Washing & Drying your Car Properly

[Travis]

As car enthusiasts we enjoy doing regular maintenance on our vehicles and pride ourselves on the cleanliness of it. Washing and waxing our vehicles is a very therapeutic and relaxing time for us, but what if its doing more harm then good for our cars? In this article we will take a deeper look into correct washing and drying techniques and the affects of improper washing and drying techniques, along with proper and improper materials to use.



What are swirls and what do they look like?

Below is a photo of a typical daily driven car. When in the sunlight or under a street lamp at night these swirls are very easily spotted and are a bit of an eye sore. These swirls are thousands of micro scratches induced, for the most part, by improper washing and drying techniques. Automatic car washing or hand washing with the wrong materials will start to create swirls. By employing the correct materials, and techniques you can avoid inducing these micro scratches. Now lets not panic, these imperfections can be removed through paint correction. This is an advanced technique where buffers equipped with various foam pads and polishes finish down the paintwork creating a flawless finish.



Proper Materials Vs. Improper Materials.

You will need materials designed specifically for automotive paint. Yes, Dawn will work but overtime it will harm rubber trim and accelerate the fading of plastic trim. Not only that, but Dawn will strip off any wax you have on the car. Who wants to have to re-wax every single wash!?!? How about those Terry rags they use on TV? Those towels are pretty abrasive and will, even if they have zero contaminants on them, induce swirls and other imperfections. Quality Microfiber towels are specifically designed to be gentle for even the most delicate surfaces.



What materials do i need?

• A Quality Washing Mitt, i usually have a spare just in case.
• A quality PH balanced shampoo like Chemical Guys Mr. Pink.
• A nice PH balanced wheel cleaner like Sonax Full Effect.
• Two to Three 5 gallon buckets.
• Two Grit Guard inserts for the buckets. (four is preferred)
• EZ-Detail brush to clean the wheels and wheel wells.
• Waffle Weave Microfiber Towels for drying.
• Quick Detail Spray or Spray wax.

The Wheels are always first.

When we do washes we want to do the wheels first because they are always the dirtiest portion of the car. we wouldn't want to risk spraying dirty water and chemicals all over our nice clean car. First things first, lets grab a bottle of Sonax Full Effect and spray all the wheels down, even the inside barrels of the wheels, and let that sit while we get our wash buckets ready. Now this is why i have that third bucket, Me personally, I like to keep a designated wheel bucket because it tends to get pretty filthy over time. Now lets go ahead and place a grit guard insert in the bottom of this bucket. Start the hose and fill up the bucket to about the halfway point then put in some shampoo, about two cap fulls. With the nozzle lets switch it to a mode where we can achieve a fast stream of water to create some suds. we are all set and it looks like that Sonax has started to turn red, don't be alarmed, that's just the chemicals working to loosen all that baked on brake dust. Dunk the EZ-Detail brush into the bucket and start to wash in between the spokes getting the inner barrels clean. use a sponge or designated MF towel to wash the face of the wheels. Make sure to rinse the wheels thoroughly before we move on to the paint.











Moving onto the paint!

Now since we have the dirtiest part finished, lets move onto the paint. Since we already have your buckets ready at this point position them towards the middle of the car so your not running around all the time. Set the sprayer on the hose at a strong stream and try and get as much of the dirt loose. Starting top to bottom, dunk your mit into the soap, squeeze a bit of it out of it so you can achieve some good suds. when your rinsing the mit make sure to scrub the mit along the grit guard to loosen the collected dirt from the mit, squeeze all the dirty water out of the mit before re-soaping it. i like to divide the car into sections; half of the roof & pillars ~ rinse/re-soap, window, quarter panels upper doors. upper front fenders ~ rinse/re-soap, lower doors & lower fenders ~ rinse/re-soap, half of the hood & half of the front bumper, half of the rear glass, trunk, and rear bumper ~ rinse/re-soap. Now if you know your car is fairly dirty you can modify this to where your rinsing and re-soaping more often. Also it may be a good idea to dump the rinse water half way through if your vehicle is that dirty. Also make sure your not letting the water or soap dry or it will start to create water or soap spots, just give it a quick spray every so often until your ready for a complete rinse. Now that the car is squeaky clean lets give her a nice rinse, make sure to go top to bottom and really get into the roof rails as they tend to like to hold soap in them.



