Share your washing approach

[jbug187]

My Emira accumulates lots of dust on the back. One drive across town and I can draw a noticable line through the dust with my finger. It's only on the back of the car, the front still looks clean for days after a wash. Anyone have an easy solution for the dust?

 

[ADC]

My Emira accumulates lots of dust on the back. One drive across town and I can draw a noticable line through the dust with my finger. It's only on the back of the car, the front still looks clean for days after a wash. Anyone have an easy solution for the dust?

Go faster and outrun it?

 

[crestima]

My Emira accumulates lots of dust on the back. One drive across town and I can draw a noticable line through the dust with my finger. It's only on the back of the car, the front still looks clean for days after a wash. Anyone have an easy solution for the dust?

Only solution is to keep wiping it off occasionally, but the one product that I've used on all my cars and found to leave the best long-lasting polished and slippery surface is pictured below. It's easy to apply to a clean and dry surface, it effectively repels dirt and dust and makes subsequent cleaning with a microfiber cloth so much easier. Hope this helps.

 

[Iluvitar]

I don't have a driveway to wash the car so I use AMMONYC's rinseless wash if I have to do it in the garage. Basically just the Frothe hoseless lift&wash and then Ammo Hydrate before drying, and a ton of microfiber towels. Ammo Obey for windows works and their Final Wipe glass towels really get rid of any streaks. I don't wash wheels/tires at home in the garage. There was a time when I didn't wash at home cause my Ammo Aerator started leaking, which they never warrantied for me. I ended up buying an IK Foam Pro 12 which has been working great. This takes me about 30-45 minutes but I'm skipping the wheels.

For full cleaning, I use a wash bay and a Gyeon setup with 3 bucket method in the middle of the night when there's nobody else there.
Q2M Foam pre-wash with a battery powered foam cannon. I have their Bug&Grime spray but it's only ever been bad enough to use once. Then Gyeon Iron Wheel cleaner and Tire cleaner. Then rinse it all off and Q2M Bathe to wash the car. WetCoat afterwards and then Q2M Glass for the windows and lights. Car is fully PPF'd but I haven't tried the PPF cleaner. I take an extra towel to shove into the engine glass hole to try to prevent excess water from splashing into the trunk when i'm done washing and putting stuff away.
Takes about an hour or maybe a bit over depending on how relaxed I am about it - I'm never in a rush for this and it's a bit relaxing I guess.

Gyone's Silk Dryer and Wheel Mitt are probably the best I've ever used. Even with a wheel brush, it's hard to ever get between the calipers and the wheel so there's always a spot I just just can't get to.
I use Rags to Riches for microfiber towel cleaning.

I might try ceramic coating the wheels and brake calipers one of these days. I have some left over Gyeon Syncro EVO from when I ceramic coated another car.

I've never cleaned the engine bay, and considering the electrical problems I've had with my car I'm somewhat hesitant to get water in there 'just in case'. If anybody has tips, or has done it, I'd like to hear more. I've coated pretty much the accessible bits of my engine with ACF-50 since my car was one of those that sat at the port for a year, but I'm more worried about electrical connectors.

 

[Beachbum]

The Meguiars “Woolly One” that ADC replied with is a perfect fit for cleaning the barrels on my Emira and I use a size small Original Wheel Woolly from Yumcars.co.uk to get behind the calipers when the Meguiars won’t fit in.
Any good detailing brush and a soft wheel mitt for the wheel faces.
I only use Yum products on my cars - for the wheels I use 4 items:
Undress ~ tyre & rubber cleaner
Wheels ~ 2 in 1 Wheel cleaner
Wheel Foam (in foam cannon) Absolute game changer - keeps from drying out too quickly, especially in the Summer
Dress V2 ~ Rubber & trim moisturiser

Products are a bit more expensive than others but end results are really worth it and there’s superb online instruction videos from hugely supportive UK founder.

An update from me. Got Yum Cars Wheel foam cleaner and their citrus spray(Hadnt realised it could be diluted for foam cannons) Wheel cleaner is good, the citrus cleaner, cannot really tell as the car had no real dirt that this sort of cleaner is specifically for.
The Yum Car foam is proving to be quite poor. No foam at all, just a white froth at best, that runs off far too quickly. Will increase the concentration yet again on the next wash and see how that goes, but may be swapping to Bilt & Hammer sooner rather than later

 

[Zardoz]

My Emira accumulates lots of dust on the back. One drive across town and I can draw a noticable line through the dust with my finger. It's only on the back of the car, the front still looks clean for days after a wash. Anyone have an easy solution for the dust?

