's all a bit O.T.T. to me.I haven't washed my car in 3weeks and I live in the North of England . There's road salt and muck everywhere,but the beauty of this car is even when it's not perfect it's still amazing.