Time to dry, The right way!

Now that we have the car fully rinsed we are going to learn a little trick to help us out. We are going to take off the hose sprayer leaving just the open hose. Turning the water at about half its potential flow we are going to start to manipulate the water into "sheeting" down the paint, leaving us less water to deal with drying. Start by "flooding the roof of the vehicle. Then continually moving down toward the window while moving left to right you'll start to notice the water sheeting down with you and the hose. replicate this trick all around the car and you will notice in the end that only about 10% of the water is on the surface now. This definitely works best with freshly waxed cars. For the remaining water we want to use our Quick Detailer or Spray Wax and our quality microfiber waffle weave drying towel to carefully pick up the rest of the water. Fold your drying towel into fourths and give it a couple sprays with the Quick Detailer to soften or "Prime" the towel. Spraying each section of the paint before lightly wiping the surface with the towel start making your way all around the car.







Now that the car is completely clean, you can move on to the wax or you can just take a few moments to admire how awesome your car looks! And guess what? We did this the right way and avoided any potential swirl inducing techniques and materials in the process! Great Job, now its time for that cold beer.

[Mase]

[Raider]

Sonax is hands-down the best out there for cleaning wheels.

[Travis]

Originally Posted by Raider Sonax is hands-down the best out there for cleaning wheels.

Absolutely, Super delicate yet will seek and destroy brake dust like nobodies business.

[helmetface]

Bro, your wheels- they're bleeding!

[backward_0]

Dude. Killer write up. Gonna do a paint correction write up?
I would love to see it done correctly. Usually when I think I know, I don't.
Nice to see it with product recommendations too. Great job!

[Travis]

Originally Posted by backward_0 Dude. Killer write up. Gonna do a paint correction write up? I would love to see it done correctly. Usually when I think I know, I don't. Nice to see it with product recommendations too. Great job!

Eventually i do plan on it, i would just feel more comfortable if i built up to that first. i want to have a good foundation of knowledge available for the forum before i go into advanced paint correction. i don't want anyone to mess up their paint or invest 500$ in products and equipment not knowing what their doing.

I did do a write up on a paint correction i did last week. there's some product recommendations in there as well, but they are tailored to the car that i was working with. too many variables to make the same recommendations to you even if your car is the same year and paint color. but the link can be found here

[shadow102]

Another great write up and informative for a noob detailer like myself. Going to put that sonax wheel cleaner on my next product order.

Speaking of products what is your preferred store to shop at? My last order was from detailers domain but just wondering what everybody else uses

[Travis]

Originally Posted by shadow102 Another great write up and informative for a noob detailer like myself. Going to put that sonax wheel cleaner on my next product order. Speaking of products what is your preferred store to shop at? My last order was from detailers domain but just wondering what everybody else uses

Thanks buddy, before I went pro I really enjoyed detailed image. Not just for the products but the information on the site was the foundation of what my knowledge is now. Since then I've gotten to meet most of the detailers on that site and have learned a lot from them. Very cool people and very great knowledge.

- Travis

[VulgarKyle]

most the cleaners and grit guard available at pep boys or online only?
thanks for write up

[rennyspeed]

Thanks for the great write up!
I had used Meguiar's wheel cleaner on my painted wheels last weekend and noticed it slightly ate into the painted finish. I have been looking for a less abrasive wheel cleaner. I will def be picking up a bottle of Sonax tomorrow to try that out. Again appreciate the informative post!

[ABolewski]

Hell yea! Thanks Travis! Washed my car yesterday and used only a few of the pointers you gave and what a difference it made!
I was I'm the dark, I thought washing a car was washing a car. Really appreciate the great write up Travis!

EDIT: Alright read through the whole thing. Just one thing to point out that I do is I use a squeegee on the windows (especially front and back windows), and I do so going from top to bottom across the window. I've noticed that this elimintes the lines that the windshield wipers leave, that are visible when the car gets a little dusty or wet for whatever reason. I use rain-X too, that shit is awesome. Basically the same effect that wax has on paint, but for your windshields.