I have a master blaster car dryer.. I just blast it off. Poof, its gone. No touch solution. FYI my car is DV. Shows dirt like crazy.

 

[meesterover]

As another member stated, and I am curious, what in the hell kind of HOA is that?
I will never buy another home in an HOA (and I do not currently own a home at the moment)

For what it is worth, here is my process
- thoroughly rinse the car
- use foam cannon
- scrubs with a boar's hair brush
- rinse soap
- rinse with spotless system
- dry with Adam's air cannon

I do this for all our vehicles, that are all ceramic coated.

 

[Beachbum]

An update from me. Got Yum Cars Wheel foam cleaner and their citrus spray(Hadnt realised it could be diluted for foam cannons) Wheel cleaner is good, the citrus cleaner, cannot really tell as the car had no real dirt that this sort of cleaner is specifically for.
The Yum Car foam is proving to be quite poor. No foam at all, just a white froth at best, that runs off far too quickly. Will increase the concentration yet again on the next wash and see how that goes, but may be swapping to Bilt & Hammer sooner rather than later

So an update from me.
Wheel cleaner not so good. My initial impression was what came of the wheel when it ran off, which was noticeable. However actually cleaning the wheel still needs a lot of elbow grease to get the wheels clean i.e. the surface dust seems to come off easily, but the stuff stuck to the wheel, the Yum cleaner seems to make little impact on.
The Foam issue, was not the Yum Foam, it was the Foam Cannon itself. Seems the thing clogs up easily and needs to be cleaned out regularly.

 

[Orchardbike]

So an update from me.
Wheel cleaner not so good. My initial impression was what came of the wheel when it ran off, which was noticeable. However actually cleaning the wheel still needs a lot of elbow grease to get the wheels clean i.e. the surface dust seems to come off easily, but the stuff stuck to the wheel, the Yum cleaner seems to make little impact on.
The Foam issue, was not the Yum Foam, it was the Foam Cannon itself. Seems the thing clogs up easily and needs to be cleaned out regularly.

Is it the foam that jams the cannon easily or just the cannon you’ve got that’s prone to jamming? I use an MJJC(I think it is) foam cannon and that’s never jammed/gummed up at all. The one caveat is I’ve never put wheel cleaner in it, only snow foam, like Bilt Hamber Touchless

 

[avinson85]

All depends if the car has been ceramic coated, but this is mine as it has been. I also have a driveway and garage
Start off with the wheels. If it's been a while, I use iron remover. Otherwise, just a general wheel and tyre cleaner such as carpro retire or brake buster. Then use a specific wheel/tyre brush to clean inside of the alloys and the tyre's with bucket of ph neutral soap or stronger if it's been a while.
For the car , If extremely dirty, then soak with citrus pre-wash. Otherwise, just snow foam (MJJC) with either decon soap or pH-neutral soap. Also use the same on the wheels to give it a second clean and then I use a wash mitt to clean the spokes.
Then I rinse off the soap foam, and then I'll use the two-bucket method , with either something neutral like Bilt hamber touchless, Koch chemie Christmas soap or Car Pro Reset or something stronger like Descale, depending on the severity of dirt.
Then I'll use the rag Company Ultra Utility Brush to get into all the cracks and crevices and maybe get the clay sponge out if paint is feeling particularly 'gritty'
Then I rinse everything off an put it back into the garage, and then I'll use a big boi air blower to remove all of the water from the lights, doors, plastic trims, etc., and then a drying towel to dry off the rest of the car.
Then apply tyre coating on the tyres, usually Car Pro Pearl.
If I can be bothered, I'll possibly spray something like wet coat on the alloys again if it's been a while, just to get that beading, apply a plastic trim coating on the plastics just to again protect them and make them a bit darker usually gtechniq C4.
I might try Bilt hamber Atom Mac again as the wheels get really rusty after the wash and setting off is a bit of a pain if left for a few days.
Oh and i forgot about the glass. Bilt hamber Trace less then soft99 compound cleaner , then glaco coating
Looks really good once finished but it gets very expensive !

 

[Beachbum]

Is it the foam that jams the cannon easily or just the cannon you’ve got that’s prone to jamming? I use an MJJC(I think it is) foam cannon and that’s never jammed/gummed up at all. The one caveat is I’ve never put wheel cleaner in it, only snow foam, like Bilt Hamber Touchless

I'm using the MJJC version too and it seems it may actually be the Foam cannon, as the manufacturers website has a reference to flushing it through once you have finished, before putting it away, that I had not seen previously.
The suggestion is, to run clean water through it for 50secs, then pack away. It must be a concern, as they also sell replacement filters that they suggest you replace, but they dont actually say how often
I think hard water may also play a part and I live in a VERY hard water area.