Thoughts Travis? Again, really diggin this write up and looking forward to obtaining all this washing gear.

[grantmm]

Originally Posted by ABolewski Hell yea! Thanks Travis! Washed my car yesterday and used only a few of the pointers you gave and what a difference it made! I was I'm the dark, I thought washing a car was washing a car. Really appreciate the great write up Travis! EDIT: Alright read through the whole thing. Just one thing to point out that I do is I use a squeegee on the windows (especially front and back windows), and I do so going from top to bottom across the window. I've noticed that this elimintes the lines that the windshield wipers leave, that are visible when the car gets a little dusty or wet for whatever reason. I use rain-X too, that shit is awesome. Basically the same effect that wax has on paint, but for your windshields. Thoughts Travis? Again, really diggin this write up and looking forward to obtaining all this washing gear.

Try investing in a real window solution like Gtechniq G1 - Exterior Coatings // G|Techniq - instead of rain-x. You only need to apply once or twice a year. I'm sure @Travis; will have his own personal preference though. There are a few good, long lasting solutions around, but I prefer Gtechniq.

[JTMS3]

Is Sonax ideal for just alloy finished wheels or painted as well? I have painted wheels and use soap since most wheel cleaners eat at the finish of the paint.

[Travis]

Originally Posted by VulgarKyle most the cleaners and grit guard available at pep boys or online only? thanks for write up

These are online products only, you may be able to source them through a detail supply store near you but it's likely to be cheaper online.

Originally Posted by rennyspeed Thanks for the great write up! I had used Meguiar's wheel cleaner on my painted wheels last weekend and noticed it slightly ate into the painted finish. I have been looking for a less abrasive wheel cleaner. I will def be picking up a bottle of Sonax tomorrow to try that out. Again appreciate the informative post!

You really need to dilute things like that. Most wheel cleaners can be diluted 10:1 as they are meant for professional use and are highly concentrated. The sonax is ready to spray and is ph balanced, very safe to use. I saw absolutely no problem when I've used it on painted wheels. If your using the ez detail brush you can fill your bucket with hot water, this will make the bristles on the brush much softer.

Originally Posted by ABolewski Hell yea! Thanks Travis! Washed my car yesterday and used only a few of the pointers you gave and what a difference it made! I was I'm the dark, I thought washing a car was washing a car. Really appreciate the great write up Travis! EDIT: Alright read through the whole thing. Just one thing to point out that I do is I use a squeegee on the windows (especially front and back windows), and I do so going from top to bottom across the window. I've noticed that this elimintes the lines that the windshield wipers leave, that are visible when the car gets a little dusty or wet for whatever reason. I use rain-X too, that shit is awesome. Basically the same effect that wax has on paint, but for your windshields. Thoughts Travis? Again, really diggin this write up and looking forward to obtaining all this washing gear.

Thanks man! Personally I would get rid of the squeegee and invest in a few nice Window mf towels. They leave a streak free surface when used with a quality Window solution like stoners or cg Window clean. Also stoners makes a nice pivoting widow cleaning tool. This is a godsend for the inside of the windshield. You can find those at auto zone as well.

There are a few good products on the market for Window sealants. The Gtechniq line of products is ok, I did some testing with them last year. Fairly new company from Germany. it is a bit pricey for the average DIY guy. I'm not in the office right now but I'll post up some links for this type of product later.

Originally Posted by grantmm Try investing in a real window solution like Gtechniq G1 - Exterior Coatings // G|Techniq - instead of rain-x. You only need to apply once or twice a year. I'm sure @Travis; will have his own personal preference though. There are a few good, long lasting solutions around, but I prefer Gtechniq.

Very true statement, there's nothing wrong with rainx, but there are way better longer lasting products out there now. Thanks for the link! Like I said I'll try to post some links later tonight.

Originally Posted by JTMS3 Is Sonax ideal for just alloy finished wheels or painted as well? I have painted wheels and use soap since most wheel cleaners eat at the finish of the paint.

Sonax is ph balanced and is very good for delicate surfaces without having to dilute. Like I said most wheels cleaners, degreasers, and all purpose cleaners are meant to be diluted so as to get more product for the money.



- Travis

[spals]

Very nice write-up, @Travis;. That's the same method I use on my car. However, I had never tried to spray quick-detailer on my drying cloth. I tried it today and I like the results! Thanks for the tip.

One thing that I like to do (after the exterior is dry) is take a lower quality microfiber cloth and open up all the doors, the hatch, and the gas filler door and wipe off any excess water. This helps prevent water spots from forming and makes your car look extra clean. Very few people take the time to clean the door jambs and having clean jambs makes the job look very professional.

In your upcoming tutorial on paint correction, could you give some pointers on using a DA buffer on angled surfaces? I have the PC7424XP with 6.5" pads and it is difficult to use on the sharp angled surface like the front bumper or the lower half of the doors. I'm sure reducing the cutting pad diameter would help but there has to be some technique that makes it easier.

[Travis]

Originally Posted by spals Very nice write-up, Travis. That's the same method I use on my car. However, I had never tried to spray quick-detailer on my drying cloth. I tried it today and I like the results! Thanks for the tip. One thing that I like to do is (after your exterior is dry) take a lower quality microfiber cloth and open up all the doors, the hatch, and the gas filler door and wipe off any excess water. This helps prevent water spots from forming and makes your car look extra clean. Very few people take the time to clean the door jambs and having clean jambs makes the job look very professional. In your upcoming tutorial on paint correction, could you give some pointers on using a DA buffer on angled surfaces? I have the PC7424XP with 6.5" pads and it is difficult to use on the sharp angled surface like the front bumper or the lower half of the doors. I'm sure reducing the cutting pad diameter would help but there has to be some technique that makes it easier.

Thanks @spals; one tip I can tell you now is your pads are too large for the backing plate you have. You should order the meguiars 5" backing plate (w67d) it doesn't heat up nearly as much as the crappy pc BP, and is a bit stiffer so you can put more pressure on it as well. You need to use 5.5" pads with this backing plate as well as the stock pc backing plate. This will give you a much more accurate correction as well as optimize your PCs correction ability. The smaller the pad the faster you can correct. I will go into this much more in depth with my article on paint correction, but hopefully this tip will help you for the time being.

I plan on doing the article with multiple machines; flex 3401vrg, maybe the rupes 21, griots Garage orbital, and the PC 7424xp.

- Travis

[jfspeed6]

When doing my washes, I use either Adam's Polishes Detail Spray or their Waterless Wash as a drying agent. I spray it right in the paint instead of on the drying microfiber.

[Travis]

Originally Posted by jfspeed6 When doing my washes, I use either Adam's Polishes Detail Spray or their Waterless Wash as a drying agent. I spray it right in the paint instead of on the drying microfiber.

I only spray it on the towel initially to prime the towel, I spray each section of the paint before drying it. I think I made sure to say that, but if not my bad. I didn't like the Adams quick detailer because it was very streaky, but they did just come out with a revised version 2 of it that's supposed to be streak free. I have a couple cases on the way so we will see.

- Travis

[jfspeed6]

Originally Posted by Travis I only spray it on the towel initially to prime the towel, I spray each section of the paint before drying it. I think I made sure to say that, but if not my bad. I didn't like the Adams quick detailer because it was very streaky, but they did just come out with a revised version 2 of it that's supposed to be streak free. I have a couple cases on the way so we will see. - Travis

Yeah Adams detail spray is a little streaky. That's why I recently switched to the waterless wash.

I'm not sure if you mentioned it or not, I might have missed it.

[Travis]

Originally Posted by jfspeed6 Yeah Adams detail spray is a little streaky. That's why I recently switched to the waterless wash. I'm not sure if you mentioned it or not, I might have missed it.

ill let you know how the adams quick detailer V2 fairs.

[ArmanRus]

To add to this, I dry the windows and mirrors first after flooding the paint to avoid watermarks. And to clean the glass I use Invisible Glass (use the aerosol type, not the liquid spray or the wipes).

[Travis]

glass science is very easy to apply and pretty darn cheap too! works like a charm and sheets water easier and at lower speeds than rain x.