 

[meesterover]

So an update from me.
Wheel cleaner not so good. My initial impression was what came of the wheel when it ran off, which was noticeable. However actually cleaning the wheel still needs a lot of elbow grease to get the wheels clean i.e. the surface dust seems to come off easily, but the stuff stuck to the wheel, the Yum cleaner seems to make little impact on.
The Foam issue, was not the Yum Foam, it was the Foam Cannon itself. Seems the thing clogs up easily and needs to be cleaned out regularly.

Ceramic coat your wheels and the brake dust comes off fairly easily.

 

[avinson85]

Ceramic coat your wheels and the brake dust comes off fairly easily.

yeh, a nightmare to prep but well worth it once finished

 

[meesterover]

yeh, a nightmare to prep but well worth it once finished

lol, how so a nightmare? It is a pretty simple process.
You wash them well, use a ceramic prep cleaner
Ceramic coat
Enjoy

 

[Beachbum]

I'll own up and admit, I HATE cleaning cars with a passion. The only reason the Emira gets cleaned as often as it does, is that it was the one condition the wife stipulated, when I bought the car..... It must be kept clean.
Not sure what she plans to do, if I stop cleaning it, but I dont ever want to find out either
If I could take it to a car wash, I would, but even I realise that would be a bad idea, so I clean it at infrequent intervals and buy "Stuff" that supposedly makes the job easier. So far, I can get the car clean & shiny in just under 2hrs, from starting to get the equipment out, to having it all put away again.
If I can speed it up any more, I will, so if anyone has suggestions on how to, I'm all ears. No third party options allowed, it has to be me that does it

 

[meesterover]

I'll own up and admit, I HATE cleaning cars with a passion. The only reason the Emira gets cleaned as often as it does, is that it was the one condition the wife stipulated, when I bought the car..... It must be kept clean.
Not sure what she plans to do, if I stop cleaning it, but I dont ever want to find out either
If I could take it to a car wash, I would, but even I realise that would be a bad idea, so I clean it at infrequent intervals and buy "Stuff" that supposedly makes the job easier. So far, I can get the car clean & shiny in just under 2hrs, from starting to get the equipment out, to having it all put away again.
If I can speed it up any more, I will, so if anyone has suggestions on how to, I'm all ears. No third party options allowed, it has to be me that does it

I have the opposite issue in which my wife trashes vehicles...literally. I refuse to ride in her vehicle. Personally, I do not understand spending money on things and not taking care of them. I do have 55+ pairs of shoes, but the main culprit of that is I do have some shoes that are 20+ years old. I even have a mint condition pair of Oakley Juliets that I occasionally wear that I purchased in 2001.

 

[avinson85]

lol, how so a nightmare? It is a pretty simple process.
You wash them well, use a ceramic prep cleaner
Ceramic coot
Enjoy

well i suppose it's how OCD you are. i used high PH soap, low PH soap, ph neutral, then polished , APC, panel wipe then ceramic with 2 coats but yeh you could just spend 5 mins cleaning and straight to ceramic.

 

[meesterover]

well i suppose it's how OCD you are. i used high PH soap, low PH soap, ph neutral, then polished , APC, panel wipe then ceramic with 2 coats but yeh you could just spend 5 mins cleaning and straight to ceramic.

That is a good process. My main point is cleaning a vehicle is not rocket science ;-), but I do like your process.

Personally, I only do a light clean, ceramic prep, then coat them. However, I did not mention that I do this as the first step when picking up the wheels from the powder coating, before mounting tires.

 

[virtualmacho]

If I can speed it up any more, I will, so if anyone has suggestions on how to, I'm all ears.

Leave the equipment out, do it on rainy days to eliminate the drying step!

 

[Orchardbike]

I'm using the MJJC version too and it seems it may actually be the Foam cannon, as the manufacturers website has a reference to flushing it through once you have finished, before putting it away, that I had not seen previously.
The suggestion is, to run clean water through it for 50secs, then pack away. It must be a concern, as they also sell replacement filters that they suggest you replace, but they dont actually say how often
I think hard water may also play a part and I live in a VERY hard water area.

That’s strange. You’re using the same cannon as me and I’ve not had it clog once. I don’t clean it out when I’ve finished with it either. I also changed the internal nozzle when I first bought it for one with a smaller diameter. Apparently it makes it produce thicker foam (according to the professional detailed I was talking to). I’d have thought that would have made it clog more