Glass Science Rain Clear - 5 oz | Free Shipping Available - Detailed Image

reach tool i mentioned earlier for the inside of the windshield.
Stoner Invisible Glass Reach and Clean Microfiber Tool Mop | Free Shipping Available - Detailed Image

Gtechniq repellant
GTechniq G5 Water Repellent Coating 100 ml.

optimum glass coating, easily the best on the market IMO, but should be professionally installed.
Optimum Opti-Glass Coating, windshield coating, windshield coating to prevent chips

[speedBryla69]

great write up, need to spend a nice day sometime to get mine ready for meets!

[Jap11g]

Gotta be careful with wax too. I worked detail for a few years at a car dealership, and if you get any wax on the plastic pieces it's almost impossible to get off without leaving an underlying white fading appearance on it. Best product i've found out there to remove it is called Krud Kutter, and if you scrub away at it, it'll bring the black/gray plastic back to life.

[Travis]

Originally Posted by Jap11g Gotta be careful with wax too. I worked detail for a few years at a car dealership, and if you get any wax on the plastic pieces it's almost impossible to get off without leaving an underlying white fading appearance on it. Best product i've found out there to remove it is called Krud Kutter, and if you scrub away at it, it'll bring the black/gray plastic back to life.

Thanks! I find if you catch it fast enough isopropyl alcohol will work too. Obviously you'll have to re-dress the plastic afterwards. But small price to pay.

Just take it slow while your waxing, there is zero rush during this step. You can also tape off the plastic trim so you don't hit it if you are worried about it.

[joseph.p05]

great write up! this should help a lot of people out who really dont know proper wash/dry techniques.

on a side note, how do you like V7? I keep reading on autogeek that it contains alcohol which is killing everyones LSP and beading abilities, so im hesitant to try it. I've been hooked on blackfire polymer spray lately.

[Travis]

Originally Posted by joseph.p05 great write up! this should help a lot of people out who really dont know proper wash/dry techniques. on a side note, how do you like V7? I keep reading on autogeek that it contains alcohol which is killing everyones LSP and beading abilities, so im hesitant to try it. I've been hooked on blackfire polymer spray lately.

I have seen no evidence of it containing alcohol. Although there is other products I prefer for this CBM paint as a dry aide like dodo juice red mist. Just works well with this color paint.

Real reason I like vo7 is that you don't need much and it dresses the trim nicely if your in a hurry.

[joseph.p05]

Originally Posted by Travis I have seen no evidence of it containing alcohol. Although there is other products I prefer for this CBM paint as a dry aide like dodo juice red mist. Just works well with this color paint. Real reason I like vo7 is that you don't need much and it dresses the trim nicely if your in a hurry.

yea the msds says it contains propylheptyl, which is a fancy word for alcohol haha, im still intrigued to give it a shot. and yes red mist is amazing stuff. keep up the good work

[Travis]

Originally Posted by joseph.p05 yea the msds says it contains propylheptyl, which is a fancy word for alcohol haha, im still intrigued to give it a shot. and yes red mist is amazing stuff. keep up the good work

Thanks! Good to know. Although I haven't found that the alcohol really deteriorates the protection time or the layers of wax laid beneath it. But I haven't used it right after my lsp either, so the wax beneath it has always been fully cured by the time vo7 is applied. Red mist is definitely one of my all time favorites for sure, but Adams quick detailer is in a close second.

[5LOWMS6]

Nice write up.. Any tips for engine bay cleaning & detailing?

[jrotaryb]

That Sonax wheel cleaner is great, but it's expensive and I won't use it unless I'm working on something really gross.

For most of us that will wash weekly (or more) in the warmer months, a dedicated wash bucket for the wheels is more than enough for me. A coat of synthetic sealant on the wheels every few months makes for effortless cleaning (even with the OEM crazy-dusty pads).

[Travis]

Originally Posted by jrotaryb That Sonax wheel cleaner is great, but it's expensive and I won't use it unless I'm working on something really gross. For most of us that will wash weekly (or more) in the warmer months, a dedicated wash bucket for the wheels is more than enough for me. A coat of synthetic sealant on the wheels every few months makes for effortless cleaning (even with the OEM crazy-dusty pads).

Yes you are very correct, cleaners like sonax do not need to be use every single time, especially if your doing weekly washes. Some PH balanced shampoo and a wheel brush will work just fine. Reserve your expensive cleaners for when it's only necessary.

Adding sealants into the equation is another argument in its self. There is soooo many on the market these days and it's difficult to say which one is "best". But when properly applied they will be your wheels best friend. It's stupid easy to get brake dust off, most of the time I'll just use my Karcher pressure washer to remove the dust without using another bucket or any soap. So in a way using synthetics is a bit of a money saver on top of being a time saver.


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[jrotaryb]

Originally Posted by Travis Yes you are very correct, cleaners like sonax do not need to be use every single time, especially if your doing weekly washes. Some PH balanced shampoo and a wheel brush will work just fine. Reserve your expensive cleaners for when it's only necessary. Adding sealants into the equation is another argument in its self. There is soooo many on the market these days and it's difficult to say which one is "best". But when properly applied they will be your wheels best friend. It's stupid easy to get brake dust off, most of the time I'll just use my Karcher pressure washer to remove the dust without using another bucket or any soap. So in a way using synthetics is a bit of a money saver on top of being a time saver. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

"Best" sealant is very subjective - IMHO it really depends on the individual and how often he/she plans to apply it to the car. Personally, I have much less time to devote to car cleaning that I used to so I value something that is reliable, easy to use and offers long lasting protection. For me, the winner is Klasse all-in-one...I prefer AIO to their dedicated sealant which can be a little tricky to remove if even slightly over-applied.

For over the counter stuff, I still love NXT for it's ease of use, metallic pop and wonderful smell. For those that will apply often, the longevity isn't as much of an issue.

Finally, for other time savers, the Gilmour foam master II great! It saves the trouble of mixing/measuring a wash bucket and is helpful for pre-soaking at one wash ratio and washing with another. While the car pre-soaks, I like to spray some simple green in wheel wells and agitate with an old wheel brush before rinsing.

[grazamataz]

Question about the Klasse stuff. Read up on it but didn't get a definitive answer. For the whole car, if I use the AIO followed by the dedicated sealant, does that take the place of a polish/glaze/wax with other products? Meaning I wouldn't need to wax after applying the sealant?

Edit: I'm dumb, dug around some more and found what I needed...adding a layer of carnuba wax on top of the sealant is optional but will help it shine better. K.

sent from my phone because it's 2014

[jrotaryb]

Originally Posted by grazamataz Question about the Klasse stuff. Read up on it but didn't get a definitive answer. For the whole car, if I use the AIO followed by the dedicated sealant, does that take the place of a polish/glaze/wax with other products? Meaning I wouldn't need to wax after applying the sealant? Edit: I'm dumb, dug around some more and found what I needed...adding a layer of carnuba wax on top of the sealant is optional but will help it shine better. K. sent from my phone because it's 2014

The AIO has excellent cleaning ability and longevity so any topper will be just for some gloss so I like to use a spray wax on top of AIO.

AIO can also be diluted in a spray bottle for a nice quick detailer to be used right after a wash.

[grazamataz]

Thanks! I ended up going with a bunch of stuff from chemical guys so I'll see how that all works. May try Klasse down the line but for now I think I'm good with what I got.

sent from my phone because it's 2014

[Travis]

I enjoy the foam master but ever since I got the foam cannon I haven't looked back. I like klasse as well but I do think chem guys black light works better and is less finicky when over applied.

Attached is a couple pictures of the foam cannon used with a Karcher PW and chem guys Mr. Pink shampoo.





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[Jap11g]

Whoa never even heard of whatever magic I am seeing in those pics ^

Tapa Tapa Tapa

[warjunkies]

Originally Posted by Travis I enjoy the foam master but ever since I got the foam cannon I haven't looked back. I like klasse as well but I do think chem guys black light works better and is less finicky when over applied. Attached is a couple pictures of the foam cannon used with a Karcher PW and chem guys Mr. Pink shampoo. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That's awesome!


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